Collectibles

• Chevy Bel Air '57 - Hot Wheels of the week

  Today, as a Hot Wheels model, we have an American icon from the 1950s: the legendary 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. A car that boasts a recurring association with the TV show Happy Days and embodies the positive desire for freedom that permeated post-war America.

  

  

  This version celebrates and recalls, in livery and branding, the “’57 Edelbrock Chevy Bel Air”, created by students at Ohio Technical College (OTC) as part of an educational initiative (between October 2010 and May 2011), in collaboration with the Edelbrock Performance Academy. The aim was to transform a Hot Wheels model into a real, working version, giving students hands-on experience in vehicle restoration and customisation.

  

  

  This 2010 model (HW Performance) features the upper body in black painted metal and satin silver, with the Edelbrock logo screen-printed in red, white and black on the rear “tails”; the number 23 on the doors, surmounted by the inscription “VIC”; on the front side, the inscription “carburated”; on the bonnet, the double inscription “283 H.P.”, divided by a double central line; and the “Hot Wheels” brand as a signature, adjacent to the rear wheels.

  The lower body is chrome-plated silver plastic, which also makes up the car's two bumpers, radiator and lower lights. The wheels are five-spoke, screen-printed in metallic red. Finally, the interior of the passenger compartment is red plastic.

• Cool-One – Hot Wheels of the week

  This week sees the arrival of the roaring Cool-One, an imaginative version of the famous Chevrolet Step-Van, ice cream van, a vehicle featured in so many American films (IMCB).

  

  

  This version is part of the 2010 Insectirides 5-Pack and features a pearl-white metal upper body. The lower body is made of dark grey plastic, which extends to form the radiator and headlights (at the front), the exhaust pipes (on the sides of the vehicle), the two lower doors and the bumper (at the rear).

  

  

  Internally, three plastic elements are embedded: the two windscreen areas in transparent green, the seat and front part of the passenger compartment in tobacco colour, and the two real air ducts peeping out of the vehicle roof.

  On the sides of the van is an intricate four-colour screen-printed graphic (yellow, green, gold and black), with the words ‘EXTERMINATOR’ in an arc, flanked by the design of a hornet's head above two crossed shinbones, recalling the pirate flag.

  The wheels are PR5 (Phil Riehlman 5-spoke), screen-printed in gold.

• Double Vision - Hot Wheels of the week

  An iconic model from the late 1990s, Double Vision, as its name suggests, is characterised by a double body connected in the central part by two ailerons. This version (2006 - Mainline), features a black plastic lower body and pearl white painted metal upper body.

  

  

  On the left side is an imposing engine consisting of a chrome plastic double V8, while on the right side is the cockpit, reminiscent of a World War II fighter pilot's cabin, made of transparent orange plastic.

  

  

  On the sides of the bodywork are flame patterns between the two wheel axles and fancy logos on the tail, all screen-printed in three colours (warm yellow, red and burgundy). The wheels are the PR5, a line of 5-spoke wheels (with chrome screen printing) designed by Phil Riehlman in 2000.

  

  

  Stylistically, the model seems to be inspired by the shapes of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane, the Hayabusa fantasy car from the anime Ken Falco, and last but not least the Renault Etoile Filante, a French car starring on Utah's Bonneville Salt Lake, a legendary location where land speed records are held.

  

  

  
• Splittin' Image - Hot Wheels of the week

  Splittin' Image historical Hot Wheels model that debuted in 1969 in the first series (Red Line) designed by Ira Gilford historical designer of the first iconic models.

  

  

  Characterised by the presence of 2 separate cockpits, interspersed by the long exhaust pipes that start from the large front engine and extend the entire length of the vehicle. In this edition (2008 Web Trading Cars) the upper part of the body is made of metal painted in light green Metalflake, a special painting technique that gives brilliance thanks to the metal particles (flakes) inside the pigment. The lower part is made of plastic with a metal effect.

  

  

  Screen-printed in 1 colour (coppery gold), with motifs that emphasise the shapes. The cockpit caps are made of black plastic and the wheels are also made of black plastic model 5SP (5-spoke) with metallic silver screen printing.

• Tooligan - Hot Wheels of the week

  This week comes Tooligan! The name already says a lot about the shape of the vehicle. In fact, it is a cross between the word tool and the word hooligans (English extremist football fans), so much so that practically every part of the car is shaped like a tool in an extreme way.

  

  

  The wings and sides of the body take the shape of spanners; the rear wing is shaped like a 3/8’ spanner. The centre body and windscreen resemble a pliers that engage with the front wing formed by a ruler. Finally, the motors are formed by two giant Phillips screwdrivers. As for the materials composing it, we find a base (lower body) in metal (with the central presence of a 1/4’ hexagonal hole); upper body in gold chrome-plated plastic with a transparent red plastic part inserted, outlining part of the two screwdriver motors.

  

  

  Then the red part also defines the cockpit with a black screen-printing located on the hypothetical roof (pliers grip). On the sides at the hatches the Tooligan (Yearling Bold) lettering screen-printed in white with a slide to the bottom right and the Hot Wheels logo in black. The wheels are OH5 (5-spoke) with red chrome screen printing.

  

  

  Designed in 2009 by Wayne Scott, this version is part of the first edition (2010) featuring a 2-colour (red and black) silkscreen on the front wing representing the ruler scale, which was removed in later editions.