Collector's cars

• '40’s Woodie - Hot Wheels of the week

  40's Woodie is a rather complex model. The chassis consists of: an unpainted metal base (lower part), the bodywork also made of metal painted turquoise metalflake, a brown plastic cockpit simulating wood where an unpainted grey plastic roof rack (in this case surf rack) is attached.

  

  

  From the bonnet emerges the V8 with a silver metallic painted plastic air duct also present in the radiator grille, inside the cockpit a transparent plastic element (windscreen glass) and the interior (dashboard, seats, rear spare wheel, etc.) in black plastic. The bodywork has a 3-colour screen print (white background and blue flames with orange details) on the front mudguards.

  

  

  Another printed part is the surf of the roof rack, printed in light blue, blue and orange hotwheels logo on a white background. The wheels are the classic 5-spoke wheels (SP5) screen-printed in silver.

  

  

  The model represents an iconic Californian surf car, often reproduced within the works of Jim Phillips, a famous illustrator and graphic designer in vogue since the 1960s. Jim's most iconic work is surely the 1985 ‘Screaming Hand’ designed for Santa Cruz.

  

  

  

• Hyper Mite - Hot Wheels of the week

  This week sees the arrival of Hyper Mite, one of the shortest Hot Wheels models ever created, by Mark Jones. Practically a city car with the features of an insect.

  

  

  Seen from the front, thanks to the shape of the headlights and radiator, it is reminiscent of an ant's head, emphasised by the two side arches in the bodywork that resemble antennae. This 2009 version (HW Designs) features a metal body painted in pearl orange, with yellow flames screen-printed on the sides and white Jones RC lettering on the rear mudguards.

  

  

  The single-seater cockpit features a bicycle handlebar topped by a transparent yellow plastic canopy. This is followed by two large metal cone-shaped exhaust pipes that engage with a twin-cylinder V-twin motorbike engine made of chrome-plated plastic.

  

  

  

  The underside is black plastic with chrome parts located in the protuberances that form the headlights and central radiator. The front wheels are from the Micro sp5 (5-spoke micro) with chrome serigraphy and the rear wheels from the PR5 (Phil Riehlman 5-spoke).