List of Classic Hot Wheels Cars

Before Mattel released their series of toys, Matchbox, a British company, held the top sales on small model cars, and since they're initial release, Hot Wheels have dominated sale of small car toys.

Elliot Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, definitely made a great executive decision when he over-rode the company executives for creating and manufacturing the toys. Handler thought releasing the series of car toys for boys was a great idea, especially since there was really only one other toy company making them, but his executives were not too thrilled about the idea. Handler went with it anyway, and his idea definitely was a great decision with low-friction tires, stylish paint and decals, and a varied selection of model cars from all over the country.

Mattel started manufacturing Hot Wheels cars in 1968, and you'll find that from the classic cars to the new modern cars of the 2000s, there's a pretty big difference and any collector can appreciate the simplicity and design of the original Hot Wheels car just as he can the more modern die-cast cars.

Over the years, the cars have changed a little. Even looking at the design of the vintage Hot Wheels tires, you may notice how they have evolved. Originally, the cars had cheap, low-friction plastic between the tires so that the cars would fly down the tracks, but in 1970, it was replaced with a black inner wheel with an outer cap. The tires also had a red line painted on them to represent popular muscle cars, but as the trends changed in real life, so did the trends with the Hot Wheels cars and Mattel removed the red line on their Redline series.

But, no matter what small changes that have occurred in the toys over the years have definitely gained in popularity, as these toy cars have remained some of the top selling children's toys throughout the years.

Below, you will find a list of the the original classic Hot Wheels cars starting in 1968 through the late 70s.

The "Sweet 16," as many collectors refer to them, these cars featured "Spectraflame" paintwork, bearings, redline wheels, and working suspension. Ten of the cars were based on customized versions of real cars of the era, and six were based on real show cars.

• Custom Barracuda
• Custom Camaro
• Custom Chevrolet Corvette
• Custom Eldorado
• Custom Firebird
• Custom Fleetside
• Custom Mustang
• Custom T-Bird
• Custom Mercury Cougar
• Custom Volkswagen
• Deora (based on a custom surf-truck designed for Dodge)
• Ford J-Car (based on the race car that became the Ford GT40 Mk IV)
• Hot Heap (based on the Model T roadster known as "Tognotti's T")
• Python (based on Bill Cushenberry's "Dream Rod" - (originally called the "Cheetah")
• Silhouette (based on Bill Cushenbery's custom car)
• Beatnik Bandit (based upon Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's custom show car)

• Brabham Repco F1
• Chaparral 2G
• Chevy Nomad
• Classic '31 Ford Woody
• Classic '32 Ford Vicky
• Classic '36 Ford Coupe
• Classic '57 Bird
• Custom Charger
• Custom AMX
• Custom Continental
• Custom Police Cruiser
• Custom Fire Engine
• Ford MK IV

In 1970, Mattel came up with a new slogan for Hot Wheels, which definitely spurred a new hype. The slogan, "Go With the Winner," definitely told consumers which cars they wanted to buy for their children, and it told children which cars they just had to have. The Sizzlers and Heavyweight series were both introduced this year, as well as 43 other cars.

• The Demon
• Mantis
• Whip Creamer
• Peeping Bomb
• Paddy Wagon
• Porsche 917
• Seasider
• Hairy Hauler
• Sky Show Fleetside
• Sand Crab
• Swingin' Wing
• Tri-Baby
• Light My Firebird
• Heavy Chevy
• King 'Kuda
• TNT Bird
• Ferrari 312-P
• Mighty Maverick
• Jackrabbit
• Carabo
• Classic Nomad
• Sky Show Deora

• Jet Threat
• The Hood
• Noodlehead
• The Bugeye
• AMX/2
• Snake II
• Mongoose II
• Bye Focal
• Grasshopper
• Cockney Cab
• Mutt Mobile
• Oldsmobile 442
• Pit Crew
• What-4
• Ice-T
• Rocket-Bye Baby
• Short Order
• Six Shooter
• Special Delivery
• Stripteaser
• Evil Weevil
• Sugar Caddy
• Snake Rail Dragster

1972 was a slow year, as the company tried to cut costs. They only released 7 new cars and 4 Sizzlers.

• Side Kick
• Mercedes-Benz C-111
• Funny Money
• Open Fire
• Snake Rear Engine Dragster
• Mongoose Rear Engine Dragster
• Ferrari 512-S

Sizzlers

• Double Boiler
• Flat Out
• Up-Roar
• Co-Motion

• Double Header
• Superfine Turbine
• Sweet 16
• Police Cruiser
• Show Off
• Mercedes-Benz 280-SL
• Dune Daddy
• Alive '55
• Street Snorter
• Porsche 917
• Ferrari 312-P
• Sand Witch
• Double Vision
• Buzz Off
• Odd Job
• Prowler

Most of the cars that were released in 1974 featured flashy decals and tampo-printed paint designs.

• Road King Truck (not a Flying Colors model; can only be found in Mountain Mining Set)
• Volkswagen Bug
• Grasshopper
• Baja Bruiser
• Rodger Dodger
• Steam Roller
• Sir Rodney Roadster
• Breakaway Bucket
• Winnipeg
• Rash 1
• Funny Money
• Carabo
• El Ray Special
• Heavy Chevy
• Top Eliminator

The last real year for the Classic Hot Wheels was 1977, and in this year the Redline Wheel was phased out, which helped to cut costs.

By phasing out the red lines on the wheels, the Hot Wheel cars reflected that the red lines that were once popular in the muscle cars and Polyglas tires were no longer up-to-date and modern to the era.