Collector Cards

Collector Cards were a series of collectible trading cards produced by Comic Images in 1999. A total of 72 cards were made available with flavor text on the rear, in addition to six chase cards themed after NASCAR driver Kyle Petty.

Cards

Card #	Name	Flavor Text	Photo (front)	Photo (rear)
1	Title Card	In 1966, the Mattel Toy Company set out to create a line of die-cast vehicles that would be second to none. It was decided that these vehicles would have a "California" look - lots of chrome, mag wheels, flashy paint jobs and, most of all, be the fastest die-cast vehicles on the market. Since being launched in 1968, Hot Wheels™ cars have become the staple for generations of die-cast vehicle fans. Enjoy the ride as we take you through their incredible history.
2	Beatnik Bandit	Among the 16 Hot Wheels™ introduced in 1968 was the Beatnik Bandit™. Based on the "Big Daddy" Roth show car, it was offered in 14 different colors and came in a U.S. and Hong Kong version.
3	Deora	With their introduction in 1968, Hot Wheels™ cars took the market by storm, selling seven times their original sales projection. Among the 1968 introductions was the Deora™ surfing truck with removable surfboards.
4	Hot Heap	Take a classic Model T convertible, accessorize it with a metal chassis, exposed metal engine and lots of detail and you'll have the 1968 Hot Heap.
5	Silhouette	One of the more popular 1968 introductions was the Silhouette™. Typical of the times, it had lots of "chrome" and came in an array of colors. Especially popular was the purple version.
6	Splittin' Image	The Splittin' Image™ was another in a long line of concept cars designed by Ira Gilford. It features a large plastic canopy for maximum driver visibility.
7	Torero	The Torero was unique in that it was exclusively manufactured in the United States. 1969 also marked the beginning of Larry Wood's tenure at Mattel. Back in 1969, it was doubtful that anyone could foresee the impact Larry would have on the Hot Wheels™ brand.
8	Paddy Wagon	The Hot Wheels™ franchise grew significantly in 1970 with the advent of the Hot Wheels collector club, television show, comics and more. New for 1970 was the Tom Daniel-designed Paddy Wagon, based on a show car.
9	Red Baron	Designed by Tom Daniel, the 1970 Red Baron has a metal chassis, exposed metal engine and a "huge" unpainted metal helmet.
10	Sand Crab	Originally designed for the Monogram model kit company, the Sand Crab reflected the "California beach attitude." Made in the U.S., it has been found with a Hong Kong base, which makes this particular version a true collector's item.
11	Bugeye	A Larry Wood concept car design, the Bugeye was manufactured both in the U.S. and Hong Kong. Can you guess what the two primary differences were between these two versions? Answer: The U.S. version has tinted windows and a dark interior. The Hong Kong models have clear windows and a light interior.
12	Ice "T"	The Monogram model kit company, purchased by Mattel in 1971, inspired numerous Hot Wheels™ designs. The Ice "T" is probably best known for the enclosed Ice "T" and two ice blocks in the back.
13	Mutt Mobile	Similar in casting to the 1973 Odd Job, the Mutt Mobile is another in a long line of Larry Wood designs. Manufactured in Hong Kong, it comes in seven metallic colors. Larry says, "Look in the back and see the mutts!"
14	What-4	Bob Lovejoy designed this concept car in 1972. As the Hot Wheels™ brand matured, the company began to cut back on product introductions as an overstock of vehicles developed.
15	Funny Money	"Funny Money" was Larry Wood's take on a Hot Wheels™ brand armored truck – a chopped-top hot rod armored truck with racing slicks. We doubt you will ever see a real armored truck with an orange bumper!
16	Open Fire	The Open Fire, designed by Paul Tam, was unique in that it had four front tires. With a Gremlin-styled body and exposed engine, the Open Fire is especially "hot" in this metallic gold paint.
17	Side Kick	One of only seven new models introduced in 1972, the Side Kick was noted for its distinctive slide-out cockpit. Because these seven 1972 models were issued for only one year, they are extremely difficult to find.
18	Double Header	The Double Header was one of three 1973 introductions with new castings. With its two engines (hence the name Double Header), this model was used for only one year, which makes it truly prized by collectors.
19	Highway Robber	Another classic Larry Wood design, the Highway Robber has a metal chassis, blue tinted plastic windshield and plastic interior. The very first ones had a sliding top over the driver.
20	Superfine Turbine	With its exposed metal engine, this Larry Wood design looks like its ready to explode off the starting line. Adds Larry, "If you blow in the back, the turbine spins, making a noise!"
21	Sweet 16	Designed by Paul Tam, the Sweet 16™ utilized a casting that was offered only in 1973. This same year, Mattel offered 10 exclusive Hot Wheels™ cars for a Shell gasoline dealer promotion. Obviously, the link between a gas station and Hot Wheels cars made perfect sense.
22	Grass Hopper	In 1974, Mattel issued the entire Hot Wheels™ line in only one basic color per car. The Grass Hopper, one of Mattel's new 1974 models, is a customized off-roader with a metal chassis, exposed metal engine and black interior.
23	Road King Truck	The Road King Truck is often cited by collectors as the most valuable Hot Wheels™ that is not a variation of an existing model. The trailer does detach and can "dump" gravel on its side.
24	Sir Rodney Roadster	This concept car model was based on the Lotus Super Seven. It was made in Hong Kong and features a removable plastic roof.
25	Steam Roller	The Steam Roller, as was the case with all 1974 models, utilized a special painting process called tampo printing. This allowed each Hot Wheels™ car to be offered with a unique paint design on each model.
26	Backwoods Bomb	1975 brought 23 new models to the Hot Wheels™ line. Mattel also continued the practice of manufacturing some models in "hard to find" alternate colors. 1975 also marked the final year white blister cards were used.
27	Large Charge	The Large Charge™ "concept model" has a metal chassis, metal interior and blue tinted windows. It was supposed to be an electric car – notice the batteries, capacitor and printed circuitry.
28	Ramblin' Wrecker	The Ramblin' Wrecker™ is probably best known for its display of Larry Wood's former phone number on the side of the truck. Pretty soon after the release of this tow truck, Larry's phone was ringing off the hook!
29	Super Van	The 1975 Super Van was offered in a wide variety of custom paint jobs. All told, 14 different versions were made, ranging from a flame-decorated version to the 1975 Toy Fair model!
30	Cool One	Mattel capitalized on car buffs' fascination with speed with the "Cool One." This Hong Kong-manufactured dragster sported a huge rear engine and mini bicycle wheels in the front.
31	Street Rodder	Two design themes were introduced in 1976. The first was the bicentennial, which was captured in red, white and blue style on three different models. The second design trend was Super Chromes, a line of 18 gleaming "chrome" models.
32	Odd Rod	1977 marked the phasing out of the Hot Wheels™ brand's hallmark red-striped tires. Accordingly, many of these 1977 models are in short supply and are quite valuable.
33	Second Wind	Inspired by a sports roadster, Second Wind™ has a black plastic chassis, black plastic interior and was available in three basic colors.
34	T-Totaller	Inspired by the Model T panel truck, the T-Totaller had a hot gold-tone V-8 engine behind the driver, plastic chassis and metal pipes. It was made in seven different versions. Only a few had red striped tires.
35	Stagefright	At first glance, Stagefright looks like a marriage of the 1870s and 1970s. It combines a basic dragster chassis with a stagecoach body. Also notable for 1978 was Mattel's offering of seven different cloth patches depicting the seven new groups of Hot Wheels™ cars introduced that year.
36	Spacer Racer	Spacer Racer was a futuristic space vehicle that was equipped for battle or rescue on distant soils. It came with thick terrain-grabbing tires, chrome-colored plastic chassis and gray gun.
37	Tricar X8	The Tricar X8 was based on the jet-powered race cars that race on the salt flats in the Western deserts. It came in eight different versions and was conspicuous by its single wheel at the front.
38	Airport Rescue	New wheels and thinner axles were the key product innovations for 1981. This design modification helped the Hot Wheels™ cars capture even more of the speed that catapulted them to their #1 market position.
39	Sheriff Patrol	With all the speed in the Hot Wheels™ line, it makes sense to include a police car to maintain order on the road. The Sheriff Patrol was offered in 15 different versions.
40	Double Deck Bus	The Double Deck Bus, based on a "typical" European bus, came in a solid red design and sported a Pepsi logo. Surprisingly, these models were never issued in the U.S.
41	Rig Wrecker	To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Hot Wheels™ cars brand, Mattel offered a re-make of the 1968 Custom Camaro® and a belt buckle. Also new for 1983 were Real Riders™ tires.
42	Lightning Gold	Better known as "El Ray Special" or "Malibu Grand Prix," its wings, streamlined body and side gas tanks were the style of Grand Prix cars of the '80s.
43	Sol-Aire CX4	The Sol-Aire™ CX4 concept car was offered in a variety of colors ranging from an unpainted version to a model decorated with a Hot Wheels™ logo. This was one of 18 new models introduced in 1984, a year highlighted by the introduction of Ultra Hots, the fastest of Hot Wheels cars.
44	Black Lightning	Black Lightning was an Indy-type racer with a metal base, unpainted metal front and back spoilers, rear metal engine and an unpainted driver in the cockpit.
45	XT-3	Another in the line of 3-wheeled Hot Wheels™ cars was the XT-3™ concept car. Its distinctive top-mounted metal engine and metal spoiler made it a favorite with both collectors and casual fans.
46	Back Burner	The key introduction for 1986 was Speed Demons, a new line of fantasy vehicles. Collectors report that these were always difficult to find and therefore have experienced a continual increase in value.
47	Tail Gunner	Mattel captured the "Hi-Rider" trend with the 1987 Tail Gunner. The basic vehicle is a pickup truck mounted high atop 4 super-thick terrain-grabbing tires.
48	Radar Ranger	For the 20th anniversary of Hot Wheels™, Mattel issued special edition gold and silver vacuum-metalized models. Also new for 1988 were color change models and exclusive Hot Wheels cars for the Hot Wheels race sets. All told, 13 new models were introduced in 1988.
49	T-Bucket	With a chrome-colored "super-charged" engine, metal chassis and side pipes, the T-Bucket came in a variety of models. A special Santa-with-ornament edition was offered for the holiday season.
50	Purple Passion	Purple Passion™ was undoubtedly the Hot Wheels™ car of 1990. This chopped and channeled beauty was a speculator's dream, as consumers couldn't find the item on store shelves until the Fall of 1990. Once production caught up with demand, collector prices acted in a more rational manner.
51	Street Beast	Highlighting the 1991 Hot Wheels™ line was the Street Beast™, a throwback to another era. The Street Beast was a convertible with a generous amount of turquoise plastic, whitewall tires and a clear windshield.
52	Shock Factor	The Hot Wheels™ brand grew in both size and prestige in 1992 as Mattel produced the Pro Circuit™ line, representing car racing in NASCAR®, CART, SCCA Trans-Am and NHRA. 1992 also marked the first exhibit of Hot Wheels cars with a special display at the Museum of American Heritage in California.
53	Silhouette II	The new Mattel redesign of the 1968 Silhouette™ has a chrome-colored plastic engine, clear plastic dome, white interior and was made in Malaysia. Designed by Phil Riehlman and Bruce Baur.
54	S'Cool Bus	Celebrating the 25th Anniversary theme was the Vintage Collection, including the Tom Daniel-designed S'Cool Bus. It has a metal chassis, lift-up body, metal engine, black plastic interior, black struts and sunroof. It's quite a departure from your "ordinary" yellow school bus.
55	Power Pistons	Designed by Terence Choy. The big news for 1995 was the introduction of Treasure Hunt cars. Issued in monthly editions of 10,000, these cars instantly became prized and valued possessions among collectors.
56	Dogfighter	Is it a plane or is it a car that designer Mark Jones developed? The Dogfighter™, with its open cockpit and plastic propeller at the front, truly looks like a World War I fighter without the wings. Mattel issued five versions of this vehicle through 1997.
57	Hot Rod Wagon	Designed by Dave Weise. The inspiration came from seeing all the little red "Radio Flyer" wagons that guys were bringing to automotive swap meets. Dave thought it would be a cool idea to do a "souped-up" wagon with a double supercharger mounted on top of a blower assembly. Kids and hot rodders both dig it.
58	Saltflat Racer	The Saltflat Racer™ concept car has a plastic body, silver-colored metal chassis and chrome-colored engine, pipes and interior. It was also offered as #6 of the 1998 Treasure Hunt series, giving the model a particularly high value on the collectors market. Designed by Greg Padginton.
59	Scorchin' Scooter	The Scorchin' Scooter™ (shown here is #2 in the 1998 Treasure Hunt series) was made in five different versions in 1998. With its metal base, chrome-colored engine and pipes and silver-colored handlebars, it celebrates America's newfound love of the motorcycle! Designed by Greg Padginton.
60	Twin Mill	It is doubtful that anyone associated with the Hot Wheels™ brand launch in 1968 could have envisioned the sheer breadth of the line as it celebrated its 30th anniversary in 1998. To mark this special occasion, Mattel issued 40 new castings vs. the usual 12. Rare 1998 New York Toy Fair car pictured (limited to 5,000 production units)
61	Way 2 Fast	One look at its metal base, two chrome-colored engines and front pipes and you know that Way 2 Fast™ was built for speed. This purple version with black and orange tampo printing commemorates the "Early Times '98 Winter Rod Run" and was limited to 10,000 pieces, making this version far and away the most valuable of the various Way 2 Fast models. Designed by Bruce Baur.
62	Express Lane	Nathan Proch, the designer of Express Lane™, set out to design a vehicle that would appeal to kids, using the grocery kart as inspiration. "I think Express Lane shows the fans how Mattel can take a lighthearted approach to its cars. I think it is the side of the Hot Wheels™ brand that has a smirk on its face." Express Lane created 1998 - 1999 Treasure Hunt version pictured
63	Hot Seat	The Hot Seat™ was #10 in the 1999 Treasure Hunt series. It comes in clear white plastic with a black seat, plunger and SP5 wheels. Designed by Greg Padginton and Mark Jones.
64	Phaeton	This model of a convertible has a removable tan plastic roof, tan interior, clear windshield and SP5 wheels. It comes in metalflake turquoise. It is a 1999 First Editions™ model. Designed by Gary Saffer.
65	Tee'd Off	This is the way to travel on a golf course! The gold-tone model has a metal chassis, chrome-colored engine in the back, white roof and five spoke wheels. Fore! Designed by Nathan Proch.
66	Track T	The Track T™ is a Hot Wheels™ brand tribute to the quintessential American hot rod. This Hot Wheels vehicle version sports a metal chassis, engine and seat, tan plastic steering wheel and cover over the passenger seat. Designed by Mark Jones.
67	Turbolence	This streamliner style racer, popular in the late '40s through early '50s, has a metal chassis. With twin turbos, 12-cylinder engine and streamlined body, this car has what it takes to power through the slipstreams. It was produced as a 1999 First Editions™ model with five spoke wheels (SP5) and chrome-colored engine. Designed by Phil Riehlman.
68	Deora II	The Deora™ II was created as an entry for the Hot Wheels™ 30th Anniversary Convention. The rationale behind the design was to create a vehicle that married the heritage of the Hot Wheels brand with a contemporary feel. In the words of designer Nathan Proch, "I think the Deora II is the best Hot Wheels car I've designed to date."
69	Surf Crate	Surf Crate™ combines two American icons – a hot rod and a Woodie melded together in a unique matter. It is a hand-crafted car in the truest sense! Designed by Greg Padginton.
70	Button Set	Beginning in 1968, matching collector buttons were offered for every Hot Wheels™ vehicle sold. These buttons were discontinued in 1973, but remain a collector favorite.
71	Super Rally Case	Where are you going to store your Hot Wheels™ vehicles? In the Super Rally Case of course! The Super Rally Case was a plastic tire design that held 24 Hot Wheels cars. It was a terrific way to pick up your Hot Wheels cars to take them to a friend's house to play.
72	Checklist	N/A
C1	Kyle Petty	Kyle Petty was born to be a race car driver. With champions Lee Petty and the legendary Richard Petty as grandfather and father, you could say that being a championship driver is definitely in Kyle's genes.
C2	Daytona	While most high school seniors spend their time studying for finals, young Kyle ran his first ARCA race during his senior year!
C3	Career Highlights	- Eight Winston Cup Wins - First Win: Miller Highlife 400, February 23, 1986 at Richmond, VA. - First Pole: Goodrich on March 1, 1990 - Over $10 million in career earnings
C4	Spokesperson	When Mattel went looking for a spokesperson for Hot Wheels cars, Kyle Petty was an obvious choice. Not only is Kyle Petty a star of the racing world, the first cars he raced were Hot Wheels!
C5	Hobbies	When not racing, Kyle likes to play his guitar, read best sellers and take a spin on his Harley Davidson cycle, aptly named the "Road King."
C6	pe2	After achieving success as a driver, a logical next step for Kyle Petty was to own his own team. In 1997, this became a reality with the formation of pe2.