Custom Corvette

Description[]

The Custom Corvette was one of the first cars released in the original 1968 Hot Wheels line-up.

According to lore, because of the fact that Harry Bradley worked for GM shortly before moving to Mattel, he snuck out copies of the blueprints into his cane (he had polio) for the real '68 Stingray and used them as a base for the Hot Wheels model. Since he was a designer there, he knew exactly where to get the materials for designing these new "Hot Wheels" in 1967; when the casting was released, GM "was not happy".

When the first 16 Hot Wheels debuted in the summer of 1968 (the Custom Corvette was one of them), the cat was out of the bag, as Chevrolet's 1968 Corvette was not due out for another few months still. This worked out in a good way, as it created more hype for Chevrolet and the Stingray from both kids and adults alike.

US vs Hong Kong[]

All USA versions had Clear glass, a steering wheel that was inserted in the dashboard and the end of the car was part of the base.

The Hong Kong versions on the other hand had Tinted (Blue) glass, a steering wheel that was part of the interior and the end of the car was part of the body.

for more info check out this Link

The Cars were packaged with a 'Collector's Button'.

USA Versions[]

The Custom Corvette has come out in the following versions (colors are desending in rarity from common to rare):

Year	Series	Color	Base Color / Type	Window Color	Interior Color	Wheel Type	Toy #	Country	Notes / Variations
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Red	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Champagne	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Red	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Red	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Brown	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Red	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Red	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Red	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Olive	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Olive	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Olive	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Green	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Green	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Green	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Blue	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Blue	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Blue	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Rose	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Rose	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Rose	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Orange	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Orange	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Orange	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Purple	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Purple	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Champagne	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Purple	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Brown	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Antifreeze Lime	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Antifreeze Lime	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Antifreeze Lime	Unpainted / Metal	Clear	Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Aqua	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Aqua	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Aqua	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Gold	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Gold	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Gold	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Magenta	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Magenta	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Magenta	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Windex Blue	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Windex Blue	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Windex Blue	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Light Blue / Ice Blue	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Light Blue / Ice Blue	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Light Blue / Ice Blue	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Yellow	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Yellow	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Yellow	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Brown	Unpainted / Metal		Brown	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Brown	Unpainted / Metal		White	RL	6215	United States
1968	Sweet Sixteen	Spectraflame Brown	Unpainted / Metal		Champagne	RL	6215	United States	exist?

Hong Kong Versions[]

The Custom Corvette has come out in the following versions (colors are desending in rarity from common to rare):

Year	Series	Color	Base Color / Type	Window Color	Interior Color	Wheel Type	Toy #	Country	Notes / Variations
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Red	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Red	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Red	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champagne	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Olive	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Olive	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Olive	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champagne	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Blue	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Blue	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Blue	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champagne	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Aqua	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Aqua	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Aqua	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champagne	RL	6215	Hong Kong	exist?
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Green	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Green	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Green	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champagne	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Purple	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Purple	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champagne	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Purple	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Brown	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champagne	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Brown	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Brown	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Orange	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Orange	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Orange	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champagne	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Gold	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Gold	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Gold	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champagne	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Creamy Pink	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Brown	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Creamy Pink	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	White	RL	6215	Hong Kong
1968	Sweet 16	Spectraflame Creamy Pink	Unpainted / Metal	Blue tint	Champange	RL	6215	Hong Kong	exist?

2005 Retooled versions[]

The retooled Custom Corvette has come out in the following versions:

Year	Series	Color	Tampo	Base Color / Type	Window Color	Interior Color	Wheel Type	Toy #	Country	Notes / Variations
2005	HWC.com 4 Neo Classics 5/6	Spectraflame Pink	Pink ghost flames on sides & around hood, corvette emblem on hood and trunk, "DRM CAR" on front & rear California license plates	Chrome / Metal	Clear	Tan	NCRL	H2924	China	11,000 produced
2007	RLC Rewards 4/4	White	Light blue stripes on sides, front, hood, top, & trunk, light blue rear, black "4", RLC logo, & various sponsor logos on sides, Corvette logo on front, "427" on either side of hood scoop", "RLCRWRD" on rear California license plate, painted taillights	Chrome / Metal	Light blue tint	White	NCRL	L2120	China	4,981 produced
2018	HWC.com Original 16 Display	Spectraflame Ice Blue	Black Grille, Tail Lights, Black Rear Panel, Black Roof	Chrome / Metal	Light blue tint	Blue	NCRL	FNC23		1,500 produced
2018	HWC.com Original 16	Spectraflame Brown	Black grill, Tail lights	Chrome / Metal	Light blue tint	Tan	NCRL	FCM79	China	6,000 produced
2019	19th Annual Hot Wheels Nationals Convention	Spectraflame Pink	White Stripe from hood to rear	Chrome / Metal	Light blue tint	White	NCRL	GDF73	China
2022	RLC Exclusive	Spectraflame Black	Red Stripe from hood to rear	Chrome / Metal	Tinted	Black	NCRL	HCK29	China	25,000 produced

Muky Corvette[]

The Muky Toys Co. of Argentina purchased (or illegally acquired) the old tools and dies for this casting when they were retired by Mattel and used them to make their plastic-bodied line of Hot Wheels clones in the 1970's, only sold in the Argentinian market. At first they were all plastic bodies with metal bases, but through the years they eventually became all plastic. Because they were made with cheaper materials, the quality wasn't as good compared to Mattel's castings as seen in the images below: