George Soulakis Jr. was a Hot Wheels designer and engineer who was employed with Mattel from 1968 to 2000. He was the main engineer and designer behind the Sizzlers. He also suggested to Mattel to use the Tampoprint process to smoothly applying graphics on the surface of Hot Wheels in 1972; Mattel spent over $100,000 purchasing the various equipment required for the process, which ultimately was a successful venture as tampos have been used on Hot Wheels cars since. Soulakis retired from Mattel in 2000. Soulakis passed away on 6 June 2025, aged 89.