Volkswagen Beach Bomb

Volkswagen Beach Bomb
Debut series	Mainline
Produced	1969
Designer	Ira Gilford
Number	6274

Description

The Volkswagen Beach Bomb was a casting from the 1969 Hot Wheels line-up. It featured removable surfboards mounted on the sides, and it can be found with a dark brown or white interior.

The Volkswagen Beach Bomb is one of the most valuable redline castings to-date. It is only beaten by its unreleased predecessor, the Rear-Loading Beach Bomb Prototype.  Although it had a very small factory test production of an estimated 200, the <acronym title="Rear-Loading Beach Bomb">RLBB</acronym> was not mass-produced and shipped to stores because its' high center of gravity made it prone to tipping off the track, and it was too narrow for the Supercharger to grab its sides and propel the casting properly.

At the time period, track sets and superchargers were hot-sellers and every kid had one. The Beach Bomb not being able to make it through them was a big deal. As a result, the casting was sent back to the drawing board and modified with two pods on the sides (disguised as surfboard holders) to widen it so the supercharger would grab it. A large square chunk of solid metal was molded into the middle of the base to keep the van weighed-down, and a large portion of the roof was removed and turned into a plastic sunroof to further lower the center of gravity.

Standard Side-Loading Versions

The Volkswagen Beach Bomb has come out in the following versions:

Year	Series	Color	sticker	Chassis Color / Type	Window Color	Interior Color	Wheel Type	cast #	Country	Notes / Variations	Photo
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Blue	Flowers	Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Aqua		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Green		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Red		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Olive		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Purple		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Copper		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong	Restored
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Apple Green		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong	Restored
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Brown		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong	Restored
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Orange		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong	Restored
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Rose		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong
1969	Mainline	Spectraflame Yellow		Unpainted / Metal			RL		Hong Kong	Restored

Some of the models shown have been restored.

Non-Reproduction Prototype Rear-Loader Versions

The Prototype Rear-Loading Beach Bomb has come out in the following versions:

Notes: Even though the bases are stamped Hong Kong like mostly every redline car produced during the time period, these never saw widespread release into stores.  A small amount were mass-produced and given to kids as a testing group, which was when the issues with the Supercharger accessory arose. The designers halted production immediately and went back to the drawing board to redesign it.  There are over 40 verified versions of these known to be in collector's hands.

Year	Series	Color	sticker	Chassis Color / Type	Window Color	Interior Color	Wheel Type	cast #	Country	Notes / Variations	Photo
	Proto	Spectraflame Green		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Red		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Antifreeze		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Blue		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Purple		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Gold		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Rose		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Light Blue		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Hot Pink		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK

Non-Reproduction Transitional Versions

Notes: These were prototypes kept confined to Mattel's design department, and were only used for developing the side-loading Beach Bomb. They were a hybrid casting that used the chassis of the rear-loader (with weights added), and the body of the side-loader (with part of the side-door casting still unmodified from the RLBB_. Because they were USA prototypes, they have clear windows. Like the rear-loader, all bases are stamped Hong Kong.

As of 2015, only five are known to exist: one antifreeze, one blue, and three unpainted. A different blue transitional prototype is shown in the 1969 International Collectors Catalog, however this model has yet to be found.

Year	Series	Color	sticker	Chassis Color / Type	Window Color	Interior Color	Wheel Type	cast #	Country	Notes / Variations	Photo
	Proto	ZAMAC		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Blue		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK
	Proto	Spectraflame Antifreeze		Unpainted / Metal			RL		HK

Brightvision Reproduction

In 2000, due to the hype of this casting and the prices being brought by it, a secondary company by the name of "Brightvision" was the first to produce a non-Mattel version of this casting. They created their own tooling and molds, and the casting had at least two different versions:  Version A and Version B (commonly referred to as "Alpha" and "Omega"). There are notable differences between the Brightvison rear-loader and the prototype Mattel rear-loader. Brightvision models had a modern-day spun or unspun post. They never had insert rivets. Mattel eventually stopped Brightvision selling the product, and then used the casting to make its own version several years later.

There was also a Chinese version (known as SAL, or sloppy-ass loader) that was produced in approximately 2003/2004, which was a copy of the Brightvision casting (although of a poorer quality). Ways to identify this copy is the text on the base has errors lie "FDREIGN" instead of "FOREIGN" and poor plating of both the body and the base. These are still offered for sale on ebay today, often as genuine Brightvision releases. Typical value of one of these ranges from $30 in unassembled form to $60 for a completely assembled version.

Brightvison Reproduction Versions

The Beach Bomb has come out in the following versions:

Notes:

Year	Series	Color	sticker	Chassis Color / Type	Window Color	Interior Color	Wheel Type	cast #	Country	Notes / Variations	Photo
				Unpainted / Metal			RL

Gallery

Blue with side loaders

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