Hotwheels/matchbox Elio

[AriLea]

I have fleet of Matchbox and Hotwheels. Although I'm not a true collector (I think). I used them as design references. Any three wheelers are exceptionally hard to find. Much harder to find than 2 wheelers, but I did find a few, including the one above. I'll have to dig thru and photo them for you guys/gals.

 

[Mel]

Looks really good, and almost real.

There's only one part that gives it away; the right front wheel on the model is sticking out of the plastic.

And I guess we're not supposed to notice the "right side" door?

 

[AriLea]

Even toy and model autocycles are rare..

 

[Coss]

I started collecting 1/64th scale cars back in the 70's, think I have about 400 of them, all in the original packaging; then I started collecting 1/24th scale, have about 50 of those (those bigger scale cars are expensive!). Then got into RC stuff, and have 35 different ones.
If I wasn't so OCD about being neat, I'd be called a hoarder.

 

[TCBronson]

I have a small collection of 1:18 scale die cast muscle cars and a few Johnny Lightning muscle cars

 

[bowers baldwin]

Nice. As a lifelong collector of Hotwheels I would like to see this. I even have some Johnny Lightnings in my collection, so it goes way back. The issue with these designs such as formula cars and bikes was originally that they would not track reliably on the hot wheels track, which was of overriding importance back in the day, (not to mention the 'booster' buildings that propelled them). Since the mid eighties more of this type started coming out for collectors, although they still will not perform on the tracks. Somewhere I have my 25th anniversary belt buckle and my chrome mustang you received from the Hot Wheels club, although it is a bit beat up I am afraid. I still have the sealed collectors packs that went on sale of the original releases put out sometime in the early 90's I think. Also have the original batmobile and batboat on the trailer as well. I saw an Army staff car for sale at a flea market in the '80's for $4000, passed it up because it was not in mint shape. Some of them are worth quite a bit. I jokingly (only half jokingly now) call the collection my retirement.

I don't know, the Johnny Lightning product line really has nothing that appeals to me.

 

[Hog]

Johnny Lightning would have been the HotWheels of today if they had taken the concept a bit farther, quicker. The cars were variable in size and width, and with no track or 'accessories' they were simply cars for cars sake. Hot Wheels jumped started it by making the cars part of something larger, while that did mean some constraints on the overall size and shape of the cars. As a result Johnny Lightning lasted only a year (in production) 1967 if I remember correctly. Some of their specialty item went into 1968 (like the Farbs series). I used to buy and sell these back in the 80's, Farbs would go for about 30 bucks each, musclecars (Hotwheels) in good shape would go for the same (original redlines). The rest would go for 5-8 bucks. I have been out of it so long I have no idea what the market is now, I will look into it when I retire.

 

[bowers baldwin]

Johnny Lightning would have been the HotWheels of today if they had taken the concept a bit farther, quicker. The cars were variable in size and width, and with no track or 'accessories' they were simply cars for cars sake. Hot Wheels jumped started it by making the cars part of something larger, while that did mean some constraints on the overall size and shape of the cars. As a result Johnny Lightning lasted only a year (in production) 1967 if I remember correctly. Some of their specialty item went into 1968 (like the Farbs series). I used to buy and sell these back in the 80's, Farbs would go for about 30 bucks each, musclecars (Hotwheels) in good shape would go for the same (original redlines). The rest would go for 5-8 bucks. I have been out of it so long I have no idea what the market is now, I will look into it when I retire.

Can you imagine seeing this and saying "geeze I got that for my son last Xmas, I think I ran it over with the lawn mower ."

 

[AriLea]

I've collected 139 hotwheels sized cars, which I thought were interesting to designing styles for three wheelers. Of those, 13 are actual three wheelers, the other one has got kind of a 'spare' wheel. I attached a photo of them. 5 of them I cut out of other hotwheels, and some are just in that match-box size category, not actual hotwheel or matchbox cars.
Trike motorcycles are much easier to find, I don't collect those for study. They don't have an interesting body to me.
Three of them are 1F2R and the others are 2F1R. 2F1R is very hard to find in any toy or plastic model.
I particularly like the streamliner in the photo below, front left. very-very hard to find one of those. I think it was for actual racing performance, looking at the razor wheels it has. All the toys below have the front facing the same direction, in case you wondered.

 

[RUCRAYZE]

I started collecting 1/64th scale cars back in the 70's, think I have about 400 of them, all in the original packaging; then I started collecting 1/24th scale, have about 50 of those (those bigger scale cars are expensive!). Then got into RC stuff, and have 35 different ones.
If I wasn't so OCD about being neat, I'd be called a hoarder.

Woman are hoarders, men are collectors.