I always stress rediscovering your collection here at Diecast Motorsports as it takes your mind off of always obtaining the lastest diecast vehicles. Its always important to experience the journey and not just focus on the end result. If you abide by this philosophy, you’ll find yourself appreciating the moments the hobby is all about and that alone will increase your longevity in it.

Upon rediscovering my own collection, I found this gem — the Hot Wheels Hiway Hauler from the Photo Finish Series. This one isn’t just cool from a design perspective as it has a historical significance about it as well.

The 1995 Photo Finish Series was particularly cool because it was the only time a series of Hot Wheels vehicles had an image on the side of them. Each vehicle in the 4-car series featured an image of a location in the United States on it. The series was comprised of the following Hot Wheels castings (and locations):

1. Ford Aerostar (Washington DC) with images of the Capitol, White House, Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial
2. Blimp (Los Angeles, CA) with images of LAX, Mattel headquarters, the Chinese Theater and the Hollywood sign with “HOT WHEELS” in its place.
3. Tank Truck (Black Hills, SD) with an image of Mount Rushmore on it.
4. Hiway Hauler (New York City, NY) with images of the Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center and the Empire State Building.

The historical significance of the Hiway Hauler is that it features a pre-9/11 composite image of New York City by featuring the World Trade Center (WTC) front and center. It wasn’t until September 11th, 2001, that this release of the Hiway Hauler (shown below) was deemed collectible by the masses but with the added historical significance, you can see why. With seemingly no shortage of supply, you can easily obtain one of these haulers for under $10.

RELEASE DETAILS: Metalflake Green Cab (metal). White Cargo Box (plastic). Black Windows. Chrome 7-Spoke (7SP) Wheels. Chrome Base (plastic). Made in Malaysia. Toy# 13322. Released in 1995 as #4 of 4 in the Photo Finish Series.

Hot Wheels does have a history of recycling and updating old designs. The fact that New York now has One World Trade Center and Hot Wheels has an updated version of the Hiway Hauler (Hiway Hauler 2), this collector would like to see a revamp of this release. See, the new WTC speaks to our resolve as Americans and it would be very cool to see Hot Wheels honor that, along with collecting nostalgia, with an updated version. Of course, it is still a sensitive subject and I wouldn’t want it to look like Hot Wheels was exploiting the disaster and its victims so maybe this could be a limited release online with a portion of the profits going towards one of related charities. Below is a mock-up of what I had in mind. What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment below.

Hiway Hauler 2 – New York City 2016 “Photo Finish Series” Custom