Enough can’t be said about how great of a tribute to the Hot Wheels #50th Anniversary that the #HW 50th Originals Collection is. As I stated the other day, the five cars chosen for this series are all modern castings that resemble five of the original 16 Hot Wheels from 1968.

HW 50th Originals Collection “Replica Redlines” (Group Shot Loose) … ’68 Cougar, ’67 HEMI Barracuda, Volkswagen Beetle, Custom ’67 Mustang and ’67 Camaro

Just based on buzz alone, I feel like the #’68 Cougar will be the least popular with collectors.

Hot Wheels ’68 Cougar from the 2018 HW 50th Originals Collection aka: “Replica Redlines” (top-right view)

The Hot Wheels #’68 Cougar was chosen to represent the Custom Cougar from the original 16. I think many collectors would have preferred to see the updated, race car version of the Cougar, but this version of the casting certainly surprises. It is one of only two cars in the #HW 50th Originals Collection that has an #Opening Hood. It also has a detailed, “blackened”  front grill and red-painted taillights. And, just like the rest of the series, this metal/metal casting wears a bright #Spectraflame Paint color with a matte black element — the #Redlines and 50th Anniversary logo roundel top it off.

Hot Wheels ’68 Cougar from the 2018 HW 50th Originals Collection aka: “Replica Redlines” (side view)

Hot Wheels ’68 Cougar from the 2018 HW 50th Originals Collection aka: “Replica Redlines” (rear view)

As I mentioned earlier, the #Opening Hood is a nice touch to this release of the Hot Wheels #’68 Cougar casting. I think there have only been a handful of variants of this #Cougar that actually have the opening hood — and this is one of them!

Just like the other four cars in this series, the packaging is reminiscent of the original redline-era packaging from 1968. The Cougar certainly looks good speeding by on the front of the blister card, whereas black & white images of all five cars grace the backside.

Hot Wheels ’68 Cougar from the 2018 HW 50th Originals Collection aka: “Replica Redlines” (package view, front)

Hot Wheels ’68 Cougar from the 2018 HW 50th Originals Collection aka: “Replica Redlines” (package view, rear)

The Hot Wheels #’68 Cougar has been around since it made its debut in the 2002 New Models, however, I don’t recall seeing a release of it as of late. There was a time when this casting was used repeatedly as it was a collector favorite early on — with releases in the HWC/RLC/convention exclusives, Treasure Hunts, and Hot Wheels Classics. Those opportunities seem to have narrowed when the updated 2014 version of the casting was introduced. This newer version of the casting has already been a convention dinner car, a ZAMAC, and as part of the Car Culture line. So while I mentioned earlier that collectors would have preferred the newer version of the casting, it is nice to see this one come out of hiding for this extra special #HW 50th Originals Collection release.

RELEASE DETAILS: Spectraflame Gold Body (metal). Light Blue Tinted Windows. Brown Interior. Redline Wheels. Unpainted Metal Base. Made in Malaysia. Toy# . Released in 2018 as #1 of 5 in the 2018 HW 50th Originals Collection.