A new year is always exciting as a Hot Wheels collector as new product has already begun hitting shelves at retail. With that comes new releases, new lines, and new wheels! The #2024 Hot Wheels line introduces collectors to a new level of premium: SILVER. For a while, it’s been just Basics and Premium. Basics (mainline, 5-packs, etc.) will remain, and the former premium (#Car Culture, #Pop Culture, Fast & Furious) will now be branded as gold-label premium. Silver-label premium fits in-between basics and premium, and debuts with this mix: #Hot Wagons.
Silver-label premium — distinguished in the card art now with a silver & black Hot Wheels logo — will feature Hot Wheels vehicles with full detail (ie. front and rear details), exclusive performance wheels, and occasionally metal body & metal chassis (metal/metal) castings. The name of the series will actually be on the card art now too, eliminating the collector patchwork when it comes to the name of the series.
If there are any doubters out there as to how “premium” these cars are, #Hot Wagons does it emphatically. All five cars in this mix are metal/metal as the former premium castings were used. It is evidenced by the “tuck license plates” — where the base goes through the back of the casting — on the #Custom ’66 GTO Wagon, #Volvo 850 Estate, and #’71 Datsun Bluebird 510 Wagon that these are in fact, NOT basics. With the price-point at $2.97 each (at U.S. Walmarts), collectors will also be reminded about that fact at checkout.
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’71 Datsun Bluebird 510 Wagon
Every show needs a star, and the #’71 Datsun Bluebird 510 Wagon clearly headlines this mix. Collectors and profiteers have been hoarding this one at retail in an attempt to use as trade bait or make a quick buck. Thankfully, there is an extra one per case — helping contain those secondary prices.
This release of the 510 wagon comes in an off-white (or cream) paint with Japanese lettering on the sides and some Yokohama graphics. The front grille is done in a direct-inkjet gradient. The “dot-matrix” isn’t the cleanest, but the gradient here gives the front of this release a very realistic look. More on the wheels shortly…
Volvo 850 Estate
The #Volvo 850 Estate returns in a very Swedish deco — the colors match that of Sweden’s flag. I don’t believe this is a replica deco but that isn’t to say this isn’t inspired by a racing deco.
5-Star Wheels
The #5-Star Wheels featured on both the #’71 Datsun Bluebird 510 Wagon and #Volvo 850 Estate are brand-new for 2024 and make their debut on these two in this mix. At first glance, they are very similar to the traditional #5-Spoke Wheels but a closer look will allow you to see more of a star shape to the rims. Silver-label premium skeptics may say this type of wheel is not worth the premium price, but it is different, and there could be an unknown performance factor here as I have not put these to the performance test on the ol’ downhill track. Regardless, the metal/metal castings should help with that.
’17 Audi RS 6 Avant
It’s nice to see the metal/metal #’17 Audi RS 6 Avant version of the casting back as we haven’t that since the 2021 Car Culture / Fast Wagons series. As nice as the car is, it’s hard to look past the wheels which make their debut on this release…
Plus-4 Wheels
I’m not sure how I feel about the #Plus-4 Wheels personally, but honestly, can’t think of a better casting for them to make their debut on. The negative space here looks like a “+” sign which is where I’m sure they got their name. Inside that negative space — past the chrome lip — you can see the four spokes and the disc brakes. The wheel has an ultra-modern feel to it so I expect it to be used in that capacity. Does this one feel more premium to you?
Custom ’66 GTO Wagon
We conclude with the two #Muscle Cars in this #Hot Wagons mix. The #Custom ’66 GTO Wagon returns after nearly a 10-year absence, so it’s good to see this one back. It almost appears to have a little bit of a reverse rake to it. The copyright on the base still reads “©2009” so the casting hasn’t been retooled. It makes you wonder where the tool has been for the last 10 years.
’64 Chevy Nova Wagon
Speaking of nearly a 10-year absence, the metal/metal #’64 Chevy Nova Wagon hasn’t appeared since this 2015 Heritage line — just like the GTO wagon. Fortunately, we have seen other releases of it since. The crisp grille pattern in the casting is sharp and the metalflake green paint with white roof stands out. It’s the new #Cast-5 Wheels though that really give this one a premium look!
Cast-5 Wheels
The #Cast-5 Wheels will apparently be the silver-label premium wheel of choice for all muscle cars and of the three new wheels showcased here, they tend to look the most premium. The black-spoke, chrome-lip look fits the GTO wagon, but it is the all-chrome, Cast-5 on the Nova wagon that really stand out to me. They are making me look at the Nova wagon in another light. I can’t wait to see these on more classic muscle car castings.
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The #2024 Hot Wheels “silver-label” premium lineup is off to a fantastic start with these five #Hot Wagons. The new exclusive wheels are a nice touch, but for me, it’s the full detail that these cars deserve. The card art looks to have taken more of a #Car Culture approach so hopefully that continues — along with the metal/metal castings. I really hope all the diecast racers out there take to these and their performance justifies the price-point to those individuals. Can we really have too many levels of Hot Wheels cars? This mid-tier, silver-label premium looks like it will be fun to collect!
Categories: Series Profile
ORANGE TRACK DIECAST 
the early nova was an economy compact family car, usually with a 4 or 6 cylinder engine.,
it is nice to see the GTO back in the line up..
Indeed. I’d still like to go back and get the Classics versions of the GTO wagon.
yah brad, that was one, I never found a single release of, not even while I was able to do conventions.
the coupes were easy to get. 😉
I would love to see the comet/falcon and dart /valiant wagons. join the Nova some day. people forget that with the early on slot of euro and japanese economy cars began, the domestic makers also had to compete for that market too. it was not just muscle and pony’s back then. but small in expensive gas sippers too.
The paint job on the Volvo Estate reminds me of the livery on the cars Volvo raced at the 1994 BTCC season. For me it is a close enough homage.
Excellent article and pictures as always, Brad. I am definitely going to have to take a closer look at the Plus-4 wheels. Hopefully, they do a metal/metal mini cooper, maybe even with a removable body!!
Excellent point, Travis. I hadn’t even thought of the Mini, but any of the newer Mini castings would be perfect fits for these wheels.
I agree, Rubens, but the original release is better: https://orangetrackdiecast.com/2019/12/03/hw-race-day-2020-new-model-volvo-850-estate/
Wow!!! Way better!!!
I have a Volvo estate in my Hot Wheels collection but it is plain red.
I wish I had the BTCC one.
brad about the wheels , is it just me?? or do the new 5 spoke, look a whole lot like the porsche, 911 fuchs 5 spoke alloys? and do you know if they these are made the same way as the speed machines were,? or are they a standard 1 piece wheel?
as for down hill/track performance?? I still have my old test track from my Neo classic comparisons ;-).
It’s so nice to finally see a line of fully-detailed models without them having to be fully premium models with Real Riders! I’ve long thought that Hot Wheels needed a price increase to allow for more detailing budget, and this silver-label series seems like the perfect solution.
I agree, the premiums in my demographic get scalped frequently, this is a great secondary option and still great attention to detail on these castings
I found these. There were 7 or 8 loaded pegs. Not one single Datsun.
what store/state? thanks
mainly hoping to find the GTO and nova, the 510 would be gravey. nothing against the euro’s, they are just not old enough body styles for my taste.
I dont see this as a new level of premiums,
,stores have had their own lines of them for a long time at 2-3 bucks.
and there has been others, like the Classics series, brad had mentioned..
to me, this is just a new expansion into that world, offering a lil more detail and a larger card
, giving more bang for our buck,
am I the only one who has noticed?
tech is catching up, and some of the one piece mainline wheels are getting harder and harder to tell from real riders, just by looking. better rim design with open spokes and defined rim beads
so we are getting a similar look,and trackability.
thers a lot to like at retail these days.. and Im sure there will be a lot more to look forward too. if this is any indication, of were retail is hedding.
Taz
Great article Brad. Its’s a nice set. I still haven’t got around to buy it. Maybe when I find all cars at the same time. The only disappointment for me is the color of the Pontiac wagon. they could have picked a nicer color than matte black, and with that stripe, it looks like a Color Changer…
Ya’ll know that Pontiac never made a “GTO Wagon” such as this, right? Pontiac did build a 1966 4-door Tempest Wagon (Safari) grocery-getter. This casting looks like a chopped ’66 GTO frankensteined into a Shooting Brake, hence the “Custom”. All good. I love it, just not in matte black, the color used for the cheapest things you buy anywhere.
this one is a custom,but, pontiac actually did make GTO wagons , they were tempest/le mans 400’s with the GTO package, you had to order them from the dealer options catalog, to get them that way though, they were not a line production model
Nice write-up Brad. New wheels are cool. The extra 510 didn’t slow down hoarders in my area. Resellers(cough) are asking 12-15 for it.
Great Article Brad! This is the first I’ve heard of a silver series. I ran across some of the Hot Wagons and as usual the only ones missing were the 510’s. No big deal for me because I wanted the GTO and Nova. I’m happy to see a series where we have a chance to get metal/Metal cars with cool wheels for that price point. This news has me more revved up than anything else I heard of for 2024 (so far). Please keep us updated on future releases in this series.
hi guy’s, wal *marts here in oregon, are starting to get the hot wagons in small batches. too bad for me the only ones still hanging were the volvo and audi. with un even case counts in play, they may have just been loaded heavier in the cases.