Going once… going twice…. SOLD! Hot Wheels #Car Culture hits the auction block with Hammer Drop (FPY86-F case). This is the first mix of Car Culture for 2025 and it definitely sets the tone for what is shaping up to be a monumental year for Hot Wheels Premium’s most popular line. Also, it seems fitting that this theme drops just as the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction wraps up here in Scottsdale, Arizona. Side note: did you see the 1:1 Twin Mill that sold for $150,000???
In this case we get the debut of the Lancia Stratos Zero which also gets the nod as the 0/5 #Chase piece here. It is definitely smaller than I expected — which actually may mean it’s closer to scale here — but it’s nice to have a representation of this infamous concept car in my collection. The Zero comes in that original metalflake burnt orange paint the 1:1 concept car came in. This new casting has been added to the 2025 New Models Tracker here on OTD.
The #Bugatti Veyron returns. This time, we don’t get that awkward concept version that debuted as a 2003 First Edition and was used most recently in a Car Culture 2-Pack. Rather, we get the retooled version of the casting — which was essentially built-from-scratch — for the Fast & Furious Themed Assortment in 2023. This casting is better so it’s nice to see this be the Veyron that was chosen here.
Hammer Drop is great mix. 1 of 1 cars always seem to make it to the auction block at auctions like Barrett-Jackson due to their priceless nature. The #Mazda 787B is included in this mix in it’s — correct me if I’m wrong — 1991 Test Car livery.
The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 goes premium here, and you can expect a follow-up version to this in Boulevard this year. This one is all yellow, and if I know a thing or two about yellow Hot Wheels Porsches, this one will be highly sought after.
Lastly, the surprising selection here in this mix is the MG Metro 6R4. I’m not sure most would think to include a rally car in an auction block series, but the truth is: it’s a wicked awesome car! This MG Metro 6R4 is based off of a real, 1:1 version of the car which ran in 1986 — the final year for Group B racing. The real car is valued around $500,000 making it the perfect fit for Hammer Drop!
I unboxed one of these 10-count Modern Classics cases on the OTD YouTube Channel, and have a full #Case Report for you here. 1 Stop Diecast has cases. Get yours today!
QUICK LINK! Buy Hot Wheels Car Culture / HAMMER DROP cases from 1 Stop Diecast now
Hot Wheels #Car Culture cases (FPY86) contain only 10 vehicles, unlike Hot Wheels basics cases which have 72. In this mix, you are guaranteed to get all 5 cars in the series. There are two variants of the case — with or without chase piece. In a standard case (without chase) you will get two of each vehicle. In a case with a chase, you will have the chase piece inserted for the second piece of its casting counterpart.
Below you’ll find the case list — all of which are seen in this video above and in the images below.
- Bugatti Veyron
- Lancia Stratos Zero
- MG Metro 6R4
- Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7
- Mazda 787B
CHASE! Lancia Stratos Zero
Categories: Case Report
ORANGE TRACK DIECAST 
Hello, all diecast fans!
I may have missed Brad’s commentary on the Hirohata Merc in the Mainline, but I would like to add some history on the car, some HW history on the car and some commentary on other HW cars that are done in the kustom style.
Sam Hirohata purchased a 51 Merc in 1953 and turned it over to the shop of Sam and George Barris for some custom work. I believe the car debuted in 1954 and immediately undertook a cross country trek to the Indianapolis 500 Race of that year. This trip was covered in some of the major car magazines of the day, giving the car instant notoriety. As time went on, the car passed through several different owners and changes and eventually wound up on a used car lot where a young John McNeil spotted it and knew what it was. He purchased the custom and began a lifelong love affair in restoring it to its initial glory.
I believe it was Larry Wood who produced the first Hirohata Merc for HW in 1997 under the Legends of Hot Wheels banner and a special collection of four 1/64 cars built by the Barris brothers. These were very detailed and accurate vehicles in original colors. The Merc was 82 mm long and retailed for around $30.
Fast forward to 2023 when Brendon Vetuskey undertook to produce this groundbreaking car for the Mainline. And what a winner he produced! The first thing I noticed was that the first colorway was a historically accurate seafoam and dark green two tone, with the dark green being part of the base. This “sandwiching” of colors had been previously done on another HW Merc, the ‘56 Merc. Very clever work. Next I noticed the proportions, which appear accurate to a tee. The 1950’s cars were bulging and ungainly and customizers attempted to eliminate those attributes by many tricks. The Hirohata Merc was a textbook of ideas for customized Mercs to come, being chopped and lowered with the rear quarter panels extended to disguise the car’s bulkiness. America was falling in love with hardtops and almost every manufacturer offered their top models in a hardtop style. Sam and George rode that wave and eliminated the 51’s “B” pillars to further add to the swoopiness of the Merc. Vetuskey captured the chop and the hardtop perfectly in this model. Mirroring the curve of the quarter window, trim from an early 50’s Buick was added to the side. The front “mouth” of the Merc was cleaned of its stock teeth and grill parts from another car were added. The Barris brothers kept the 51 rear window, but later customizers would many times substitute a ‘50 rear window. I believe McNeil sold the Merc for over a million dollars and the car may be seen in the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles. This is an outstanding HW car that deserves a place in every collection!
A car such as the Hirohata Merc has a predecessor in the HW line and that is the Purple Passion, designed by Larry Wood. It came out in the early 90’s and was very popular from the start. Elwood designed this Mercury (it’s vintage is undetermined, but from the 49-51 era) with many custom tricks of the era, such as chopped, severely slanted and tapered top, elimination of all badges, “Frenched” headlights, rounded hood corners, elimination of the center chrome strip on the hood, elongated “bubble” fender skirts, DeSoto teeth in the grill, and of course the wide whitewalls so common to the 50’s. This was another groundbreaking HW car and collectors went wild to obtain them. They are still popular today, with a Purple Passion in the Designed By mini collection.
Another car in this genre in the HW line is the Taildragger, so-named due to the style of the rear part being very low. This car also featured a pillarless hardtop and much customization. It is based on a 1941 Ford coupe; many 41-48 Ford and Mercury cars received similar custom tricks.
Phil Riehlman got in on the action with his “Swoop Coupe” , another custom based on a 1937 Lincoln Zephyr. It featured radically lengthened rear fenders, a very low chop, and what appears to be a 37-38 Chevy grill. This style of low flying custom has become very popular at car shows in recent years, only limited by the rarity of Zephyr coupes.
These custom cars should not be confused with the type of vehicle termed a “lowrider” even though they both hug the ground. There are subtle differences between the two styles, and some careful observation of the two styles will educate you. Mattel has a number of cars produced in the lowrider genre and they are a good place to start to educate yourself.
Addenda: The 55 Chevy hardtop ( not the gasser) produced in the Rod Squad line is outstanding for 2025! Mattel has cleaned up the casting such that the 2025 black paint job is one of the best I have ever seen! Check it out, it’s difficult to discern until you open the package and witness the quality.
Further addenda: Fandom Wiki lists the 8 Crate as a 55 Ford Wagon, but much closer examination will show you that the back half of this model is a ‘57 Ford wagon! This has been done on a full-size Tri Five Chevy convertible. It starts as a 55 in front, morphs to a 56 amidships and finally ends as a 57 at the rear! This car is a hit at car shows with many builders asking “Why didn’t I think of that?” I forget who the HW designer for the 8 Crate is, but he must have been chuckling all these years at his hidden joke!
I hope you enjoyed my storytime. Brad, feel free to add this to any future OTD columns you wish. I maybe wasn’t correct on some of the designers, so feel free to correct as you see fit. Thanks for the space!
Thanks for taking the time to write that, Ted! It took me more than 1 sitting to read it all. I definitely learned a few things from you.
I was happy to write that, Brad! You have a great blog and I have learned a lot from you and also Mattel. There are more than a few cars which I was not aware of their existence until they became 1/64 Hot Wheels.