As Hot Wheels designer, Phil Riehlman broke onto the scene in 1993 when he re-designed the Twin Mill and the Silhouette (along with Bruce Baur). His “big break” came in 1996 when his VW Bus casting became an instant hit with collectors and as a promotional piece. Phil continues to design Hot Wheels to this day.
The Mini Cooper is possibly one of the more underrated castings in Hot Wheels history. While its never been a huge money-grabber for Mattel / Hot Wheels, couple of its releases fetch high-dollar. Designed by Hot Wheels designer Phil Riehlman, this Mini Cooper was special from its original […]
The Dairy Delivery has been a collector favorite since its first appearance as part of the 1998 First Editions. This retro milk truck rides low, features a raked stance, and has plenty of real estate for graphics. In 2006, popularity of the Dairy Delivery reached an all-time high. The tool used to […]
When Hot Wheels first started to dabble in the #Tuners and #JDM cars in the early 2000s, the Toyota Celica was among the very first. While some collectors (at the time) were disappointed the Celica didn’t come more stock, most came around when they realized the Hot Wheels […]
We’re only in January, yet we’ve been graced with several #Hot Wheels Race Team vehicles for 2016 — two of which, have come via 5-Packs. This #Hollowback, along with the Ballistik from the Track Stars 5-Pack have been great surprises, and both have worn the #16 for 2016. While the […]
In 2002, Hot Wheels brought the #Hot Wheels Race Team back to the mainline after its disappearance as a segment series in 1998. The only thing was, it was no longer a typical segment series that was designated by series name. Rather, it was a hidden segment series […]
Here’s a great lesson for collectors new and old. “Gotta-Have-It-Now” is a sickness. It goes around like the yearly flu and even I, a collector of 20 years, have caught the bug from time to time. One story I have of it comes from August of 2012. The big box […]
2011 was the last year before Super Treasure Hunts went into hiding…also known as the “green stripe removal of 2012”. In the 5 years prior (2007-2011), the 2-tier Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt system consisted of 12 to 15 castings that each had a Regular Treasure Hunt and a […]
December is here which usually means, so are the Hot Wheels Christmas cars. While in the past there have been Holiday Rods, Holiday Hot Rods, and other cars of the Christmas variety, it was the Holiday Rods from 2004 to 2009 that proved to be the most collector-friendly. […]
Sometimes designers of an unlicensed casting are the best suited when it comes to overall execution of that casting. Back in 2004, the Hot Wheels casting, Rapid Transit, seemed to jump right off the pegs and into my hands. I thought this Phil Riehlman designed car was super cool given […]
10 years ago, the AcceleRacers debuted much to the dismay of the Hot Wheels collecting community as it was a followup to the Highway 35 World Race of 2003 that featured a lineup of first edition unlicensed fantasy castings. Where the HWY 35 World Race succeeded in telling a […]
ORANGE TRACK DIECAST 