Hot Wheels – Your Car Could Be Immortalised
June 22, 2022
Last year, we told you Hot Wheels was scouring the globe for a car to immortalise in small scale. Well, it turns out the winner of that competition came from here in the UK. Namely Lee Johnstone, who owns a Volvo P1800 that is anything but subtle thanks to a thumping great V8 sticking out from the bonnet, and tall ‘gasser’ style suspension underneath. It is, let’s not beat around the bush here, a Hot Wheels car in full scale, so it made sense for it to be a winner. Just look at it.
Yep, that’s the kind of car deserving of the Hot Wheels treatment. We’ll have some more content on that very Volvo in the coming weeks, but until then, how about following in Lee’s footsteps? You see, the guys and girls at Hot Wheels are now looking at the UK exclusively for the next car to be made into a small scale icon as part of its Legends Tour. “As the Hot Wheels Legends Tour expands around the globe, we have been blown away by the passion, enthusiasm and effort that goes into creating these spectacular cars that fuel popular culture and deserve to be Hot Wheels models,” said Ted Wu, Global Head of Vehicle Design at Mattel. “Having seen how fans loved our first winner outside the US, we decided to immortalise a regional winner alongside the overall victor. Two Legends are better than one!”
The Hot Wheels design team’s quest will be adjudicated by a new UK judging panel featuring presenters and avid car modifiers Helen Stanley (Goblin Works Garage, Motor Pickers) and Jonny Smith (The Late Brake Show). They will be joined by highly influential car designer Ian Callum CBE, design director at CALLUM and the creative behind the Aston Martin Vanquish and DB9, the Jaguar F-PACE and I-PACE, to name just a few. The winner will be announced on Car Throttle’s YouTube Channel in early October, with Car Throttle presenter Alex Kersten hosting the judging process.
Ten finalists will be selected from the UK entries and gathered together in front of a live audience for the judging process in early October. Car Throttle followers will vote for their favourite, while the judges will select the UK winner that will face winners from 13 other countries. The Grand Final will take place in the US in November.
Last year, the UK’s judges picked Lee Johnstone and his three daughters’ Volvo P1800 Gasser, which went on to win the overall competition. Now, having been fully tested on Hot Wheels’ iconic orange track, 1:64 scale models of the classic dragster are destined to find their way into toy boxes and collections in over 150 countries before the end of the year.
“I never imagined that we would win but it’s been amazing to be part of the design process and meet the team that is responsible for creating the toy cars that fans of any age love,” says 2021 winner Lee Johnstone. “You just can’t beat that thrill of seeing your car scaled down in the Hot Wheels pack. I’d urge anyone to enter just to share that moment. It’s unforgettable!”
This is a staggering opportunity for one lucky classic or custom car owner. Hot Wheels is synonymous with car culture, with fun and with being the gateway into all things motoring for multiple generations. To have your car captured in this globally recognised style is simply not an opportunity that will present itself again, and with the judges now looking at UK specifically, there is a real shot for you and your car. And don’t think you need a wild hot rod like Lee. Hot Wheels is keen to immortalise any car, so long as it’s cool, and has a good story behind it. There is nothing off limits for Hot Wheels. They want to see them all, so make sure you submit an entry.
Doing so couldn’t be easier: simply upload a short video and brief information at www.hotwheelsuklegendstour.co.
