Hot Wheels was introduced by Mattel in 1968 but its success was solidified with its 1969 releases. These models established the line as a leading brand of small die-cast car models in the United States.
The 1969 International Collector’s Catalog introduced 24 new cars across four classes: California Custom, Show & Go, European Models, and Custom Classics, along with a new Grand Prix series. Show & Go Cars represented Hasbro’s first foray into original, in-house designs, resulting in several collector favourites, including Splittin’ Image, Torero, Turbofire, and Twin Mill.
The catalogue also touted the line’s Spectra Flame Paint Jobs, which allowed collectors to purchase cars in a variety of different custom colours, including purple, lavender, red, orange, gold, brown, olive, lime, green, aqua, light blue, and blue.
Mattel also made sure to highlight the line’s exclusive features, like patented positive-action torsion-bar suspension, lo-friction wheel bearings, ‘mag’ wheels, chrome undercarriages, and power bulges.
In addition to its die-cast showcase, Mattel allocated several pages to various accessories, including an array of Action Sets, cases, and one of our favourites, the Wipe-Out Board Game.
