Hot Wheels cars are displayed in London, England.
Hot Wheels is one of the best-selling toys in the world. Over six billion have sold since the company was founded over 50 years ago. And even in today's digital age, the brand manages to reach new heights. One morning, Mattel co-founder Evan Handler watched his young son play with toy cars. They were made by a British firm called Matchbox. That name came from the fact the cars were tiny enough to fit into small boxes that resembled a box of matches.
His team came back with a revolutionary idea. It was a tiny toy car that sped along plastic orange tracks. The cars featured a patented suspension that utilized thick gauge music wire as the axle, coupled with a unique plastic bearing, all of which allowed the wheels to roll and spin with minimum friction. That was the key to speed.
The first die-cast Hot Wheels car rolled off the line in 1968. It was a Custom Camaro. Soon, deals were in place to recreate muscle cars from the Big Three automakers and 15 more tiny cars were made, including a custom Firebird, T-Bird, Corvette, a Volkswagen and some custom hot rods. That set eventually became known as the "Sweet Sixteen" and are among the most valuable and collectible toy vehicles ever made.
Kids went crazy for them. Seeing a set of Hot Wheels cars and 30 feet of track under the Christmas tree was a dream come true. Soon, more designers from actual auto-makers defected to join Mattel. In 1970, Hot Wheels collector clubs popped up all over the country.
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