Harry Bradley's Hot Wheels....

[Jive-Bomber]

In 1968 Mattel's Hot Wheels premiered, and became an instant hit. Of the 16 initial cars launched, 11 of them were designed by none other than Harry Bentley Bradley. Alt...

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[DocWatson]

.................. and to think so many of them meet a horrible death at my hands as a kid! OH, the shame.

Doc.

[Jeff Norwell]

I remember my first Hot Wheel set in Christmas '68....the Hot Heap and the Cheetah...
I remember that funky car carrier case too... the wheel.....

So many to be swallowed up in Sandboxes everywhere.

[D-Russ]

I got this one (a Vicky interestingly enough) in 1969, along with an orange model A woody (that I traded away long ago) in a set that included my first sections of orange Hot Wheels track, the purple track connectors, a purple starting gate and a purple C-clamp to hold the track to a table or chair or whatever. That kit started my collection and brings back many fond memories. I also still have the Custom Firebird (sans hood), the Hot Heap, the Cheetah, the Custom Fleetside and the Deora (sans surfboards).

[Rikster]

Scans from redlineprotos

[oldguard]

There was an interesting article on Harry Bradley as the GM designer of the '67-'72 Chevrolet trucks and how GM brass were disappointed in the new "car like" appearance of the new trucks and that was one of the reasons he left GM to pursue other intrest such as Hot Wheels. The GM trucks were heavily changed in the '69 model year with hood and grille change to give it a "tuff truck" look. In '67 you could get a CST model with bucket seats, console, tilt steering, tach, gauges and more. I have a friend who has one, 283 powerglide, awesome truck. I have always like the '67s as they are smooth lines and I am a big fan of the one year only small back window, kind of a coupe effect.
The Hot Wheels were always number one in my books but I did have a few Matchboxes. And yes, I enjoyed and destroyed mine as well!!

[Jeff Norwell]

AWESOME Rik!

[BOWTIE BROWN]

larry wood ain't to bad either. I like the snake & mongoose.
i've got a mass collection of old stuff. If anybody looking just yell.
kool thread.
thanx
YOU KNOW THERE IS THE HOT WHEEL GET TOGETHER EVERY YEAR IN SPEED , KANSAS ....HUGE.

[Tbomb428]

He's a super talented designer. I don't know if prismacolor pencils have ever been put to better use than by him. Here's his hot wheels style daily driver that I remember seeing around the campus (photo by Xyling):

[thepolecat]

Still love mine. And I sometime weep at the thought of how many great ones had "accidents with bricks" or got to be "stunt" cars that caught on fire.

[brett4christ]

Had the Vicky in gold, two Custom Fleetsides in purple and green, and a sihlouette in red! Still have the vichy and the CFs!

Man, the memories...........

[Dynaflash_8]

the cheetah sure looks alot like the car craft dream rod

[Engine Pro 5X]

I still have 9 of the original 16 !! When those cars hit the stores I just had to have them. But living in a small town we were limited on what we could get. I did collect more of these and still have them today >>>>.

[Jeff Norwell]

Larry Wood is a very nice fella!
and talented x100

[belair]

My first three were the Camaro, the Cougar, and the T-Bird. Wore them out and then gave them to a younger cousin. Loved my Chaparral. Good memories. Still have most of the metal buttons.

[Mr Haney]

I saved two cases of hotwheels mixed with matchbox cars, passed them on to my boys. The older boys passed them on to my youngest son Dean ! Funny he is playing with them right now . Best toy ever produced IMO

[fbama73]

Some restored versions of the "original 16"



























Because there are people out there who restore these and try to pass them off as originals (for big $$) I always reassemble mine with screws instead of emulating the original spun posts. That way, nobody would ever mistake one for an original.

[johnny bondo]

i have most of those in the basement in the original wheel shaped carrying case.

[49ratfink]

still have most of mine along with my matchbox cars.

here's a tale any Hot Wheels collector could only dream of. my buddy who would be 50 now passed in 1993. about 4 years ago I saw that his mom was selling the house and stopped by. she was having a garage sale the next day, and brought out his Hot Wheels collection that she was going to sell. there was like 40 of them and they were all near perfect in a perfect case. she was going to sell them for $1.00 each.

I suggested that I sell them for her on ebay. I got her over $1700.00 for them.

[Sweepspear]

We used to bend the rear wheels down so they looked more jacked up in the rear.
I was 7 years old when they came out.
There was a gas station (I think a Mobil) that gave them out free with every fill.
I remember for a time insisting I go with Dad when he gassed up the cars.

I also remember we all thought Johnny Lightning cars sucked!
Bad detail, and they didn't roll as far, or as straight as a Hot Wheels car would.