This special anniversary book is lavishly illustrated with rare design drawings and prototypes from Mattel’s archives as well as fantastic photos of all of the great Hot WheelsTM vehicles from across their 50-year history—and it comes in a replica Hot WheelsTM car-carrying case. It’s the perfect vehicle for Hot WheelsTM fans of all ages!
PAT'S REVIEW
| Yes I will admit that I still have the first year and some of the second year Hot Wheels, also kept other special ones like the motor cycles, The Snake, and The Mongoose, drag racers. So you can see that this book would be right for me. Hot Wheels is celebrating 50 years and I am glad they came when they did. I was allowed to but matchbox cars with my grandfather and still have those but Hot Wheels changed everything. The book starts with a history of Elliot Handler and his wife Ruth. Working at making toys in 1944 they met Matt Matson and by 1945 they founded Mattel. By the late fifties early sixties Barbie was the number one selling toy and wanting to come up with a toy for boys the idea started with cars. Different though then Matchbox, or Corgi which were the two leading toy car sellers at the time. Designers were hired but not any designers, actually car designers from Detroit and so began the idea and story. The same time as the cars also ideas were being thought up for tracks that would be easy to set up be that the cars would be able to stay in place and yet fly down them. The bright orange tracks were designed with an easy way to connect the pieces together. At a 1968 toy fair Handler demonstrated the car with the tracks and showed the speed of the cars, and even had a loop with the car not falling off and orders were being placed on the spot. Now he needed to make sure they could come up with a plant that could do it, and his goal was to be able to make 1 million cars a week. It took a little while but a plant in Hawthorne California would be able to do it. From their Hot Wheels would go on with carrying cases, lunch pals, movies, books and you know the rest. One section I did really like was who the author showed the different designs and how he went out to the Southern California drag racing scene and got The Snake and The Mongoose to do their cars along with other dragsters. Growing up in Southern California this is all you would read about and see on the news was the race between the two of them or any of the other races going on. The book will show designs from start to finish, has plenty of pictures, and also has the Dora that Chip Foss made some years back which was good to see again. For me this was a very good book and would be if you are still into Hot Wheels or just want to see the history behind them. There are pictures of the first year when they came out and I am amazed I still have them used but still I had a good time. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com |
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