Creator of Mattel's Hot Wheels dies

[URY914]

We all probably owe this man......


Creator of Mattel's Hot Wheels dies - Drive On: A conversation about the cars and trucks we drive - USATODAY.com

Sure, there was Barbie. But what may turn out to be the true lasting legacy of Mattel co-founder Elliot Handler was the creation of Hot Wheels.

Handler died Thursday of heart failure at 95, a veteran of the toy industry since the end of World War II. The Los Angeles resident didn't think Barbie would be a success when wife Ruth came up the idea in 1959. It became of one of the two products that would define Mattel.

The other was Hot Wheels. Handler was looking for a toy that would hold as much appeal for boys as Barbie did for girls. Die-cast toy cars had been around forever, but Handler figured out how to give them a new spin -- literally. The secret was the wheels, which were the result of a special manufacturing process that made them spin fast,The New York Times reported.

Besides knocking off miniature versions of existing cars, Hot Wheels incorporated designs from the stylists it hired away from big automakers. The cars were given names such as the Beatnik Bandit and King Kuda. Their metalflake paint jobs made them irresistible and with 10,000 designs over the years, Hot Wheels attracted kids and collectors alike.

Handler is dead, but Hot Wheels will live on as long as kids remain passionate about cars.

[pwd72s]

May he Rest in Peace...His is a legacy to strive for. Having made millions of kids happy...

[carr914]

R.I.P.

Weird thing when I was young, we played with Hot Wheels, now people mostly collect them and don't take them out of the packaging

[kach22i]

Hot Wheels, those were the days.

Remember the powered ones for use with the "fat track"?

The energy cell powered many experiments for me. A twin float airboat, a hovercraft or two, some props on model aircraft not designed to be turned and so forth.

Electric cars do work, at least as a kid on a Hot Wheels track.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Wheels

[Burnin' oil]

Originally Posted by kach22i

Hot Wheels, those were the days.

Remember the powered ones for use with the "fat track"?

. . .
Hot Wheels - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yeah, my rich friends had the fat track.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Burnin' oil

Yeah, my rich friends had the fat track.

My younger brother was spoiled, but I got his broken scraps so I cannot complain too much.

And I thought the younger brother was supposed to get the older brother's scraps.

The poor boy's Hot Wheels was called Johnny Lightning, remember them?

http://collector.johnnylightning.com/history.asp

Topper Toys launched Johnny Lightning in 1969 to join the new craze for "high speed" toy cars. As a calculated reference to the cars' performance on miniature race tracks, Topper printed the slogan "Beats Them All!" on every package. Topper Toys closed in 1971

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by carr914

R.I.P.

Weird thing when I was young, we played with Hot Wheels, now people mostly collect them and don't take them out of the packaging

That is why I buy a few of the same, so I can ply with one & collect the rest. We should set up a track at the next Ramble..

This truly is a Sad day for Car guys & kids alike. For many of us, a Hot Wheel was our 1st car and he drove our desires to play with cars for a life time. I remember collecting deposit bottles while walking home from school (a few miles, yes some of us really did that) then cashing them in at the Zippy Mart on the way to school and after I had a few bucks, I would wait for a Sat that I could sneak (I wasn't suppose to ride this far, I was only 6 or 7 maybe) on my bike & ride to Zares on Normandy & Lane to buy as many as I could. I still to this day buy Hot Wheels when at the store, WD or Publix, I still look & buy..

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Burnin' oil

Yeah, my rich friends had the fat track.

Oh sure but you didn't complain when you came over to play... and chortling when my favorite hot wheels flew off the track and smashed into the wall!



God speed Mr. Handler, you provided my friends and I many happy hours of play.

[azasadny]

I loved my Hot Wheels!!