Real Life Hot Wheels Invade Detroit [Gallery]
On August 11, the Hot Wheels Legends 50th Anniversary Tour made a stop in Detroit, Michigan, in search of their muse for the next legendary Hot Wheels die-cast car. The 25,000-plus unique die-cast models that the company has sold over the past 50 years have been influential, leaving marks on automotive history. Every person recognizes his or her favorite Hot Wheels cars.
In Detroit, a crowd of over 150 pre-selected car owners brought their creations to the show. Only one build will move on to SEMA 2018, where one of the 15 finalists from various cities will be named the next Hot Wheels Legend. Who wouldn’t want their beloved car to be immortalized in a die-cast replica sold around the world?
Iconic life-size Hot Wheels cars were also present in the lot. Perhaps these cars will look familiar. Designed by Larry Wood and built by Action Vehicle Engineering, this Bone Shaker was modeled after the original 2006 Hot Wheels diecast car. It’s an extremely famous design and every passerby immediately exclaimed, “It’s the Bone Shaker!”
Behold, the Deora II, built in 2003 as a modern interpretation of the original Deora, which was a show car designed by Harry Bradely, Hot Wheels’ first designer. This particular concept was designed by Nathan Proch and built by none other than Chip Foose.
Even though the iconic cars had a nostalgic attraction, hoards of enthusiasts swarmed around the more or less “unfamiliar” cars, such as this Chevrolet Vega RCR built by Byron Burnham with hand-fabricated metal panels and a fiberglass hood.
The Reapers Rejects ride, Hellbound, stood out from the rest of the cars in the lot. Crowds surrounded this car in admiration. So much so, it was difficult to capture clear photos of it, no matter how many times we looped back around. Every bit of this Ed Roth inspired monster rod was hand-fabricated by the Holbrook family. This beast was meant to be made into a Hot Wheels car.
The winner of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour’s Detroit stop was Jeffrey Peterson’s 1947 Chevrolet Crosley Altered Coupe, nicknamed “The Blue Goose.” The car was originally built to race at the launch of the Detroit U.S. Nationals in 1959, and it was the first race car to run down Mid-Michigan’s Milan Dragway in 1962.
We’ll stop right here because this could go on forever. Every single car was customized in one way or another to each owner’s personal taste, and there was something to love in all of them. The only way to easily describe the show as a whole is by sending you to the photo gallery. Go see for yourself!
