I had originally planned to attend a Hot Wheels collectors convention today, but it was a four hour drive from home. Then I found out someone was hosting a classic car show in my area, so I opted to check out some 60's icons.
Not only did I have fun taking a trip down memory lane, I also saved some money in the process. I'm sure I would have spent a significant amount of money on Hot Wheels collectibles otherwise. But resisting the temptation isn't always easy. I bought nearly 20 new cars last week alone, including two Fast and Furious icons from Dominic Toretto's mix (the 1995 Mazda RX-7 and the 1968 Dodge Charger).
I enjoy collecting and opening them more than cleaning the dust. But luckily, my wife doesn't bother doing that for me, because she finds it fun to sort them by color. Resisting temptation can be hard when Mattel Creations has a new product on the horizon.
The '61 Lincoln Continental is a Red Line Club exclusive designed by Brendon Vetuskey. Digging into the archives, you'll find three Hot Wheels Lincoln Continentals. Jun Imai designed two of them. The 1/50 scale version came first, debuting in the 2005 Dropstars series.
The other came with the 2007 New Models series, with 30 variations for the full collection. The last one is a special NFT Garage release, but we’ll talk about that in a future article. Michael Kollins designed a convertible version of the Continental over 20 years ago, and we haven’t seen a new variation since Mattel teamed up with rapper Trae the Truth.
Some may remember that this casting was also part of the Treasure Hunt series circa 2013. But let's focus for a moment on the RLC exclusive model. It looks stunning in Spectraflame True Black with a white interior. As expected, it has detailed headlights, taillights, and a custom license plate that reads Hot Wheels Conti61. The stance of this thing is perfect and the car looks “smooth and sleek,” running on a set of White Wall Oval Track Real Riders wheels.
When I first noticed the price tag on this thing, I immediately thought, “Why?” But scroll through the photo gallery and you'll quickly find the answer. This Lincoln Continental has opening doors – all four of them! I don't remember the last time I saw that on a Hot Wheels collectible, if ever!
It may not seem like much to a non-enthusiast, but I’m sure it’s a strong selling point for avid collectors. Getting an acrylic case and decorative outer box is a bonus for anyone who might purchase the casting. You’re looking at a limit of two units per customer, with shipments arriving around December, most likely. The Hot Wheels RLC Exclusive ’61 Lincoln Continental will be available on August 13, 2024, at 9 a.m. PT, and you can already see dozens of listings on eBay with prices going up to $100.