1969 - ROUND TWO

During 1969, the second year of production with sales exceeding projections, twenty-four new castings were introduced into the line. With the original sixteen carried over from 1968, this allowed for a total of 40 castings to choose from. Designers still focused on the “raked” look of the California hot-rod and created such Classics as the Woody, Vicky and Coupe. Also, this was the year Mattel introduced its own concept styled cars including the Splittin’ Image, TwinMill, Turbofire and Torero. With the introduction of the Grand Prix series, new blister card art work was created which consisted of a Brabham-Repco F1 pictured against a green background while still adorning the Hot Wheels flamed logo above. There were 8 new castings and with the Ford J-Car carried over from 1968 made for a total of 9 Grand Prix cars available in 1969. The Volkswagen Beach Bomb, among some of the most sought after castings still today, was released this year too. The original design of this casting was quickly modified to make for better performance when used with track sets that included a Super-Charger and is probably the most expensive Spectraflame era casting to date. 

MORE ON THE GRAND PRIX SERIES

The Grand Prix series castings were the first to be packaged on their very own blister card. Eight new castings in 1969, two new castings in 1970 and one carried over from 1968, the Ford J-Car, made for a total of 11 Grand Prix castings that were exclusive to this series. Many of the these castings were inspired by true racing machines of the era including those from Can-Am, Le Mans, Formula 1 and Indy. To make for better performance with track sets that included a Super-Charger, Mattel designed external gas tanks that would attach to some Grand Prix vehicles which made them just the right width to be blasted from the Super-Charger. These tanks never really made it through to production; however there are some out there and are truly rare. For further details on any of the Grand Prix series, please see their respective casting details found under the 1969 and 1970 chapters.

Casting Details: 

Part of the Grand Prix series, this casting was only produced in Hong Kong and has a blue tinted wrap-around windscreen, an engine with straight exhaust pipes mounted in the rear and the interior was mostly available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. Castings found with a white interior are harder to find though it appears red is more in abundance compared to other colors. A premium is added to value for those with a white interior. In addition, some castings can be found with a black painted base. For these, there is a premium added to value. A water slide decal sheet was included which consisted of sponsor logos and the number “1” for both sides and a white stripe with the number “1” for the nose.  Furthermore, a Hot Wheels logo was factory applied to the right side only and is visible from the blister. 

 H.K.

Aqua

Green

Red

Blue

Purple

Olive

Orange

Green Enamel

Copper

Brown

Casting Comparison: 

Part of the Grand Prix series, the U.S. version of the Chaparral 2G has a clear wrap-around windscreen, an opening rear engine cover and the interior was mostly available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded.

The Hong Kong version has a blue tinted wrap-around windscreen an opening rear engine cover and the interior was only available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded.

Casting Details: 

U.S. castings found with a brown interior are harder to find and a premium is added to value. Both the U.S. and Hong Kong castings came with a white plastic wing that is removable and included an adhesive sticker sheet that consisted of three white circles printed with the number “66”.    Later castings were produced with a post cast to the engine cover and a stopper cast on the base which prevents the rear engine cover from opening completely. It is believed this was to prevent the engine cover from separating or breaking off from the chassis when opened. There is no premium added to value for this variation. 

Original Wings:

U.S. - there are small triangles on the circles on the top of the posts where the wing flexes

H.K. - there are two notches on the back edge of the wing (some more pronounced than others) 

U.S.                              H.K.

Aqua                            Green

Green                           Red

Orange                         Aqua

Red                               Blue

Gold                             White Enamel

White Enamel             Olive

Rose                             Purple

Purple                          Orange

Brown

Olive

Blue

Lime

Light Blue

Yellow

Antifreeze

Light Green

Magenta

Hot Pink

Casting Details: 

This casting was only produced in the U.S. and has a clear windshield, a metal engine, a matte black painted grill, a smooth matte black or glossy textured black roof and the interior was available in assorted colors in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. While it is believed that those found where the roof is textured are of a later run, a very good amount of both smooth and textured roof Woody castings can be found and there is no premium for one or the other. Some examples have been found where there is a slight yellow tint to the windshield but this has been attributed to materials used or due to aging. In addition, some Woody castings can be found with chrome like rear wheels and are believed to be of a very late run. These wheels are correct and are U.S. wheels but when compared to the front wheels, they are much shinier. Magenta, hot pink and yellow are among the most common colors found with these particular wheels. The brown Woody is believed to be a preproduction color and was never released in a blister pack.

U.S.                              

Blue

Red

Green

Aqua

Gold

Lime

Orange

Rose

Antifreeze

Purple

Olive

Light Blue

Creamy Pink

Yellow

Magenta

Hot Pink

Brown

Casting Details: 

This casting was only produced in the U.S. and has clear windows, a metal engine, a matte black painted grill, a smooth matte black roof and the interior was available in assorted colors in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. A rare and very early run of the Vicky can be found where the front suspension is open, referred to by collectors as “open shock” or “open suspension.” A premium is added to value. There are some examples that can be found in red and lime with a glossy textured black roof. While it is believed those with a textured roof are of a later run they remain tough to find. Some Vickys can be found with chrome like rear wheels and are believed to be of a very late run. These wheels are correct and are U.S. wheels but when compared to the front wheels, they are much shinier. Magenta, hot pink, light green and yellow are among the most common colors found with these particular wheels. 

U.S.                              

Blue

Aqua

Green

Copper

Red

Gold

Lime

Olive

Orange

Purple

Rose

Antifreeze

Brown

Yellow

Light Blue

Magenta

Red/Textured Roof

Light Green

Lime/Textured Roof

Hot Pink

Casting Details: 

This casting was only produced in the U.S. and has clear windows, a smooth matte black roof, an opening rumble seat and the interior was available mostly in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. The Coupe was never produced with a textured or glossy black roof. Several castings can be found with a light brown (referred to by most collectors as champagne) or a dark brown interior which even though are not as common as black; there is no real increase in value. However, castings found with a white interior are rare and there is a significant increase in value when compared to the more common black and brown interior castings. Very early examples of the Coupe can be found with any number of buttons ranging from 1 to 9 located on the inside of the rumble seat. These buttons were used to indicate the casting cavity used but were later dropped and those without buttons are more commonly found. A slight premium is added to value. In addition, some Coupes can be found with chrome like rear wheels and are believed to be of a very late run. These wheels are correct and are U.S. wheels but when compared to the front wheels, they are much shinier. Magenta, hot pink, light green and yellow are among the most common colors found with these particular wheels. Quite a few castings can be found packaged in a pouch with a clear plastic top and a paper backing. These are valued the same as a blister pack.

Black Interior           White Interior

U.S.                             U.S.    

Purple                         Purple

Aqua                           Antifreeze

Blue                             Lime

Red                              Aqua

Green                          Orange

Gold                             Blue

Orange

Antifreeze

Lime

Rose

Brown

Copper

Magenta

Yellow

Hot Pink

Olive

Light Green

Casting Details: 

This casting was only produced in the U.S. and has a clear windshield, a forward opening hood and the interior was available in assorted colors in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. Very few loose castings can be found where the front grille or the front of the hood scoop is painted matte black. There is no additional premium added to value for these variations as there is speculation as to whether this was done at the factory or aftermarket. In addition, some castings can be found with a smaller gas tank cast into the base as compared to the more common larger gas tank. Again, no additional premium is added.  It appears the dark interior examples have a small center console in the interior where the white has a longer center console.  No reason to date has been found for why this difference exists.

U.S.

Aqua

Blue

Green

Gold

Red

Lime

Olive

Orange

Rose

Antifreeze

Purple

Light Blue

Magenta

Yellow

Copper

Brown

Hot Pink

Casting Details: 

This casting was only produced in the U.S. and has clear windows, an opening hood and the interior was available only in white in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. The AMX in blue was released in all parts of the world but a U.K. version available through mail-in offers from cereal and Hot Wheels proof of purchase points included a sticker sheet that resembled the paint scheme of the real blue AMX Ed Shaver raced. This version was also given out at events where Ed Shaver appeared. The true value of this particular version is due to the stickers as the blue AMX without them is quite common. Both are listed below. The light blue Custom AMX is believed to be a preproduction color and was never released in a blister pack.

U.S.

Aqua

Green

Gold

Lime

Blue

Light Green

Orange

Red

Purple

Rose

Yellow

Magenta

Hot Pink

Antifreeze

Salmon

Blue/Ed Shaver

Light Blue

Casting Details: 

This casting was only produced in the U.S. and has clear windows, an opening hood and the interior was available only in white in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. The brown Custom Charger is believed to be a preproduction color and was never released in a blister pack.

U.S.

Red

Lime

Blue

Gold

Green

Magenta

Rose

Yellow

Purple

Light Green

Hot Pink

Aqua

Orange

Antifreeze

Brown

Casting Details: 

This casting was only produced in the U.S. and has clear windows, an opening hood and the interior was available in white in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. Some castings can be found with a dark interior and are considered rare. A premium is added to value.

U.S.

Blue

Gold

Red

Aqua

Lime

Green

Yellow

Rose

Orange

Light Green

Magenta

Purple

Light Blue

Hot Pink

Olive

Casting Comparison: 

Part of the Grand Prix series, the U.S. version of the Ford Mark IV has clear windows, an opening rear engine cover, recessed outlines and the interior was mostly available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded.

The Hong Kong version has blue tinted windows, an opening rear engine cover, raised outlines and the interior was only available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded.

Casting Details: 

U.S. Castings found with a brown interior are harder to find and a premium is added to value. Both the U.S. and Hong Kong castings came with an adhesive sticker sheet that included three white circles printed with the number “1” for U.S. castings and a number “5” for Hong Kong and white and black stripes to be placed over the front, roof and rear.   Later castings were produced with a post cast to the engine cover and a stopper cast on the base which prevents the rear engine cover from opening completely. It is believed this was to prevent the engine cover from separating or breaking off from the chassis when opened. There is no premium added to value for this variation.  

U.S.                             H.K.

Red Enamel               Blue

Brown                         Green

Gold                            Red

Lime                            Red Enamel

Orange                       Aqua

Olive                           Orange

Rose                           

Aqua                         

Purple

Light Blue

Blue

Red

Green

Yellow

Casting Details: 

Part of the Grand Prix series, this casting was only produced in Hong Kong and has a blue tinted wrap-around windscreen, an engine with straight exhaust pipes and spoiler mounted in the rear and the interior was mostly available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. Castings found with a tan interior are harder to find and a premium is added to value. Additionally, castings can also be found with a white interior which are rarer then those with tan. Though it appears red is more in abundance compared to other colors a premium is added to value for those with a white interior. Furthermore, some castings can be found with a black painted base, either glossy or flat. For these, there is a premium added to value. A water slide decal sheet was included which consisted of sponsor logos and white ovals with the number “48” for both sides and a white stripe with an oval and the number “48” for the nose. A Hot Wheels logo was factory applied to the right side only and is visible from the blister. 

H.K.

Aqua

Green

Red

Blue

Orange

Purple

Olive

Copper

Brown

Gold Chrome

Casting Comparison: 

Part of the Grand Prix series, the U.S. version of the Lola GT70 has clear windows, an opening rear engine cover, recessed outlines and the interior was only available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded.

The Hong Kong version has blue tinted windows, an opening rear engine cover, raised outlines and the interior was only available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded.

Casting Details: 

Hong  Kong green enamel castings can be found where the outlines are either raised or recessed. No premium is added to value. Both the U.S. and Hong Kong castings came with an adhesive sticker sheet that included three yellow circles printed with the number “10” and yellow stripes to be placed over the front, roof and rear. The stripe for the front has a yellow circle printed with the number “10”.   Later castings were produced with a post cast to the engine cover and a stopper cast on the base which prevents the rear engine cover from opening completely. It is believed this was to prevent the engine cover from separating or breaking off from the chassis when opened. There is no premium added to value for this variation.  

U.S.                             H.K.

Green Enamel           Green Enamel

Brown                         Blue

Red                             Red

Lime                           Green

Orange                       Aqua 

Gold                           Orange

Green                         Copper

Olive                           Red Enamel

Rose

Aqua

Purple

Antifreeze

Blue

Light Blue

Magenta

Creamy Pink

Hot Pink

Casting Details: 

Part of the Grand Prix series, this casting was only produced in Hong  Kong and has a blue tinted wrap-around windscreen, a silver painted vent and the interior was mostly available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. Castings found with a tan interior are harder to find and a premium is added to value. Additionally, castings can also be found with a white interior which are rarer then those with tan. A premium is added to value for those with a white interior. Furthermore, some castings can be found with a black painted base, either glossy or flat. For these, there is a premium added to value. A water slide decal sheet was included which consisted of sponsor logos and black squares with the number “70” for both sides, the nose and the rear. A Hot Wheels logo was factory applied to the right side only and is visible from the blister. 

H.K.

Aqua

Blue

Green

Red

Purple

Olive

Orange

Copper

Rose

Casting Details: 

This casting was only produced in Hong Kong and has blue tinted windows, a forward opening hood and the interior was available in assorted colors in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded. All available colors came with or without a smooth matte black roof. However, those with black roofs are more difficult to find and are valued higher.

Without Black Roof            With Black Roof

H.K.                                       H.K.

Aqua                                     Aqua

Orange                                  Blue

Blue                                       Green

Green                                     Red

Copper                                  Orange

Red                                        Copper

Brown                                   Brown   

Purple                                   Purple

Olive                                     Olive

Casting Comparison: 

Part of the Grand Prix series, the U.S. version of the McLaren M6A has a clear wrap-around windscreen, an opening rear engine cover, clearly defined outlines, vents on the fenders and the interior was mostly available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded.

The Hong Kong version has a blue tinted wrap-around windscreen, an opening rear engine cover, poorly defined outlines, no vents on the fenders and the interior was only available in black in which the dashboard and steering wheel are molded.

Casting Details: 

U.S. Castings found with a brown interior are harder to find and a premium is added to value. Both the U.S. and Hong Kong castings came with an adhesive sticker sheet that included three white circles printed with the number “4”.   Later castings were produced with a post cast to the engine cover and a stopper cast on the base which prevents the rear engine cover from opening completely. It is believed this was to prevent the engine cover from separating or breaking off from the chassis when opened. There is no premium added to value for this variation. 

U.S.                            H.K.

Green                         Blue

Aqua                          Red

Brown                        Green

Orange Enamel        Aqua

Red                            Orange

Gold                          Olive

Olive                         Red Enamel

Orange                     Green Enamel

Antifreeze

Blue

Purple

Rose

Lime

Light Blue

Yellow

Magenta

Light Green

Creamy Pink