Iconic Toy Hot Wheels Car Celebrates 50 Years Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

The Hot Wheels Car Turns 50

Iconic toy celebrates star power and more than 6 billion little cars sold

According to Mattel, the average kid in the U.S. owns 50 Hot Wheels cars and ten Hot Wheels cars are sold every second. David Chickering/Mattel . They more than got their wish. Hot Wheels soon became one of the most popular toys in the world, with more than 6 billion sold in the past 50 years. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. According to Mattel, the average kid in the U.S. owns 50 Hot Wheels cars, and 10 cars are sold every second. There are Hot Wheels Collectors Clubs around the country, an annual convention for collectors in Los Angeles — recent online listings included a fluorescent pink 1973 Hot Wheels Mercedes Benz for $1,100 — and a Hot Wheels live-action feature film reportedly in development and set to star Jeremy Renner, 47, of The Hurt Locker.
Sweet 16 group of original Hot Wheels cars. Michael Ventura/Alamy

A few Hot Wheels milestones

1968: The first Hot Wheels car is created: a blue . According to Mattel lore, when designer Elliot Hander saw the first car rolling along the floor, he said, “Those are some hot wheels.” 1979: The company teams with Marvel to create “scene machines” — vans and trucks with comic book heroes inside. 1987: The first Hot Wheels Collectors Convention is held in Toledo, Ohio. 1991: The 1 billionth Hot Wheels car is made. 1995: Mattel releases its limited edition Treasure Hunt models with real rubber tires and fiery paint jobs. With only 10,000 of each produced, collectors love them. 1997: Hot Wheels buys Matchbox. (Bye-bye rivalry.) 2017: Chevrolet releases a full-scale version of the first Hot Wheels car, the 2018 Camaro Hot Wheels Edition. (For $4,995 you can get graphite stripes, a unique grill, embossed headrests and more on the Camaro 2LT and 2SS coupe and convertible models.) AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS