Hot Wheels Easter Eggs

SpyDude Tuesday, 12/8/2020

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So how many people are drilling apart cars and finding fun little hidden details inside?  Hot Wheels has a long history of gags on their vehicles. Sponsors, drivers, decals that are just full of information are actually references to the designers or of El Segundo, home of Mattel HQ. All of the details have a backstory somewhere.


One tow truck casting had legendary Hot Wheels designer Larry Wood’s real phone number on the side, and was used instead of a business card - you could actually dial the number on the side of the truck, and Larry would pick up!  (Anything with Larry, L. Wood, or Elwood is a reference to Larry Wood.)


Here’s a short list of the ones I have found or heard about so far.... Please add your own Easter eggs!

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-The MBX hearse has a coffin in the back, with a skeletal hand pushing the lid aside. It also has an engine under the hood.


-The AristoRat has a rat with a wrench in its mouth next to the driver’s seat.


-The Surf’n’Turf has a ukulele on the back seat.


-The Project Speeder has a dog in the back seat.


-The Ataxi Taxi has a cel phone on the back seat, and a tissue box on the rear parcel tray below the window.


-The E-Rod has a rat on the seat next to a pizza.


-The rear of the ‘70 Chevelle station wagon is full of engine parts, including a block, belts, and a loose piston.


-One of the bus castings has a book, a slingshot, and a banana peel on the seats.


-The tooned ‘69 Chevelle has a V-8, nitrous bottles, and complete sound system including battery, amp, and stereo speakers.


-One of the VW Eurovan castings has a man in the back (perhaps on a stretcher).


-Fish’n’Chips has a takeaway on the passenger seat, and one of the rear tray tables is up.


-The trailer license plate from the MBX Wild set reads “CAMPY AF”

(Okay, yeah, sure .... it stands for “Camp Arrow Flint” .... uh huh ....)


-The MBX Dodge Monaco police car has a shotgun on the back seat.


-The MBX ‘75 Caprice has a switch box on the seat for lowrider hydraulics.


-A casting of a 1989 Porsche has a doctor’s stethoscope on the back seat. The doctor who owned the original 1:1 car treated the designer for cancer - this was a nod to the doctor that saved his life.


Not inside, but underneath:

-the Ratical Rod’s engine pan is a wedge of Swiss cheese

-the driveline for the Rodger Dodger 2.0 is a battery with +/- markings


Discussion

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SpyDude 12/12/20

The 2021 Dodge van by Hot Wheels has a full racing go-kart and a couple of spare wheels on rims in the back.  You can see them through the full-length moonroof.

(Credit to Hot Wheels Calgary for this one.)


  • The van was used in the HW METRO series, and on the side of the van it read "HW KART CO." I am pretty sure that they recycled the same casting. Sort of like the '15 Dodge Charder SRT in the HW RESCUE set that says "EMT" on the front, the roof has that double wing shaped sunroof, and so does the same Charger in the "HW RESCUE" series that was yellow and said "RESCUE 7." — LottaSpeedRacing
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RAGTAG_JIM 12/22/20

the 64 nova wagon gasser has foot pedals on the chassis..... but come to find out that nova gasser has to be an automatic lol cause there are only two pedals!?!?!?!


  • Maybe not https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1128837_hyundai-developed-a-manual-transmission-without-a-clutch-pedal — Uncle_Elvis
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TheMakersBox 12/22/20

HW Pursuit has a riffle in the rear behind the driver side (which happend to be right-hand drive).  There are also what appear to be traffic cones on the other side.

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Uncle_Elvis 12/22/20

The fish and chips are in the fishnchipped

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Uncle_Elvis 12/22/20

380SEL has a dog

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KPS_Kustomz 12/30/20

You guys are awesome. I love the Easter Eggs. The Station Wagon Gasser with the Rat on the side has an Anchor in the back. Not at home, so sorry for not able to list the name of it!


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KPS_Kustomz 12/30/20

Thank you for this post...there are so many more! The Ole #5 Firetruck has a helmet on the back deck of it, I think there is a hatchet as well! 

Custom '66 GTO Wagon designed by Larry Woods has a dog in the back window.  This is one of my entries for Nick Deaver's Muscle Mania 2021 American Street class.

It's team mate, the 1970 Chevelle SS Wagon designed by Phil Riehlman, has some engine parts in the back.


  • Thank you for the pictures! The '70 Chevelle was listed easrlier, but I had no pictures, and I did not know about the Goat. — SpyDude

The 2007 Ford transit has some Packages and a Dolly in the back as well as a cat just chilling out. Who'd of thought the cat was in the back of a racing van all this time. I love it!


  • Which casting is this? It is not the current Ford Transit Connect, is it? — TheMakersBox
  • It just says 2007 ford Transit buy it is a matchbox. I forgot to mention that — RoadRunnerRacewayFan
  • That is too cool. — SpyDude
  • That's radio, I love it — KPS_Kustomz
  • I just cracked open a "PepOp & Sons" Hot Wheels Ford Transit Connect, and it has tires in the back, which I don't believe have been visible in any casting to date. — TheMakersBox
  • Love this. Thank you for sharing. Can confirm the Matchbox JC Body & Paint version has the same cat and boxesl — Buddha_Wilbury
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Uncle_Elvis 1/26/21

Not so much an Easter Egg, as he is the driver, but I Believe's alien 


  • Still kind of an Easter egg, so it's allowed. :) Thanks for the picture. — SpyDude
  • That's kind of creepy but its really cool anyway.......at least that's what I Believe :) — RoadRunnerRacewayFan
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SpyDude 1/27/21

The Ford Transit Supervan (aka the McClyde van) has a mid-mounted engine in the cargo area.


  • Rest in Peace McClyde — RoadRunnerRacewayFan
  • Race In Peace. — SpyDude
  • I picked up a couple of the Supervans to play around with. Fun fact: Ford created the Supervan to look like a regular delivery vehicle, but planted the boxy body on a sports car chassis and drivetrain, thus the mid-mounted engine. — SpyDude
  • Race in peace McClyde — Formula_Diecast_Racing
  • Race in peace Mclyde. — Garden_Super_Speedway_Park
  • Race in Peace, McClyde. — StarCorps
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SpyDude 1/27/21

The Matchbox '33 coupe has a flathead engine and a cylinder fuel tank when you pop the rivets.


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