DREAMS OF HAZZARD

Hello Woodsy

Currently on eBay in the US:
Mattel dream mobile hot Wheels dukes of Hazzard general Lee custom.

Terranova47

USA

The 1953 Mattel Dream Car

Hi,

Featured many times on Moonbase, I've just found a very interesting video on You Tube, showing the original 1953 Mattel Dream Car (on which the current Hot Wheels Dream Mobile is based). 

It also shows a couple of other, smaller dream car models of a different style. Really good shots of the car, the removable top, and the friction motor - the car had front wheel drive, which was pretty unusual for 1953. 

The Hot Wheels version is a very accurate copy of the original.

Toy Documentary - Mattel Dream Car - 1953 - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Lime Green Dream Machine

Hi,

I have just picked up the latest version of the Mattel Dream Mobile car from Hot Wheels. This one is a very nice lime green, with silver trim, a chrome base which includes the front bumper and grille, and a red plastic interior.

It is part of the Tooned sub-series. The model has already been released in red in 2020, and turquoise blue in 2021. This Hot Wheels is a miniature version of the first toy car that Mattel made back in 1953. 

That came in four futuristic colours: Red Blaze, Blue Bullet, Chartreuse Dreamliner, and Black Diamond. Staring in to my crystal ball, and muttering weird incantations, I predict that the next version to appear will be black.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

More Dreams: The 1953 Mattel Dream Car on You Tube

Hi all,

Just found a short item on Hot Wheels TV, on You Tube, about the Mattel Dream Mobile. It gives a history of the original Mattel Dream Car from 1953, stock number No.465. 

This was a large plastic toy, 10 1/2 inches long, with a friction motor, and removable 'bomber bubble' top, and originally sold for $1.98. It came in '4 futuristic colors'. These were Red Blaze, Chartreuse Dreamliner (green), Black Diamond, and Blue Bullet. 

The presenter also mentions yellow and ivory (cream). There is a shot of a period Mattel ad, which also appears on the Hot Wheels Wiki entry for this model, from which most of this information is taken. 

Mattel introduced a scaled down Hot Wheels version in 2020 in red, and a blue (really more of a turquoise) version for 2021, which actually appeared in late 2020 - I have already sent you a shot of this on its card [which has already been on the blog].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jyi4XZf_wE

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Stuff That Dreams Were Made Of

Further to my recent coverage of the new Hot Wheels Dream Mobile model, here is a shot of the original toy made by Mattel back in 1953. A pressed steel and plastic toy, it featured a removable bubble to make into a convertible and a friction drive motor. It also came in four colour variants, which I wonder if Hot Wheels will also follow, given that it has produced the red and 'blue bullet' scheme?
 

After my original post, ubercollector Arto sent me this: 

"Your blog post on the new Hot Wheels version of the 50's Dream Car prompted me to dig up these photos of a larger variant made by a Finnish plastics manufacturer in the 1960's. The mould used was most likely the same than that of an earlier Finnish hard plastic knock-off of the Mattel Dream Car. This later version, however, was made of a softer plastic and without the metallic side plates, despite the fact that slots for them are there due to the mould used."

Just goes to show you can't keep a good design down!

SHREDDED WHEAT CARS OF THE FUTURE USA

Hello Woodsy, 

I just came across this book and thought the ad it reproduced might be of interest given the Future Cars featured recently.

Eagle was always ahead of the pack.

Terranova47

USA

NEW ZEALAND HWM HOT WHEELS DREAM CAR

Hi Woodsy

as I mentioned earlier, my first shopping expedition on 16th May, following the move to NZ Level 2, yielded several nice Hot Wheels models. Including a Mattel Dream Mobile like the one you showed just over a week ago. 

Mine was bought at my local Countdown supermarket (they finally had some new stock in) for $3, which is about the same as the UK price of £1.49. The model itself is the same, but my example is on a short card. 

Cards seem to vary from country to country, with NZ mostly having long cards, but Countdown only have short cards. The reduced space means various elements of the design have been rearranged, and in some cases made smaller, compared to the long card. 

The New for 2020 circle has also disappeared.

According to the Hot Wheels Wiki 2020 entry for this model, the original Mattel Dream Car was the first toy car made by Mattel in 1953. This was to 1/24th scale, and had a friction motor. 

The smaller Hot Wheels version is red with silver printed sections, a chrome plastic base and front bumper/grill, and a clear blue canopy. Although it is part of the 2020 range, the copyright date on the base is 2019. 

A very nice little model.

Paul Adams

New Zealand

US ZONE HWN ORIGINAL DREAM CAR

Woodsy,

Here's a piccy of the HWN Dream Car I mentioned. 

Made in US-Zone Germany by Heinrich Wimmer (Nürnberg) ca. 1950. As you may notice, the driver of the car is male but on the box female. 

Way cool!

Arto

CARDED DREAM

Dreams were big and plastic once.

We all wanted a Mattel Dream Car.

In Blue.

or green.

But few of us got one.

Until now!

For £1.49 a Dream Car can be yours.

Mattel Hot Wheels!

Have you got a Dream Car?