Hot Wheels US Postage Stamps

Mike Pigott looks at a fascinating series of American postage stamps that feature classic Hot Wheels cars.

To tie in with the 50th Anniversary of the Hot Wheels range, in 2018 the United States Postal Service issued a set of ten Hot Wheels-themed stamps with pictures of classic models. Each stamp showed a popular car from Hot Wheels’ 50-year history. They were photographed on a strip of orange Hot Wheels track.

All the models chosen were generic cars, except for two which were clearly based on real cars but not named as such. Possibly models of real cars were not used in order to avoid paying royalties to the motor manufacturers. Rather strangely, none of the stamps featured models from 1968; one would expect at least one model from that landmark first year. This may have been because all 12 models from 1968 were either proprietary cars or well-known custom cars. The first model shown was from 1969. Some of the models in the series are obvious choices, as they are among the most highly regarded items in the Hot Wheels range. Others leave me wondering why they were included, as they are not particularly memorable.

THE MODELS ON THE STAMPS

Twin Mill – The earliest model featured is Twin Mill, an original Hot Wheels design first released in 1969. Twin Mill took its name from the pair of big-block engines mounted on each side of its long bonnet. It had a set-back cockpit with a crescent-shaped windscreen, over a rear-set axle. The model is shown in Spectraflame gold finish. Twin Mill was in the range until 1977. A new casting was released as part of the 25th Anniversary series in 1995. Reimagined versions of Twin Mill were produced in 1993, 2008 and 2019.
Rocket-Bye-Baby – Another early model, Rocket-Bye-Baby was first released in 1971, when a large percentage of the range consisted of bizarre original designs. It had a long body with pointed nose and large clear cockpit canopy. Its name came from the large rocket engine mounted on the roof. Early versions featured black plastic air brakes on the sides which opened when the exhaust pipe was extended. The model remained in the range until 1973, although a re-tooled version was produced in 2009.

Rodger Dodger – This was one of two cars on the stamps to be based on a real car, although not named as such. It was a 1974 Dodge Charger with a massive V-8 engine protruding through the bonnet. Initially it was painted purple with red and yellow flames printed across the top. It remained in the range until 1979, but was re-introduced in 2000. Rather strangely, the stamp features a metallic blue example from 2007 which is much less attractive that the original 1974 version.
Sharkruiser – First released in 1987, Sharkruiser was initially part of the spin-off ‘Speed Demons’ range, which were weird animals and creepy-crawlies on wheels. It was shaped like a great white shark on wheels, fitted with a massive engine. Despite being a fairly silly model, it was a big seller and can still be found in shops today.
Purple Passion – Although not named as such, Purple Passion is clearly based on a heavily modified 1949 Mercury coupe. It was initially painted metallic purple with green decals, and fitted with whitewall tyres. Purple Passion became a huge favourite with collectors, and was issued in numerous liveries over the years.Rigor Motor – This horror-themed model was first issued in 1994. It was a dragster fitted with a coffin for a body, gravestone for a grille, and skulls for headlights.
Deora II – While the original Deora from 1968 wasn’t included on the stamps, the reimagined version from 2000 was. This surfing truck had a rounded cockpit and a flat bed with two plastic surfboards.
Bone Shaker – This was an original Hot Wheels design first released in 2006. It was a wild hot rod based on a 1930s coupe fitted with an exposed engine and a skull-shaped grille. A huge favourite with collectors, it has been released in a number of different versions.
HW40 – HW40 was released in 1940 as a 40th Anniversary model for the Hot Wheels line. It was a futuristic sports car with a clear blue windscreen that extended over the bonnet. It was not a particularly notable car and not one I would have included on the stamp set.
Mach Speeder – This is the most recent model to feature on the stamps, first being released in 2018. Mach Speeder is an endurance racer with large front air intakes, and supposedly takes styling cues from a fish. Again, a rather unexciting model and I wonder why it was included, other than to show an up-to-date 2018 model on a stamp.

ISSUE DETAILSAs is common in recent years, the stamps are self-adhesive ‘stickers’ rather than being gummed ‘lick and stick’ types. They are non-denomination stamps with no dollar value printed on them; they are marked ‘USA Forever’, which designates it as a standard inland postage stamp similar to a UK first class stamp (currently this is valued at 50 cents). The Hot Wheels set was issued on a large pane with 20 stamps arranged in four diagonal rows of five stamps each, meaning that a pane featured two of every stamp. Anticipating a high demand from both stamp and model car collectors, the United States Postal Service printed 100 million sheets of Hot Wheels stamps; most stamp issues have an average issue of 40 million.

Admittedly postage stamps are outside most collectors’ usual subject matter, but for Hot Wheels fans they could make a fascinating addition to your collection.

This article first appeared in the January 2020 issue of Diecast Collector Magazine.

Text (C) Mike Pigott 2020.