Hot Wheels of the Day
’70 Plymouth AAR Cuda
Hot Wheels Vintage Racing #14/30
RELEASE YEAR: 2011 • CASTING DESIGNER: Phil Riehlman
It shouldn’t surprise any Hot Wheels collector that cars from the Hot Wheels #Vintage Racing line are worth a good chunk of change these days. Pegwarmers from the line will often sell in the $10 to $20 range whereas popular releases such as John Morton’s BRE Datsun Bluebird 510 will sell in the $220 to $320 range.
Back in 2011 when the line was released, many Hot Wheels collectors scoffed at the $5.50 price point. Other premium Hot Wheels lines retailed in the $3.50 range at the time, but this line featured more detail than those lines AND most of the vehicles featured authentic vintage racing liveries that had to be licensed. Between the price point, and distribution issues, the line was pulled from the big box stores before the end of the year making it tough to track down the last couple mixes.
A lot has changed since those days. Equivalent premium cars of today retail for $6.50 and are flying off the pegs. Mattel’s retail distribution has become more steady, but varies depending on the retailer. Distribution through hobby dealers such as 1 Stop Diecast and Jcar Diecast has been top-notch. Starting in 2024, we will see a new, silver-label premium level be released, and in it, the Vintage Racing Club. Those will be more of an expanded basic with exclusive plastic wheels and full detail. In the gold-level premium, we will see the return one the Vintage Racing favorites: Dan Gurney’s #’70 Plymouth AAR Cuda. It will come in Team Transport with a matching hauler.
Since the premium graphics have went from tampo to direct-inkjet, it will vary from the one you see here. In terms of how the 2024 Team Transport release will affect the value of the 2011 Vintage Racing release, it should only add to it.
Color (material): Metalflake Blue (metal)
Chassis (material): Unpainted (metal)
Windows: Clear
Interior: Black
Deco: Dan Gurney’s #48 Plymouth
Wheels: White Real Riders 8-Spoke Wheels w/ Goodyear tampo on tires
Country of Manufacture: Thailand
Toy# (SKU): T8454
ESTIMATED MARKET VALUE (In Original Packaging, December 2023)
$31.13 ▲
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We’ve seen similar situations to this before when Hot Wheels re-releases a popular car. Look no further than the 2011 Vintage Racing: Datsun Bluebird 510. The car was essentially re-released in the 2021 Car Culture BRE 2-Pack. The graphics process had changed so those are different, and it came with different wheels. Collectors were all-over that 2-Pack when it hit Target pegs in 2021, but we saw an increase in value when it came to the original thanks to many collectors deciding they wanted the original to compliment the newer release.
I recently picked up the version you see here for this very reason. Upon researching values, I found that loose cars from the 2011 #Vintage Racing line can often sell higher than packaged ones. That seemed backwards from basically any collectible out there — including Hot Wheels. While conversing with another collector I discovered that the tampos on the left side of the vehicle — the side that faces the blister card — are often damaged due to rubbing. You cannot see this on carded versions and that damage can vary. You can see what I got with the carded version of the Vintage Racing #’70 Plymouth AAR Cuda I bought, below. So if you have a mint version loose, your value can very well exceed the carded value above. Buyer beware! A “mint” carded version may sound more appealing, but if your plan is to open it, you may be better off buying a truly, mint one that is already loose.
Categories: Hot Wheels of the Day
ORANGE TRACK DIECAST 
not fer nuthin, just an observation, I have found while visiting my nascar friends,
that most of them prefer to have their cars loose, if they are the actual cars that the drivers raced.
this is because the packaging adds clutter to their displays, and hinders the visual aesthetic of showing/ displaying the cars.
they dont care to display who made them. because they collect the drivers/ cars.
they will some times display a drivers trading card, or action figure with them, if they came with one.
people that collect real cars, or have a show car, also may prefer to buy their diecast loose, and will aften pay more for them that way too.
value is in the eye of the collector. it is important to remember people value things differently for different reasons.
loose dont necessarily mean less value, if you target those interested in what you are selling
an added addendum to the point of the dan gurney cuda, I have 3 different releases of it, the first was done for the SCCA as a limited edition promo release.
in 1999-2000, it used the convertibles body with a plastic roof insert. it had white 7 spokes, with good year side walls. Dan signed several of them. so, if your lucky you can find a signed one.
the second was done as part of the 100% preferred ” hall of fame” series in 2003, it had the pro racing real riders w/good year, and included a trading card.
the 3rd (shared by brad) was a new casting utilizing a base model (non shaker) barracuda hood.
I look forward to adding the up coming new releases you mentioned brad , and as you mentioned, for those who collect racing memorabilia, the new ones will likely just increase interest in the older ones. thanks.
Thanks, Armataz!
your welcome, as all ways , I’m glad to help.
TAZ
Hope to see Vintage Racing as its own line again, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think we will see it return as a mix in Car Culture at some point. Hopefully sooner rather than later. It needs to happen. Haha.