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Volume X, Last Updated March 21, 2007 |  |
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Hot Wheels brings the Firebird
to an even dozen in 40 years |
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Hot Wheels and Pontiac's Firebird pony car have spent the
last 40 years in close association. Unfortunately, for Firebird fans, the
Hot Wheels versions have outlived the real car. The first Hot Wheels hit the toy car worldin 1967, like a Mohammed Ali knock-out punch. The Custom Firebird was one of these original castings and a great favorite. With a jaunty kick to the tail and the trademark side exhaust, it looked as hot as it sold. One curious feature was the lack of a convertible top on this convertible. In 1969, the Custom Firebird casting was re-worked to be offered in the Spoilers series as the 'Light My Firebird'. With it's chopped windshield, open hood and racing meatballs, this made the hot Firebird even hotter. A collector replica of the Custom Firebird but carrying the 'Light My Firebird' name, appeared in a modern boxed set. It has the missing convertible top and better casting detail than the original. Rubber tires, engine detail and quality paint, set this model off. In the 2006 line, Hot Wheels went back and filled in one of the Firebird gaps in their line with a 1969 Firebird Trans-Am. In classic white with blue stripes, the first release looks the best to many. Without doubt, the most impressive Firebird from Hot Wheels is the 1970 Trans-Am casting from 1999, released in a collector set. The hood opens to reveal a painted engine in correct colors. Even the underside of the car is detailed. It is hard to find fault with this model and it shows what the boys at HW can do if they try. The other extreme is the same car, just released for the 2007 line. It looks like the cartoon version of the model shown above. To be fair, this is a $1 regular-line model. Still the huge wheels and rubber-band tires, smoked glass and chromed interior are a far cry from the lovely model done in 1999. One of the most popular Firebird models was the 1977 casting of the T-top Trans-Am. Complete with the 'screaming chicken' hood decal so popular in it's day, this was a huge success in the HW line. It has seen many variations over the years but this black version with the gold wheels is my favorite. Staying with the classic black Trans-Am theme is the 1982 casting of the new generation Firebird. This model is very close to what was seen on the street and was also a big seller with many variations. Four racing Firebirds complete our dozen examples. Hot Wheels did not do a stock Firebird when the last generation re-design appeared in 1992. They waited until 1997 to offer a very nice looking True Value Firebird from the International Race of Champions (IROC). One year later a Pro Stock Firebird was offered in the Hot Wheels line. Including the rear chute and wheelie bars, it has appeared in a variety of colors. In 1977, a casting of a Firebird funny car was offered. The body opens but does not have a brace to hold it open. This same casting appeared later with a Chevy Bow Tie on the nose. The Cal Custom series of the mid-1980's included the pro street Firebird shown here. This casting was not available at that time in the regular line. The windows are chromed and this series featured special wheels. The body and base are diecast. Later, a plastic-bodied version of this same car was offered in hot pink. Few other variations of this casting have appeared. With GM, Ford and Chrysler all back in the pony car business, a new Firebird is certainly possible. If GM decides to give the new Camaro a running-mate from Pontiac, we can bet that Hot Wheels will be at the front of the line to provide a small-scale example. |
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