It's Mean. It's Green. And it's modeled on one of the original die-cast Hot Wheels from 1968. The Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Concept Car, unveiled at the
2011 SEMA show re-creates one of the original Mattel toy car designs from 1968.
above: the original Custom Camaros from Hot Wheels and below: A reissue of the 1968 Classic Custom Camaro Hot Wheels toy.
Inspired by the “Custom Camaro” – the dazzling Spectraflame 1:64-scale toy was part of the original 16 Hot Wheels cars released by Mattel in 1968. The project was a collaborative effort between the General Motors Design studio in Michigan and the Hot Wheels Design studio in California.
The bright green electroluminescent paint was applied by four painters with spray guns while the body of the 2012 coupe rotated on a rotisserie. The result is a chrome finish with ionized metal tinted green like the original Spectraflame finish on the toy.
The reflective finish was created using
Gold Touch Inc.’s Cosmichrome product, starting with the application of a primer coat on an immaculately prepared surface. The primer coat was then sprayed with a liquid-metal solution to create the mirror-smooth, silver-chrome base coat. Afterward, the green tint was applied in several layers until the just-right color effect was achieved.
Here are the concept sketches:
The actual car revealed at SEMA (with an appropriate set design):
The interior:
and the original Hot Wheels Custom Camaro die-cast toy car:
And the new commemorative collector's model of the 2011 Hot Wheels Chevrolet Camaro Concept:
Hot Wheels will offer the above collector’s edition 1:64-scale model based on the full-size Concept. Purchase information is available at
www.hotwheelscollectors.com, as well as the Hot Wheels and Chevrolet Camaro Facebook pages.
It will be the 18th 1:64-scale Hot Wheels Camaro model produced since 1968, all with a variety of colors and configurations. During the past 44 years, literally millions of Hot Wheels Camaro models have been produced.
The original Custom Camaro from 1968 remains one of the most valuable Hot Wheels toys among collectors. That year, Hot Wheels produced all the Custom Camaro models with Spectraflame paint – except for one version in white enamel.
Today, examples of the Spectraflame Custom Camaro in excellent condition can sell for $150 or more. Only 15 white enamel versions are known to exist, and none are in their original packages.
“The value of a white enamel Custom Camaro is upwards of $3,000,” said Holst. “But if one still existed in the package, the value could be tens of thousands of dollars.”
“The Camaro has been a mainstay in the Hot Wheels lineup since 1968,” said Phil Zak, GM design director. “Several generations of car enthusiasts grew up playing with Hot Wheels Camaros, while dreaming of driving the real thing, so this was a once-in a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality.”
Power for the Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Concept comes from an all-aluminum 6.2 liter LS3 V-8 mated to a Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual transmission.
Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Concept features include:
- Over Chrome Green paint with ghosted Hot Wheels logo on the quarter panels
- Satin black ground effects (splitter, rocker and rear fascia-side extensions)
- Satin black wheels with milled face and Torch Red stripe: 20×10-inch (front) and 20×11-inch (rear)
- ZL1 grille with Hot Wheels badging
- Hot Wheels badge on the decklid
- Euro-style taillamps with new inner smoked lens
- Euro-style rear fascia with new diffuser and exhaust bezels
- ZL1 rear spoiler
- Chevrolet Accessories Modified Satin Black Stripe
- Black aluminum “CAMARO” fender badges with milled face
- Black aluminum hood insert with milled hood vent extractors
- Chevrolet Accessories Synergy Series gill decals
- Black leather IP and door inserts with Torch Red accents, and cut-and-sew flames
- Hot Wheels sill plates
- Hot Wheels cut-and-sew embroidered logos in the front seatbacks
- Chevrolet Accessories pedal kit
- Chevrolet Accessories footwell and cup holder lighting (red)
- Brembo brakes: six-piston front with two-piece rotors and four-piston calipers (Chevrolet Official Licensed Product)
- Suspension lowering kit by Pedders (Chevrolet Official Licensed Product)
- Chevrolet Accessories strut tower brace
- Chevrolet Accessories black engine cover
- Chevrolet Accessories exhaust system
images and info from GM.com, EMGcartech and CarBodyDesign
