What's in a name?
Cross-border
trading can be a challenge at the best of times. Exchange rates,
customs hassles and varying delivery times can be daunting to
a novice collector. But before giving up on the idea, consider
the benefits. For example, Mattel periodically releases Hot Wheels
cars in the U.S. that are not called the same thing elsewhere.
Think this is a rare occurence? Think again. Here's a list of
name variations just from 1997:
1997 Hot Wheels Releases
First Editions
No. US Name International Name Wheel Type
#1 Firebird Funny Car Side-Splitter silver 5sp
#2 Ford F-150 - silver 5sp
#3 Excavator Rock Buster® disc
#4 Saltflat Racer - silver 5sp
#5 '59 Chevy Impala - gold wire
#6 BMW Z-3 Roadster BMW M Roadster silver 5sp
#7 Way 2 Fast - silver 5sp
#8 '97 Corvette Corvette '97 silver 5sp
#9 Scorchin' Scooter - -
#10 Mercedes-Benz C-Class - Mercedes C-Class gold wire
#11 1970 Plymouth Barracuda * Not released as a First Edition *
#12 25th Ann. Lamborghini Countach " silver lambo
Phantom Racer Series
#1 Power Rocket - silver 3sp
#2 Power Pistons -
#3 Power Pipes - silver 3sp
#4 Road Rocket - silver 3sp
Heat Fleet Series
#1 Police Cruiser Police silver 5sp
#2 School Bus Bus silver 5sp
#3 Peterbilt Tank Truck Hiway Hauler silver 3sp,5sp,7sp,tri
#4 Ramblin' Wrecker - silver 7sp
Race Team III Series
#1 Hummer - silver triblade
#2 Chevy 1500 ?
#3 3-Window '34 '34 Ford silver 5sp
#4 80's Corvette Corvette '80 silver 5sp, lambo
Speed Spray Series
#1 Hydroplane Hydrojet mini
#2 Street Roader - silver triblade
#3 XT-3 - silver 5sp
#4 Funny Car Side-Splitter silver 5sp
Spy Print Series
#1 Stealth - silver triblade
#2 Alien - silver triblade
#3 Sol-Aire CX-4 - silver triblade
#4 Custom Corvette - silver triblade
Bif! Bam! Boom! Series
#1 Mini Truck Sonic Special silver triblade
#2 Limozeen - silver 5sp
#3 Range Rover - silver offroad triblade
#4 VW Bug Volkswagen silver 5sp
Street Beast Series
#1 Unimog Mercedez-Benz Unimog silver offroad triblade
#2 Jaguar XJ220 - yellow triblade
#3 Blown Camaro -
#4 Corvette Stingray - yellow triblade
White Ice Series
#1 ? Speed Machine silver 5sp
#2 Shadow Jet -
#3 Splittin' Image II - silver 5sp
#4 Twin Mill II - silver 5sp
Dealer's Choice Series
#1 Silhouette II -
#2 Street Beast - silver lambo
#3 Baja Bug - silver 5sp
#4 '63 Corvette -
Quicksilver Series
#1 Chevy Stocker - silver triblade
#2 Aeroflash - silver triblade
#3 Corvette Stingray -
#4 T-Bird Stock Car -
Rockin' Rods Series
#1 Twang Thang - silver 5sp
#2 Ferrari 355 - silver 5sp
#3 Turbo Flame (replaces '56 Flashsider) silver 5sp
#4 Porsche 930 -
Blue Streak Series
#1 Olds 442 - silver triblade
#2 Nissan Truck -
#3 '55 Chevy - silver triblade
#4 Speed Blaster - silver triblade
MISCELLANEOUS
Splittin' Image II - 7sp, orange 7sp, pink UH
Tractor Power Plower silver constr.,triblade
Tractor (green/yellow) Power Plower yellow constr.,triblade
Neet Streeter - basic 5sp
Second Wind - basic 5sp
Sizzlers Turbo Flame silver 5sp
Kenworth Big Rig Kenworth T600 silver 5sp, 7sp, bw, tri
#131 Nissan Hardbody Super Nissan silver triblade
'59 Cadillac - gold wire
Skullrider - silver 5sp
GIFT PACKS
Race 'N' Show
Hot Wheels Crazy Classics
Rescue Transport
Just Trucks
Team Racers II
Farm Country
Police Force
Cars listed in gray were not available
in Canada. Wheel variations are also a common difference between
the U.S. and International releases. There have even been instances
in the past of cars with a wheel variation found only in Canada!
Pity.
|
By:
Vic Prochazka
