Hot Wheels origins began in 1968 through the toy company Mattel. The die-cast toy cars were originally made to represent real-life vehicles, scaled to fit in the palm of your hand. As the popularity of the toy cars spread, so did the versions of vehicles that came off the production line. Some were on point while others clearly missed the mark.
One of the early concept designers for Hot Wheels was Larry Wood. He worked for Ford during a four-year stretch before signing on with Mattel. Most of the Hot Wheels cars you grew up playing with were likely designed by Larry Wood. Despite his brilliance in recreating real cars to scale, Wood had a few flops along the way. Once he even put his actual phone number on the side of a tow-truck, under the name Larry’s 24-Hour Towing. As you can imagine, the phone calls began almost immediately, forcing Larry to change his home phone number.
Hot Wheels has always been on the cutting edge regarding designs and creativity. They once somehow got their hands on the plans for the 1968 Custom Corvette, which they released several days before the real one did. Causing quite a controversy between a toy maker and General Motors.
Despite the astounding success behind Hot Wheels, the company has signed off on and produced more than a few strange, ugly, poorly built, and flat out weird cars over the last half-a-century. From cars designed to reflect characters within our favorite movies to a series that was discontinued because it was deemed inappropriate, here are 25 of the worst Hot Wheels cars ever made.
26 Googly Eyes
This might look like a modern hipster mobile, but it’s actually a licensed Hot Wheels car for Maz Kanata. Listed as the exclusive vehicle within the Heroes of the Resistance 5-Pack, the car is a collaboration between Disney and Hot Wheels.
The googly eyes are the car’s headlights and are supposed to resemble Maz’s glasses, making it the front of the car — not the rear. Unlike the DC Wonder Woman car, Maz’s looks like it was haphazardly put together by someone living in a junk-yard.
Believe it or not, but Hot Wheels has an entire line of Star Wars, Marvel, and DC crossover cars. Some are cool, but others like the Maz Kanata car fail to catch the essence of the character. Maz isn’t a hipster, she’s a slick (and deadly) businesswoman.
25 Anime Taxi
Based on the Toyota Crown Comfort, the Time Attaxi is a wild interpretation on taxis normally found in Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Like a mutant out of an anime, this taxi had so much potential to be cool but drew the short end of the straw. This Toyota Crown is modified with an external front-mounted oil cooler, along with a bullet-style racing mirror and a normal mirror.
At least the steering wheel is on the left side.
Designed by Jun Imai, the fins on the back are meant to act as a spoiler. It also has an awkwardly large engine protruding out from under the front hood. The Hot Wheels Time Attaxi was featured in a special event titled Need for Speed: No Limits.
24 Fore!
This wild golf cart is off the hook. From the obnoxious engine to poor color combinations. Originally called Tee’d Off, this Hot Wheels item was released in 1999. It is now known by the name Fore Wheeler. Designed by Nathan Proch, the car can double as a golf tee due to the divot placed on top of the engine’s air cleaner.
The purple, silver, and green screen on the hood read Miller CC Country Club. There’s also a small logo in yellow with the letters HW within it. We’re not sure who would actually use this golf cart (possibly Trump), but it would be an interesting concept for a golf course off-road race video game. Hit the gas on this creation, and there won’t be much of a single green or sand trap left unturned.
23 Breakfast Is Served
No, you can’t put real toast in it. But the handle moves down, prompting the plastic pieces of bread to fall further into the truck. Upon flipping the handle up, the fake toast will resume its original position. Produced in 2017 as part of the Legends of Speed line, Roller Toaster was designed by Ryu Asada.
According to Asada, the concept for the Roller Toaster came from the “24 Hours of Lemons in his mind (a play on the 24 Hours of Le Mans race).” Ryu states he “imagined race car drivers getting their car from the junkyard and adding wings and pigtails.” One morning while eating breakfast he thought, “Hmm, what if I put the wheels on a toaster?”
Not sure how the Le Mans race plays into that, but we give Asada props for effort and mind-enhanced creativity.
22 Snaggle Fang
The Fangster began its series run back in 1986 and is surprisingly still being produced today. Originally it was part of the Speed Demon line, before crossing over into the Race World Underground, Hot Wheels City Street Beasts, and Dino Rider lines.
Beasts having jacked up teeth must be a thing.
There’s even a chrome Fangster. While possibly appealing for parents as stocking stuffers, the Hot Wheels community ranked the Fangster as one of the worst castings in the history of the toy company. There are even rumors suggesting the dental industry promotes its sales as a subliminal way to get kids into a dental office. While unlikely, there’s no denying that the Fangster didn’t have a lot of creativity put into it.
21 Jacuzzi Trouble
Inspired by another Hot Wheels car further down on our list, the Hot Tub was introduced through the 2006 First Editions line. The concept is brilliant, but the execution turned it into more of a joke. Designed by Mike Nuttall, the Hot Tub Hot Wheels car has a car seat fitted directly into the Jacuzzi. The Hot Tub comes in a variety of colors, including ones where the water is green instead of blue, or the base is brown, and the water is white.
The steering wheel is half underwater and it looks a bit full to be driving. But we fully admit that having this as an actual Jacuzzi would be pretty tight. As a collectible first editions Hot Wheels car, not so much.
20 Out Of Orbit
The Jetsons Capsule Car was released in 2013 for all of us nostalgia geeks. It is meant to be based off George Jetson’s aerocar that resembles a flying saucer with a transparent bubble top. The only unfortunate part was that Hot Wheels gave it, well wheels.
It’s a flying saucer, not a car.
Models exist (for roughly the same price) of the actual Jetsons suburbia flying saucer and it seems Hot Wheels wanted a piece of the pie. The Jetsons Capsule Car is part of the Hot Wheels City Tooned II line and is still in production today. The clear disc covering doesn’t open, and the clear tires give it a cheesy appearance that doesn’t look very futuristic. But in all fairness, the original art concept for the car was created back in the early 60s.
19 Chrome Overload
If you were filthy rich, would you drive a car like this? Meant to resemble a Bentley or a Cadillac, the Unobtainium 1 is supposed to be the luxury car of the future. Unobtanium (notice the slight spelling difference) is a metal from general Science-fiction (and Avatar).
The “chrome” on this Hot Wheels car is supposed to be a version of Unobtanium, or so we think. While the hood looks tight, the detailing on the side wasn’t included in the initial budget. There is a gold version of this Hot Wheels car that looks much better, produced in 2007 as part of the Gold Rides edition.
18 Flop, Flop, Peck
Released shortly after the popularity of the mobile video game Angry Birds hit full tilt, Hot Wheels quickly partnered up with Rovio Entertainment (developers of Angry Birds), releasing a wide variety of cars and tracks. Some kits were priced extraordinarily high. In what seemed like two decades ago as opposed to one, Angry Birds has become more of a novelty item now. Which has led to a resurgence in sales.
Heck, there was even an animated film titled Angry Birds Movie, released in 2016. Despite being trashed by the Hot Wheels community — our geekiness is drawn towards these against our better judgment. The casting is super cheap, but either one would look good on a shelf with other memorable collectibles. Don’t play with them though, or they’re likely to fall apart.
17 Fire Or Rescue
Released in 2010 as part of the Race World City line, the 5 Alarm Hot Wheels firetruck has thankfully improved over time. Designed by Kevin Cao, he took an engine off a military tank while giving it some supercharged twists. It comes complete with a side exhaust, safety tools, and even a ladder that moves up and down.
The foundation is metal with orange, yellow, black, and white tampos. Unit 6 and Rescue are written on each side. On this particular model, the decals often come under criticism along with the ladder. In later models, each of these issues was adjusted, making the 5 Alarm a much better Hot Wheels vehicle. While this Hot Wheels firetruck will arrive on the scene first, it’s unclear whether it might burst into flames itself.
16 Total Wreck
Hot Wheels tracks are known for bringing about the excitement of seeing your cars race around. But the peak of that emotional experience is when the cars happen to cross, crashing at top speeds. Because of this phenomenon, there’s a whole sect of collectors who create Hot Wheels cars and trucks that have been made to look like they were in an accident. One of the most popular tracks for crashing cars is the Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash Track Set, selling at a retail price of a whopping $99. The artist behind this trucks destruction is unknown, but the work is impressive. Between the dented cab hood and the smashed front end, this truck was hit hard. Maybe Hot Wheels will create a junkyard set, including a vehicle compactor.
15 Smallville
Tractors have a certain appeal that young kids can’t ignore. For those who grew up in the 80s, the movie Footloose (starring Kevin Bacon) took tractors to a whole new level through the deadly game of chicken. Although the tractors used in Footloose were likely only going 10 to 20 miles per hour tops.
Imagine playing tractor chicken with this rig.
Known as the Dragtor, the beefed-up tractor was released in 2008 and is still currently in production. Designed by Jun Imai, this everyday piece of farm equipment was given hot-rod elements. The hood of the casting is hinged which allows it to open, allowing one to see the entire engine which has Hot Wheels Farm Co. embossed on it. Making this tractor ideal for country drag racing.
14 Wienermobile
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has long been trashed for looking like a deviant toy, likely because of the shape of a hot dog. But none-the-less, there seems to be an appeal for this product that still boggles the mind. Created in 1993 and running until 2010, the Wienermobile was designed by Harry Bradley.
Despite the chrome silver series II model, very little has changed since it was first released. The real Wienermobile might draw attention, but the Hot Wheels one looks like two toy factories got their wires crossed. Making this vehicle even more absurd is how the hot dog curls up towards the rear. Hot dogs split when they cook, not curl — but hey, it’s supposed to be all about aerodynamics. Either way, there’s no denying this Hot Wheels vehicle is disturbing.
13 Captain Cruise
Rumor has it that the name Hot Wheels was inspired from an individual saying, “Now that’s some Hot Wheels,” while looking at an El Camino. The first Hot Wheels ever made were designed by Elliot Handler, of which his first casting included a dark blue Custom Camaro.
The El Camino inspired Mattel to name their toys Hot Wheels.
While tricked out El Camino’s have the potential to look amazing, this casting isn’t paying much tribute towards its namesake. The El Camino was supposed to be a sports car in the front, and a truck in the back (much like a mullet haircut in reverse). This model is more suburban in the front and low rider spinner in the back. It’s like the soccer mom version of an El Camino
12 Bowels Out
Released in 1998 and canceled in 2004 for being too inappropriate for children, the Hot Seat is a toilet car. It is a giant-sized toilet on wheels. The steering wheel is as it seems, a giant plunger, and the rear of the car is made from various Hot Rod parts. Next to it is another toilet version called the Gotta Go Truck. It features a giant toilet being hauled awfully close to the cab.
The driver is supposed to sit in the bowl, not on the actual seat.
The concept of the Hot Seat was supposed to be comical, but parents got their pants in a bunch over it during the early 2000s and the line was discontinued. It’s obviously obnoxious but in a fun and creative way. We’re still not sure why the seat is padded if the rider is supposed to sit in the bowl.
11 Full Speed Ahead
The Golden Submarine as described by Hot Wheels “is based on a custom car re-imagined from an early twentieth century streamlined race car designed and built in 1917 by Fred Offenhauser and Harry A. Miller for Barney Oldfield.”
Why does it have the same curled end as the Wienermobile?
Imagine that at one time this is how folks thought the cars of the future would look. Thankfully, submarines are out because we don’t know anyone who would want this car sitting in their garage or driveway. Produced only during the 2010 year, without a designer attached to the car, the Golden Submarine is awkward and ugly. Perhaps the designer was a big Beatles fan? Either way, the Golden Submarine line ended as soon as it began, which is probably a good thing.
10 Moon Travel
Featuring a vehicle with an enormous windshield and a rocket on the hood is the Rocket Bye Baby. It first debuted in 1971 and was designed by Bob Lovejoy. The original Rocket Hot Wheels car featured black plastic air brake, or intake ducts, on the sides which opened when the rear exhaust pipes were pulled out. The car also came specially packaged with a plastic collectors button.
Some versions of the original Rocket Bye Baby have a metal fatigue called Crumbling where the body or chassis develops cracks and literally crumbles into pieces.
Shell gas stations handed out the Rocket Bye Baby as a promotional item in 1973. These versions had enamel paint instead of spectraflame paint, along with the side intake ducts and exhaust being removed. The 1973 versions are very rare, often found in extremely poor condition.
9 Woo-Hoo!
Any fan of The Simpsons should recognize this crazy car almost immediately. Given the name The Homer, due to the original design coming from Homer Simpson, Hot Wheels attempted to recreate its glory in 2014. The Homer is a part of the Hot Wheels City Toon II series and was designed by Manson Cheung
The Homer was Homer Simpson’s dream car.
In the cartoon The Simpsons, Homers car features two bubble domes, separating the driver from quarreling kids (optional restraints and muzzles were featured in the cartoon). It comes with three horns, each playing La Cucaracha. Other features included giant cupholders, shag carpet, and a metal bowler as a hood ornament. In addition to the Hot Wheels casting copy of The Homer, a real one was made too.
8 Evil Insecticides
Included in the Speed Demon line was another atrocious Hot Wheels car named Eevil Weevil. And yes, evil has two letter E’s in it. Production first began back in 1986 and was designed by Larry Wood. Various versions of the Eevil Weevil were made, featuring color changes in the eyes and the body of the car.
Despite being ugly, some collectors enjoy having the Speed Demon line, driving the price of these cars up over time. An Eevil Weevil can be found on eBay anywhere from $8 up to $20. Meant to look like a scorpion on wheels, the Eevil Weevil looks exceptionally atrocious with pink eyes and a blue casting body. But hey, bugs are cool — right?
7 Solar Speed
Designed by Phil Riehlman and produced with the 2007 New Models of Hot Wheels, the Solar Reflex is supposed to be the future of solar-powered cars. We’re not sure why the passenger is separated from the driver, or why each has a bubble over their head. But for those who ride alone or hate their passengers, this might be an ideal vehicle.
For the high-end Solar Reflex model, it featured chrome, gold, and blue solar panels. This version, however, is just the basic one featuring a blue plastic casting. Energy efficient cars (including solar) have come along way since 2007, but for the rich bachelor, the Solar Reflex might be exactly what they were looking for all along. Or perhaps NASCAR will adopt it one day as a starting car.
