Hiya Friends .......Agent Air here ......... if you guys don't mind me talkin Hot Wheels for a while....... I'm into it.
So....... I thought maybe I would try and teach you guys about one of my Passions..... and intern, maybe you can teach me what you know about it.
In the 80's and early 90's Some Hot Wheels cars were manufactured in India under the name of LEO/Mattel. This company was part owned by Mattel. Up until 1999 or 2000 an american company could not own the majority of a business in india. Hence the LEO/Mattel name. Mattel allowed LEO to have access to all of the trademarks/names etc, but they (Mattel) only owned 49% of the business.
These cars were made using original Hot Wheel tools. Before 1998 cars made in India were not sold in the United States because the paint used did not meet US safety standards. Cars made before 1998 varied widely in colors and often used non-sanctioned logos in the tampos. The paint is typically much thicker and the fit of parts is often not very good. Most cars made before 1998 have India stamped on the base in dark blue or purple..... and others have the wrong country of origin or simply a scratched out area on the base. Lots of the india cars were cast in Malaysia, and sent to India. There they were painted and assembled. Classic example...the infamous Barbie Hauler. Everyone thinks it was made in India, but everyone of them clearly shows it was cast (maybe not painted/tampoed/assembled) in Malaysia.
With the new Superfast Matchbox cars coming with the old style Matchbox to keep the car safe being found in stores now, I figured that you may not know that some India Hot Wheels also came with a box. In India...... If the car came in a light blue box, which is similar to the old Matchbox style, it may say the name of the car thats inside the box. It always says on the box that the car inside the box may not be in the box. Also there may be the name of the car stamped on the box in blue or purple. There may even be a small square on the box showing the color of the car that may not be in the box. Confusing?
Let me try that again.... A car comes in a box............. the box says on it what car is in the box......... but it also says on the box......... that the name of the car on the box may not be inside the box. Really the India boxes do say that.
There were many different blister cards used in India...... Standard cards had a red outline, and some were black grid cards, There is a Premium card that was mostly pink...... and Trailbuster cards also.....there is also a card that says Convertibles on it. There are more.
So heres a few pictures.......
FORD TORINO


HERES A SHORT LIST
FORD TORINO
Speed Fleet card
Variation ... red with black and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Variation ... red with black and yellow lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Variation ... dark blue with black and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, black base, basic wheels
Variation ... dark blue with yellow and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Variation ... aqua with dark blue and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Variation ... yellow with black and red lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Premium Card
Variation ... green with black and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Black Top Card
Variation ... 7647 red with "Kerker 5 Dunlop" in yellow on doors, basic wheels
Variation ... blue with Kerker 5 Dunlop" in yellow on doors, basic wheels
Variation ... white with red and yellow flames, black hood scoop, black interior, black grill and base, basic wheels
Notes... Mexico white version has a chrome grill and base
Found Loose
Variation ... light blue with black and white "Fortune" and 959 tampos, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
TURBO MUSTANG COBRA


HERES A SHORT LIST
MUSTANG COBRA
Speed Fleet card
Variation ... dark blue, yellow and white cobra side tampos, white interior, tinted windows, basic wheels
Variation ... dull orange, purple and pink Cobra tampos, basic wheels
Variation ... purple, black and yellow cobra side tampos, white interior, tinted windows, basic wheels
Variation ... gray, black and red cobra side tampos, white interior, tinted windows, basic wheels
Variation ... aqua, black and white cobra side tampos, black interior, basic wheels
DOUBLE DECKER BUS


HERES ONE LOOSE........ real nice detail

HERES MORE... notice the more modern cards..

HERES A SHORT LIST
TOUR BUS... (DOUBLE DECKER BUS)
Variation ... white with red + gray "San Jose", red "Chase", black "Falcon Jet" tampos, yellow interior, basic wheels
Trail Busters card
Variation ... green, with yellow+black "San Jose", yellow "Chase", black "Falcon Jet" tampos, white interior, basic wheels
Variation ... dark blue with yellow+white "San Jose", white "Chase", yellow "Falcon Jet" tampos, white interior, basic wheels
Variation ... red, with yellow+dark red "San Jose", yellow "Chase", black "Falcon Jet" tampos, white interior, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 aqua, "Heart of India" palace in red, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 green, "Heart of India" palace in red, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 light purple, "Heart of India" palace in yellow, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 dark blue, "Heart of India" palace in black, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 red, "Heart of India" palace in yellow, basic wheels
Premium card
Variation ... dark pink, "Heart of India" palace in white, basic wheels
Thanks for listening..... Tell me what you know about it...
I'm interested.
AIR
So....... I thought maybe I would try and teach you guys about one of my Passions..... and intern, maybe you can teach me what you know about it.
In the 80's and early 90's Some Hot Wheels cars were manufactured in India under the name of LEO/Mattel. This company was part owned by Mattel. Up until 1999 or 2000 an american company could not own the majority of a business in india. Hence the LEO/Mattel name. Mattel allowed LEO to have access to all of the trademarks/names etc, but they (Mattel) only owned 49% of the business.
These cars were made using original Hot Wheel tools. Before 1998 cars made in India were not sold in the United States because the paint used did not meet US safety standards. Cars made before 1998 varied widely in colors and often used non-sanctioned logos in the tampos. The paint is typically much thicker and the fit of parts is often not very good. Most cars made before 1998 have India stamped on the base in dark blue or purple..... and others have the wrong country of origin or simply a scratched out area on the base. Lots of the india cars were cast in Malaysia, and sent to India. There they were painted and assembled. Classic example...the infamous Barbie Hauler. Everyone thinks it was made in India, but everyone of them clearly shows it was cast (maybe not painted/tampoed/assembled) in Malaysia.
With the new Superfast Matchbox cars coming with the old style Matchbox to keep the car safe being found in stores now, I figured that you may not know that some India Hot Wheels also came with a box. In India...... If the car came in a light blue box, which is similar to the old Matchbox style, it may say the name of the car thats inside the box. It always says on the box that the car inside the box may not be in the box. Also there may be the name of the car stamped on the box in blue or purple. There may even be a small square on the box showing the color of the car that may not be in the box. Confusing?
Let me try that again.... A car comes in a box............. the box says on it what car is in the box......... but it also says on the box......... that the name of the car on the box may not be inside the box. Really the India boxes do say that.
There were many different blister cards used in India...... Standard cards had a red outline, and some were black grid cards, There is a Premium card that was mostly pink...... and Trailbuster cards also.....there is also a card that says Convertibles on it. There are more.
So heres a few pictures.......
FORD TORINO


HERES A SHORT LIST
FORD TORINO
Speed Fleet card
Variation ... red with black and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Variation ... red with black and yellow lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Variation ... dark blue with black and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, black base, basic wheels
Variation ... dark blue with yellow and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Variation ... aqua with dark blue and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Variation ... yellow with black and red lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Premium Card
Variation ... green with black and white lightning tampo, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
Black Top Card
Variation ... 7647 red with "Kerker 5 Dunlop" in yellow on doors, basic wheels
Variation ... blue with Kerker 5 Dunlop" in yellow on doors, basic wheels
Variation ... white with red and yellow flames, black hood scoop, black interior, black grill and base, basic wheels
Notes... Mexico white version has a chrome grill and base
Found Loose
Variation ... light blue with black and white "Fortune" and 959 tampos, black hood scoop, black interior, basic wheels
TURBO MUSTANG COBRA


HERES A SHORT LIST
MUSTANG COBRA
Speed Fleet card
Variation ... dark blue, yellow and white cobra side tampos, white interior, tinted windows, basic wheels
Variation ... dull orange, purple and pink Cobra tampos, basic wheels
Variation ... purple, black and yellow cobra side tampos, white interior, tinted windows, basic wheels
Variation ... gray, black and red cobra side tampos, white interior, tinted windows, basic wheels
Variation ... aqua, black and white cobra side tampos, black interior, basic wheels
DOUBLE DECKER BUS


HERES ONE LOOSE........ real nice detail

HERES MORE... notice the more modern cards..

HERES A SHORT LIST
TOUR BUS... (DOUBLE DECKER BUS)
Variation ... white with red + gray "San Jose", red "Chase", black "Falcon Jet" tampos, yellow interior, basic wheels
Trail Busters card
Variation ... green, with yellow+black "San Jose", yellow "Chase", black "Falcon Jet" tampos, white interior, basic wheels
Variation ... dark blue with yellow+white "San Jose", white "Chase", yellow "Falcon Jet" tampos, white interior, basic wheels
Variation ... red, with yellow+dark red "San Jose", yellow "Chase", black "Falcon Jet" tampos, white interior, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 aqua, "Heart of India" palace in red, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 green, "Heart of India" palace in red, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 light purple, "Heart of India" palace in yellow, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 dark blue, "Heart of India" palace in black, basic wheels
Variation ... 3291 red, "Heart of India" palace in yellow, basic wheels
Premium card
Variation ... dark pink, "Heart of India" palace in white, basic wheels
Thanks for listening..... Tell me what you know about it...
I'm interested.
AIR



