Reflecting my Hot Wheels Plymouth Barracuda

If you've ever watched car commercials, you've seen cars parked on mirror smooth floors that reflect every detail of the vehicle.  Amazingly, it's very easy to recreate that look when taking photographs of die-cast cars.  Here are a couple of photographs of my Hot Wheels Plymouth Barracuda hot rod.  The mirrored surface is reflects every detail of the Barracuda in this photo.

Hot Wheels Plymouth  Barracuda (front view)

Hot Wheels Photography Secret 

What's the secret?  It's water.  These photos were taken in a car wash bay.  The roof of my car provides a smooth surface with a sheen of  fresh water from the car wash.  While the car wash provides the shade, the  photography lighting is provided by the sun. 

Hot Wheels Plymouth Barracuda (profile view)

Collect this Hot Wheels Car

If you'd like to add a version of this car to your collection, there are several to choose from Hot Wheels Plymouth Barracuda on Amazon.

Hot Wheels Photos: Fast FeLion Baseball Car

 The Fast FeLion is one of the coolest Hot Wheels models.  It has a long hood that conceals what must be a huge engine.  To me, this Hot Wheels design evokes the long, lean, looks of a Jaguar and combines them with a hint of brutish American muscle car.

The menacing front end of the Hot Wheels

The Fast FeLion profile looks positively Jaguar to me.  It's Jaguar done long, long, long.

 

The Hot Wheels Fast FeLion is a long, low, and ready to go!

The rounded rear end also reminds me of Jaguar or perhaps older Lexus.  This Hot Wheels favorite has some curves for sure.

Hot Wheels Fast FeLion (rear view)

When I was a kid, I sometimes thought these custom Hot Wheels were "unrealistic." Now, I know that they truly embrace the dream of car.
 

Hot Wheels Fast FeLion strikes a pose

Collect this Hot Wheels Car

If you'd like to add a version of this desirable car to your collection, there are several to choose from Hot Wheels Fast FeLion on Amazon.

Hot Wheels Photos - Ford GT-40 Hits the Highway in Georgia

If you haven't watched the movie, Ford versus Ferrari, then you are definitely missing out.  It's a great film.  The star of course is the Ford GT40.  It was designed to take the Grand Prix racing championship away from Ferrari after Ford's offer to buy the venerable Italian sports car manufacturer was spurned rather rudely.  While the actors are great, one star of the show is the Ford GT 40 itself.  I'm pretty sure that I could never fit in one of these little race cars.  But, thanks to Hot Wheels, I do have one in my car collection!

Hot Wheels GT40 Race Day Series Car for 2020

This Ford GT 40 is from the Hot Wheels HW Race Day series for 2020.  It's car 8 of 10 of the series and 35th model of the 250 car Hot Wheels models for 2020.

Hot Wheels GT40 Top View

This model features the famed Gulf Oil livery that has appeared on some of the most epic cars in motor sports.  It's a combination that looks good coming or going.

Hot Wheels GT40 Front View

This model is much like the GT40 that raced in the 24 hours of Daytona in 1968.  Piloted by Jackie Ickx and Brian Redman, the car did not finish the race.

Hot Wheels Rear View

Taking a pose at a rest stop on a Georgia highway, this model looks great against the background of endless Georgia farmland.

Hot Wheels GT40 profile view

If you are collecting cars that made an impact in racing history, you'll want to add a Ford GT40 to your collection.

Collect this Hot Wheels Car

If you'd like to add a version of this desirable car to your collection, there are several to choose from Hot Wheels Ford GT40 on Amazon.

Hot Wheels Photo: C3 Corvette Stingray

I got this Chevy Corvette C3 in a Hot Wheels multi-pack.  It's a cool looking car with a metal base and all plastic body.  For some reason, the all plastic body of this Hot Wheels car concerns me, but I'm totally cool with the fiberglass body of a real Corvette C3.

Hot Wheels C3  generation Corvette looking a little tropical.

Hot Wheels Photography Tip:  Sunglasses and a few trees in the background give this Vette photo a tropical feel.  Amazingly, I didn't even have to travel to Aruba to take this photo!

Collect this Hot Wheels Car

If you'd like to add a version of this desirable Corvette to your collection, there are several to choose from Hot Wheels C3 Corvette on Amazon.

Hot Wheels Photo: HW Dream Mobile at the Atlantic Theater

 One interesting addition to the Hot Wheels line up for 2020 is the Hot Wheels Dream Mobile.  It is part of the 10 piece Hot Wheels Dream Garage collection.  It brings a retro futuristic look to the collection with the optimistic looks of the 1950s.  The 1960s vintage Atlantic Theater in Atlantic Beach, Florida, makes a great backdrop for this design.  It looks like this model car was made to visit this theater!

The Hot Wheels Dream Mobile at the Atlantic Theater

Amazingly this retro look comes from the very first Mattel toy car design.  According to the Hot Wheels Wiki, the design of the Dream Mobile is based on a 1953 Mattel design for a 1/24-scale friction powered toy car.

The Front Grill of the Hot Wheels Dream Mobile

I love the bubble top, the trunk portholes, and the toothy grin of this model.  It's a throwback to a forward looking time and, frankly, in these times, I love the optimism!

Collect this Hot Wheels Car

If you'd like to add a version of this desirable car to your collection, there are several to choose from Hot Wheels Ford GT40 on Amazon.

Hot Wheels 1976 Greenwood Corvette

The mid-1970s were not good for muscle cars.  High gas prices, gas lines, and emissions standards all conspired to limit the horsepower of cars like the Chevrolet Corvette.  But, the race track was another matter.  John and Burt Greenwood took a specially designed wide-body Corvette to the racetrack and showed the world that the Corvette could still be world class.

Hot Wheels 1976 Greenwood Corvette

If you'd like to read more on the history of these fantastic racing Corvettes, check out this Road & Track article:  The Greenwood Corvettes were Star-Spangled Endurance Champions.

Hot Wheels 1976 Greenwood Corvette

My Hot Wheels Volkswagen Käfer Racer

This is my Hot Wheels Volkswagen Käfer Racer.  In yellow, it's a fantastic little car that really stands out in any Hot Wheels collection.

Hot Wheels Volkswagen Käfer Racer.

Amazingly, according to the Hot Wheels Fandom site, this car was inspired by real life race cars that competed in the Fun Cup, custom V-8 Volkswagens, and a Porsche race car.

In my night time photographs, I like the way this Hot Wheels combines whimsy and menace in one little package.

Hot Wheels Volkswagen Käfer Racer.

Hot Wheels Photography Tip: 

If you want your car to look like it would in a well-lit parking lot, take your photo in a well-lit parking lot.  Streetlights provide awesome lighting for Hot Wheels photography.

Hot Wheels Chevy Corvette C7 Z06

Here's my mid-life crisis car--a Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06.  Against the backdrop of brilliant red, it looks like it's out on the town and racing towards excitement.  With a 650 horsepower V-8, this 'vette should get there plenty fast.

Of course, this Hot Wheels Corvette is a tad small to serve as a mid-life crisis car, but then I've always found real Corvettes to be a tight squeeze so it works out.

So where was this Corvette off too? What was its exciting destination? I'll reveal a Hot Wheels photography secret.  There was no fancy backdrop.


This little Corvette was headed to the drive thru window at my local Wendy's one evening when I took these shots.  The walls that serve as a backdrop are merely the exterior walls of a newly remodeled Wendy's fast food restaurant.  The lighting was from streetlights nearby.  When you hit a fast food joint with a $1 Hot Wheels car in your pocket, you don't have to worry about burger or fry grease.

The Butterfly and the Barracuda: Hot Wheels Barracuda Hot Rod

Sometimes you have to take advantage of beauty when it presents itself.  For example, this butterfly  came to visit when I was hosing off my car.  It seemed to enjoy the damp pavement and cool water so I took the opportunity to take a photo of the butterfly with my Hot Wheels Plymouth Barracuda hot rod. 

Since I don't have much of a budget to hire models to pose with my cars, I let this model take a quick spin to show off.

For the real thing, check out this hot rod Plymouth Barracuda on Youtube!

My Hot Wheels Bone Shaker pickup

I recently had a chance to take my Hot Wheels Bone Shaker pickup out on the town.  It's definitely one of the best looking out of the box Hot Wheels cars.

It's no wonder that the Bone Shaker has captured the imagination.  It's been brought into the Forza Horizon 3 video game universe as shown here:

I took my Bone Shaker hot rod down to the Tire Shop and saved $1000 on tires when it was revealed that a 99 cent die-cast car has plastic wheels and tires that never need to be changed.

While I think it looks great as a car that fits in the pocket, the Hot Wheels Bone Shaker has also been recreated for real life car collections.  This article on Sunset Garage covers a real life version of the car.

Hot Wheels Speed Graphics 1968 Chevy Nova - Gulf Oil Livery

The 1968 Chevy Nova SS packed a 350 cubic inch V-8 or optionally a 396 cubic inch V-8 that generated up to 375 horsepower. When properly sorted, the Nova is a contender.  There are plenty of hot rods soldiering on at drag strips all over the country.  It's a great car for Hot Wheels to model.

Hot Wheels '68 Chevy Nova

This Hot Wheels Speed Graphics 68 Chevy Nova is car 7 out of 10 in the Speed Graphics line.  The car simply looks beautiful in the setting sun.

While I haven't seen any evidence that Gulf Oil sponsored a Chevy Nova on the tracks, this car is definitely evidence that a Chevy Nova would have looked great in the livery.

HW '68 Chevy Nova - Gulf Oil Colors

From any angle this Nova is a fine looking model, it's a great addition to any Hot Wheels collection.

Hot Wheels '68 Chevy Nova (rear view)

Hot Wheels Baja Blazers 1987 Dodge D100 Mopar

It looks like we'll get to go outside again soon. In the meantime, here's a Hot Wheels Baja Blazers Dodge D100 truck that is fully equipped to make the most of the great outdoors.

Hot Wheels '55 Chevy Nomad "Speed Shop"

Here's a new Hot Wheels 1955 Chevy Nomad with "Speed Shop" decals striking an after midnight pose in North Florida just blocks from Jacksonville Beach.

Hot Wheels: 1964 Chevy Chevelle

This little Hot Wheels car has captured my photographic attention lately.  It is a Hot Wheels '64 Chevy Chevelle SS, specifically the 2019 Speed Blur 10/10 [Teal] 62/250 edition. It's a nice looking retro car with a powerful engine rising from the hood. Here are a few photos that I've taken of it lately.

Hot Wheels:  1964 Chevy Chevelle

Here it is on the cover of Once upon a WolfPack, an anthology of short stories put together by The WolfPackAuthors, a group of up and coming writers.  As an introduction to these writers, the book is free here for Amazon Kindle. You can follow them on twitter at #WolfPackAuthors.

One thing that I like about this car is the chrome grill.  It's got an old time shine.

Hot Wheels 2019 Speed Blur 10/10 Chevelle SS

This die-cast car definitely looks good when it has a moment in the sun.  The red lines around the tires really contribute to the retro look.

Hot Wheels 2019 Chevy Chevelle SS

[2025 Update:  Amazingly as of August 2025, you can still go here to Amazon for the Hot Wheels 2019 Speed Blur Chevy Chevelle SS.]

My Hot Wheels RocketFire

This is or was my Hot Wheels RocketFire.  I donated some of my collection to charity due to an upcoming move.  If you are looking for a wild silver Hot Wheels car with orange wheels, some sort of red powerplant, and huge yellow rocket motor hanging off the back, this is your car!

This is a crazy looking Hot Wheels car with personality in spades, but I figured that this is just the sort of car that should really be in a kids toy box somewhere.

Apparently, this #8 car races on the volcano circuit.  It figures because it looks hot!  The silver body looks molten!

Hot Wheels 1952 Chevy Truck

This is a classic Hot Wheels 1952 Chevy Truck.  It's got great wheels and looks good in any parking lot!  The livery on the side is for Hot Wheels Hot Rod Shop.

According to the Hot Wheels wikia, this little truck came as part of a 2011 HW Hot Rods 5-pack.  Once again, I would have never found it without them.  It's a great page!

Hot Wheels Corvette Grand Sport Roadster Takes On A Ferrari

Here's a photo of my Hot Wheels Grand Sport Roadster leaving a Ferrari behind like it was standing still.  Okay, the Ferrari was standing still.  But, a guy can dream!

My Hot Wheels Corvette Grand Sport Roadster Takes the Lead!

I love to find something interesting for the background of a Hot Wheels photo.  In this case, someone was kind enough to leave a real Ferrari in a parking lot!

Hot Wheels Chevy Nova

Here is a my rather bad ass looking Hot Wheels Chevy Nova.  It's a premium model car for sure.  I made this photo using a small chalk board as a surface and trying to scale the car to the real street in the background.

Hot Wheels Shelby Cobra 427

This is my Hot Wheels Shelby Cobra 427.  The Cobra is one of my favorite cars because it combines beautiful European bodywork with American muscle.  It's an iconic American car.  Here is a Car & Driver road test of a 1965 Shelby 427 Cobra.  This 1965 model had an improved handling package to allow it to keep the horsepower of a 427 cubic inch V-8 on the road.

Hot Wheels Shelby Cobra 427

Hot Wheels 1978 Pontiac Firebird

Nothing epitomized the late 1970s and early 1980s more than the Pontiac Trans Am.  It was the car of Smokey and the Bandit and of hairy-chested guys with medallions everywhere!  So, get your medallion and get ready to roll, 1970s style! Here's our ride.  It's my 1978 Pontiac Firebird from Hot Wheels just pulling out of the mechanic's garage.

Hot Wheels 1978 Pontiac Firebird

Hey man, is that Freedom Rock, well crank it up!

They must of details the car while it was in the shop, because it is looking fine.  You can almost hear the rumble of the big V-8!

Hot Wheels 1978 Firebird

Let's rumble by the photographer for another pass.  Does this side make us look good!  Let's peel out into traffic!

1978 Pontiac Firebird

Oh man! It's the law! What a bummer!

Pontiac Firebird Pulled Over