There’s lots of 1:64 scale Hot Wheels Diecast car collectors out there, and when we see new Hot Wheels Buick Grand National Diecast cars for sale, we simply buy them and add them to our collections.
Not really giving any thought to the process of how they are actually made.
The Hot Wheels (Mattel) factory where they are all produced, is in Penang, Malaysia.
[ but interestingly, the car bottoms all state “Made in Indonesia” which is a different (but near) Country! ]
The steps to mass produce these toy replicas is a multi-part process.
Designs and drawings are created, then fine tuned, then actual diecast prototype units are molded and made.
Usually, there are several of these prototype pieces produced, to physically see how they will look for the final production run of them.
Sometimes minor changes are made along the way to create that perfect HW car.
Color variations, graphic stylings, wheel swaps, etc., are modified to make the best possible versions.
Most of the time, these prototype versions are destroyed once the final design is approved.
But sometimes, they slip out the back door.
(or employees are allowed to have them?)
And sold online, mostly on Ebay.
We found one such seller, who is located in Malaysia, and sells a lot of these prototype pieces.
Maybe he works at the factory, or has a connection there of some type.
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We previously gave you details on the final product for this car, the 2022 Hot Wheels Circle Track 5 Pack Buick Grand National Diecast.
[ you can see it here: HW Circle Track 5 Pack ]
The difference with the car below (the prototype version) is the blue colored 5 spoke wheels (with black tires), while on the final version that was actually released, were tan colored (both the rims & the tires!).
[ we think the blue versions would have actually been the better choice of the 2 ]
This prototype also has different markings on the base (“S15” in the middle, as opposed to “S04” on the released version).
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For todays particular diecast, the seller says about it:
This is an authentic production prototype vehicle directly from the Mattel plant in Malaysia.
There are typically 5-8 prototype variations (GOT 2 TYPE RAW BODY AND PAINT BODY) of a new vehicle engineered with different color interiors, windows, or wheels. Once the final design is approved, the prototypes are often destroyed as they are no longer needed.
This prototype vehicle in this auction was saved from being destroyed since it differs slightly from the chosen design. It is extremely rare as only a handful of prototypes are produced.
This is an actual vehicle created in the production process at the factory.
It will not be created again. It is not a custom car made after the fact, rather a piece used in the manufacturing process at the factory.
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This specific example was already sold a couple months ago, and if you’re curious as to the selling price, it was bid up to $32, plus an extra $13.99 for shipping.
$46 for a pretty rare diecast car sounds reasonable if you’re into out of the ordinary things to add to your Buick diecast car collection.
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