“Hot Wheels” 50th Anniversary Book from Assouline
An exciting visual exploration of the beloved toy brand’s past, present and future
Chris Down, SVP of Hot Wheels, says it best: “Everybody has a Hot Wheels story.” More than six billion miniature cars have been produced in the brand’s 50-year history. And not only children have adored them, adults covet the products—from iconic race-car driver Mario Andretti to entrepreneur Elon Musk, who went so far as to put a Hot Wheels version of a Tesla Roadster on top of the full-sized vehicle he launched into space in February. To commemorate this half-century of dedication, Assouline is releasing an ode to the die-cast vehicles. And it’s one that die-hard fans as well as casual enthusiasts will appreciate.
The rubber-bound, compact tome offers an inside look at the iconic moments of the world’s number one toy. From private collections to decades’ worth of product development imagery and art from every milestone along the way, the visuals inside the book capture and convey such excitement. They speak to Hot Wheels’ relevance to people of all backgrounds and upbringings—including, as the book points out, Andy Warhol and Team Hot Wheels monster truck drivers.
Hot Wheels are more than just cars and trucks in miniature. In fact, the designers have done more than scale down well-known vehicles; they have applied their imagination to the development of truly unique toys, merchandise, video games and beyond. And with “Hot Wheels,” author Paul Biedrzycki and Assouline make that quite clear.
Officially released mid-August, “Hot Wheels” ($50) is available for pre-order through Assouline now.
Images courtesy of Mattel
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