Hot Wheels Toolbox Prototype- 2019

To celebrate their 50th Anniversary, Hot Wheels went on tour, appropriately titled, The 50th Anniversary Legends Tour, in 2018. The mission was to visit several cities across the United States and to select one vehicle to immortalize as a Hot Wheels 1/64th scale die-cast car. They were seeking a vehicle that embodied the sentiment “Wow! That looks like a Hot Wheels.” Most importantly, they wanted to find a never-before-seen design that was “Built, not bought—just like Hot Wheels”, showcasing signs of the elbow grease which exemplifies the very spirit of the build.

Hot Wheels collector and hotrod builder Delton Hubbard of Wallace, SC took on the tour’s challenge. He bought a 1994 Chevy Geo Tracker for $300 and souped it up with a nitrous-fed supercharged V-8, dubbing it “Never Enough”. Bringing his creation to the Hot Wheels Legends stop in Charlotte, North Carolina, his hopped-up Tracker secured him a spot at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) in Las Vegas. There, Hubbard went up against 15 finalists but was ultimately knocked out by the “Two Jet Z” from builder Luis Rodriguez.

The following year, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour expanded to 18 cities from Mexico City to Miami. Hubbard found himself back in the shop with a new outlandish idea. He mused that every hotrod builder needs a good set of tools, so he set out to design a giant toolbox on wheels. His first step was imagining what an actual Hot Wheels Toolbox would look like at 1/64th scale. It needed big tires, a high-flying spoiler, and zoomie exhausts topped with flames. Next, he constructed a full scale model with functioning drawers, in which Hubbard supplied scale-model wrenches. A hydraulic ram was installed to open the top and he finished his machine with a grille dressed in a pattern of die-cut wrenches. As the competition quickly approached, even with all the details and custom paint, the total build took only three months for completion.

During the 2019 Legends Tour, Hot Wheels designers and enthusiasts, including Adam Carolla, Richard Rawlings, Jay Leno, and MotorTrend editor-in-chief Ed Loh, were there to judge. With over 3,600 entrants, Hubbard’s Toolbox was edged out by a customized 1957 Nash Metropolitan. But his Toolbox enjoyed a little fame, appearing on the MotorTrend Channel, and Hubbard still dreams of building a machine that could win the competition to become a quintessential 1/64th scale Hot Wheels die-cast model.

Specifications:
Manufacturer: Delton Hubbard
Country of Origin: USA
Drivetrain Configuration: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine: Chevy S10, water-cooled, 2.8 liter 4-cylinder, 125 hp
Transmission: Manual 5-speed
Top speed: 93 mph
Years Produced: 2019
Number Produced: 1
Cost: Unknown