Mattel & MSCHF Roll Out ‘Not Wheels’ Car That Has Definitely Seen Better Days
Images via Mattel Creations
Mattel’s latest Hot Wheels release is anything but a smooth ride. The toy giant has teamed up with none other than art collective MSCHF to create a car that’s less hot and more “not.”
Dubbed the ‘Not Wheels’ vehicle, this new die-cast model is set to hit the streets on August 30, 2024. It’s a far cry from the sleek, shiny cars typically associated with Hot Wheels. Instead, it pays loving tribute to the beat-up clunkers that many drivers called their first set of wheels.
Image via Mattel Creations
Image via Mattel Creations
Taking inspiration from early 1990s Japanese imports, the Not Wheels car is equal parts charm and chaos with a mismatched set of three wheels—two classic Real Riders tires, a yellow spare, and a rusted wheel hub where the fourth should be. This asymmetry ensures the car won’t be winning any races, but it’s certainly going to turn heads.
Image via Mattel Creations
Image via Mattel Creations
Priced at US$30, the details on this tiny vehicle tell a story of hard driving and amateur repairs. Dents pepper the body, rust creeps along the edges, and a cracked windshield adds to the character. The rear window, caked with grime, bears the timeless plea “WASH ME” scrawled by some phantom finger. Parking tickets flutter from the windshield, while a seatbelt dangles carelessly from the door.
Image via Mattel Creations
Image via Mattel Creations
Also, it won’t roll. It’ll just be parked where you place it, just like the first wheels that now only exist in your memory.
Image via Mattel Creations
Image via Mattel Creations
Image via Mattel Creations
[via Highsnobiety and duPont REGISTRY News, images via Mattel Creations]
