Hot Wheels are among the world’s most popular toy vehicles. So, what are Hot Wheels made of? Is one made out of metal and one out of plastic? What’s a budget-friendly option that can still satisfy your needs?
This article will discuss what kind of material is used to make Hot Wheels and why each option is suitable for specific consumers.
Hot Wheels are made of metal and some plastic. The metal is called Zamac because it is an alloy made by mixing zinc & aluminum. It can also be called white metal or pot metal.
The Zamac is usually made in small quantities, either to recycle or make them not completely worthless. Either way, the Zamac is discarded after the toy car is created.
The plastic used to make Hot Wheels is injection molded, which means it’s taken from a stock of plastic materials. The material used and the design on it can vary from year to year, but generally, each series has at least a few consistent designs.
The metal bases were used in the company’s early days, but Mattel switched to plastic bases due to their cost. The majority of castings now have plastic bases, except for some castings in the mainline.
The Hot Wheels Track Stars line are all die-cast metal cars on plastic bases. However, some Hot Wheels collectors will opt to buy the metal versions of certain cars because they’re seen as more collectible.
The most collectible to date is the Treasure Hunts series, which aren’t sold in stores but in exceptional cases at major retailers.
Hot Wheels: Which Material is Better?
If you’re searching for a high-quality toy, Hot Wheels cars are the best option. However, choosing between metal and plastic is not easy.
Plastic is less expensive but tends to break easily. On the other hand, metal is more expensive but is durable and lasts much longer than plastic cars. However, there are some disadvantages in metal cars too: they scratch easily and rust after extended use.
So, all in all, a metal Hot Wheels car is a good choice for anyone who wants to enjoy long-lasting fun.
If you’re planning to keep your toy cars for a long time, either one of the materials would be fine. However, if you plan to use the toy only once or twice and then throw it out or give it away to your child’s friend, plastic might be the best choice.
You can always just buy a few of both and get the benefits of both to see which you personally like better.
If you own both you can learn a little more about what Hot Wheels are made out of, and you can easily choose which would be better for you.
What’s The Difference Between Metal And Plastic Hot Wheels?
When looking at Hot Wheels that are metal or plastic the question becomes what the main difference is (besides the different materials)
Besides the materials used there really isn’t much difference between metal and plastic Hot Wheels except the price.
Typically the older Hot Wheels cars are made of metal (or newer collectible ones) which means they will also be more expensive.
If you are a collector, you can’t go wrong with the Hot Wheels cars that are metal. As mentioned before, they will be more durable and last longer than the plastic cars. However, if you want something to play with for a few days or weeks, then plastic would be more suitable for you.
I think both of them are great options that are made of quality materials so really it just comes down to how you plan on using them.
Metal has a better looking finish while plastic looks decent but just doesn’t have as much shine and beauty. The metal Hot Wheels car should be quicker to clean, but you do have to be extremely careful not to damage the paint or metal finish.
Cleaning a plastic Hot Wheel is easy, but if it’s scratched, you have to scrub very hard to get the scratch out, and you’ll probably end up with a shiny finish there.
10 Facts About Hot Wheels And Their History
Here are ten facts about Hot Wheels that you might not know!
1. Metal Hot Wheels are made of heavy Zamac and can also be called white metal or pot metal. The Zamac is usually made in small quantities, either to recycle or make them not completely worthless. Either way, they’re discarded after the toy car is created.
2. Plastic Hot Wheels are injection molded, which means they’re taken from a stock of plastic materials. The material used and the design on it can vary from year to year, but generally, each series has at least a few consistent designs.
3. The castings in mainline Hot Wheels often have plastic bases. However, some castings in the Track Stars line use die-cast metal bases.
4. The Treasure Hunts series of toy cars are made of die-cast metal and plastic parts and are the most collectible to date.
5. Collectible Hot Wheels are made for collectors, and some are rare enough to be deemed valuable.
6. Most of the Hot Wheels cars in mainline, well, at least the design used in that year, is designed by a fan. All rights of the Hot Wheels car designs belong exclusively to Mattel. Still, on occasion, toy car designs have been copyrighted and sold as collectible items under the name of their original artist.
7. Toy cars can be customized by painting, stickers, and windshield decals and putting the logo on them.
8. Only one Hot Wheels car in history has been made out of concrete. That car is the Fun mentioned above Park Flyer.
9. The original Hot Wheels series was produced from 1968-1969 and was considered the pioneer series because they were based on real cars.
10. The first Hot Wheels was made out of steel and had a bumper and tires cast on the toy car. Later, they would be molded in plastic and have the bumper attached to the bottom of the car.