(first posted 10/11/2012) When I spotted this ’68 LTD, what came to mind were my original 1968 Hot Wheels: the tail-up stance, the big rear tire sticking out past the bodywork, and the almost surreal hood scoop. Maybe the owner of this car grew up with Hot Wheels? But then, who didn’t?
I’m talking about the original Hot Wheels, in 1:64 scale, redline tires, and the wacky suspension that usually had gobs of positive camber. My younger brother and I had some of the first ones, and I know a Cougar was one of them. I’m not sure I remember them all, but I know there wasn’t a ’68 LTD coupe.
Hot Wheels were one of those brilliant late-sixties inventions that just had to happen. Matchboxes were fun to look at and handle, but were very…fifties. Hot wheels were genuinely hot: the Delrin bearings allowed them to hit 200 scale mph.
I know there was a ’68 Corvette in the little box near the fireplace. Truth is, they really were my little brother’s cars, as by 1968 or so, no one would have been buying me toy cars, and I was saving my bucks for stereo equipment. Doesn’t mean I didn’t play with them, though.
We didn’t have the T-Bird, but it’s about as close to the ’68 LTD as it gets, right down to the giant hood blister. Now that’s how these T-Birds should really look: Ridiculous. Cool.
Just like this LTD.
I remember my first Hot Wheels car, the 1967 or ’68 Mustang Fastback in an oh, so cool, metallic navy blue.
Hot Wheels were the cheaper made cars compare to the Matchbox cars which were also the better and more selection as were as being the much better made as I said.
I was right in the Hot Wheels demographic and had most of the original batch, including (might I add) the TBird. The Bird and Eldorado stuck me even then as odd choices – they were clearly nowhere in the same zip code as the youth market that bought Hot Wheels cars. I wonder if anyone has sales figures – I’ll bet these two were the laggards.
I was quite the Ford man at the age of 9, and I do not recall any of the popular toys or model kits featuring a 68 LTD, particularly that formal-roof 2 door. AMT did model kits of a lot of new cars back then, but I don’t remember one of these. If I had found one, I am sure I would have bought it. Navy blue with white interior would have probably been my choice.
I pity the poor guy who poured all this effort into a car with probably no peer for lack of street-cred in 1968.
That LTD would look better with a “power bulge” than the reversed scoop. The former I usually associate with Fords and the latter with Chevies. It certainly has that HotWheels style street machine look going on.
That 1968 ad for the original 16 HotWheels cars is pretty cool. I’d love to have a copy of that blown-up as a poster hanging in my rec room. It would fit right in; I already have two display cases on the wall to show off all my HotWheels cars, which I kept from when I was a kid.
Of the four original HotWheels that were based on real custom cars of the time, the whereabouts of 3 are known today. The Cheetah has been restored to its original look as the Car Craft Dream Rod. The Silhouette was stolen in 1983 and has never been found.
I’m too young for the original hot wheels, although I do have one my uncles, a copper ’69 Charger.
This ’68 Ford is more persuasive than the ’77 Impala 2 door I saw yesterday that had the same hood treatment yet still had whitewalls.
Somehow most of Hot Wheels disappeared, but I saved a few. And then when my son was born, I was able to start all over, with new ones, and then with a few nice ebay purchases (actually, mostly Matchbox). Now we’ve got seven or so cases that no one touches.
And I really wish hidden headlights could come back.
My friends and I had plenty of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I remember my excitement at seeing a Hot Wheels model of the 1970 Cutlass 442 for the first time at Kmart, and begging my parents to buy it for me. Even then, my friends and I knew that diecast versions of Oldsmobiles weren’t very common. The sad part is that the Hot Wheels Olds is long gone and today is apparently quite valuable!
“Maybe the owner of this car grew up with Hot Wheels? But then, who didn’t?”
Hot Wheels came out in 1968, a year after I turned 16, hence I was already a licensed driver. No Hot Wheels for me…
I grew up with Lionel trains…
Matchbox cars were introduced in 1953, and were popular even in this country by the early 1960s. Just out of curiousity, did you have any of them?
I had quite a few Matchbox cars in the mid-1960s. Hot Wheels virtually put Lesney (the parent corporation of Matchbox) out of business in this country when they debuted. Hence, the quick introduction of the Superfast line.
@geeber:
No, no matchbox cars for me, just my electric trains and over a hundred plastic Revell and Monogram model airplanes – and one 1957 Chevy pickup truck model!
My favorite Matchbox was the 65 Mustang 2+2, white, red interior with steerable wheels (outside lever?).
2nd favor was the Studebaker wagon with the slide away roof with the trailer hitch that I added the camper to.
I had the Hot Wheels Thunderbird too. Mine was the Dark Turquoise….like my new brother in-laws 67 GTO but more candied. I think Hot Wheels killed Matchbox on colors alone. The 65 Continental I had was a horrible green. The scale wasn’t too bad, but detail was nil.
I still collect them on occasion, especially if the scale and detail is dead on.
Then there are plastic model cars……a whole ‘nother matter!
I loved the Matchbox Mustang, along with the Studebaker Lark Wagonnaire and Mercury Commuter wagon!
The Matchbox colors were more subdued…I think Lesney was trying to be more realistic in its color selection. The bright, metallic colors of the Hot Wheels cars were a reflection of the “California Custom” look Mattel achieved with these cars.
Also note that, initially, Hot Wheels didn’t offer dump trucks, bulldozers and other commercial or construction vehicles in its line-up, but Matchbox did. And Matchbox offered lots of European Fords and Vauxhalls that very few American had ever seen, while the foreign cars offered by Hot Wheels were those likely to be recognized by Americans (VW Beetle) or expensive exotics (Maserati Mistral).
Matchbox seemed much more “European” in its approach, which is logical, given where the company was based and the fact that its initial markets were Great Britain and continental Europe. Hot Wheels seemed like an American company, given the choice of vehicles it offered (even though the cars themselves were always manufactured in the Far East, if I recall correctly).
Z-Man, confirming my status as a generational floater, I was a big electric train kid in the 80s! Matchbox/Hot Wheels are the right size for American Flyer, but too small for Lionel. 🙂
Likewise here, I’m too old. Besides my model car collection was 1953-1965 Chevrolet dealer promotional models.
The biggest difference between Hot Wheel and Matchbox was that there was something about Matchbox that made you put them on a shelf and look (and collect) at them. Hot Wheels you actually played with and beat the crap out of.
Lionel trains here, too. I just finally sold off my 1950 Union Pacific double diesel 027 setup that dad got me for my first Christmas (like I got to play with it for the next five years, right).
As my Christmas gift in 1970 or 1971 I got the Mongoose vs. Snake racing set with the flexible plastic track with a 360 loop and little plastic brackets to clamp it in place on the furniture in our basement.
My Mom probably still has the set in a box somewhere in that basement.
I had that one too. I forget which was which, (Mongoose or Snake) but it was a Duster vs. a Cuda – a win win in my book. 🙂 My friends and I would have epic Hot Wheels race marathons with the loops removed and a straight track running from one of the kitchen countertops out into the living room. My early cars were dogs due to having played with them on concrete (like I had with the Matchbox cars). I had ruined the alignment, bearings or something. My 55 Nomad was nearly unbeatable.
My fantasy back then was to be IN the car and see the race! Has anyone made one yet?…….with tiny cameras and viewer glasses?
Me too or is that four? The reissued it in the 90’s and I bought it for my son though he was never anywhere near as enthused about as I and only played with it a couple of times.
The 68-70 big Fords and Chevys were the last full sized cars that Hot Rodders would modify into Street Machines back in the 70’s. By early 80’s, mostly RWD compacts or Pony cars were getting built up.
I remember seeing a jacked up, glass packed 1971 Impala, but it looked like a whale.
I was more of a Matchbox kid. My cousin had Hot Wheels and it was fun to play with the track when we visited.
You need the jacked up rear on this to be able to see over the hood scoop. I saw a 69 Coronet done up like this yesterday and thought “Yikes, that look is so ’70s”
That being said I like this car. Pretty much zero “collector” value so do with it what you want..
I was visiting one of my boys at college last weekend and saw a 66 Malibu with the Keystone Wheels, big tires in back, slightly jacked up. I thought it was 1976 all over again.
Forget the hot wheels, I was in my third year in college when they came out, long past my interest level, by then I was lusting after the real ’68 Ford LTD. I, too, was of the American Flyer/HO train/Erector set generation (just missed the LIonel trains, but they were still around). And I still have my Lesney Matchbox collection, in their original boxes, mind you, a ’58 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special, a ’59 Ford station wagon, a ’59 Chevy Impala, a steam shovel, a couple of dump trucks, a little Jeep, etc. They were the perfect scale for my HO setup. Simpler times…
If your Matchbox cars are still in the good condition, they are worth a good bit of money, as collectors seek models with the original boxes. Don’t just give them away!
I still have quite a few Hotwheels cars from the 1980’s to current. Never had any interest in them until I turned 30. Thinned out my collection as a donation to Goodwill. My favorites include a black 64 Lincoln conv sedan, a gray 66 Dodge Charger,and the one that started my second childhood, a green 65 Mustang conv from 1983.
My Matchbox favorites include a red Dodge Viper, and a beat up gold Chrysler Atlantic that I got at a yard sale for a dime.
I had around 10 new in the package that the wife gave to the sons of her distant relative. The boys looked at them with absolutely no interest whatsoever. Not even a thank you. With the electronic toys of today, little cars were quite primitive to them.
My humble collection will no doubt land up at Goodwill, at best. Hopefully, not in a land fill.
That reminds me of this ’67 Mustang that regularly parks near where I work. The wheel choice & jacked up suspension have that same lunacy as the LTD, and the metallic orange paint helps the “toy” impression.
My friend had a pretty big Lionel set with a heavy steam locomotive and a dual-control transformer. We set up a drag strip in his hallway. It was probably 15 feet long with a bunch of pillows at the end. My 1952 Marx loco was fast (no tin body, just motor) but my friend’s steamer was much faster. Better than drugs.
It’s true, the electric train world is a place where you pay more to go slower. It’s the cheap “toylike” stuff that flies.
The sad thing about Matchbox brand toys, they are now owned by Mattel, and made no place near England, anymore.
I think I heard that before — Hot Wheels and Matchbox are both owned by Mattel now.
Even sadder is that Mattel appears to be de-emphasizing the Matchbox line-up in favor of Hot Wheels.
Their spiritual succcessors these days are Oxford Diecast (ODC) who now produce a stunning range of models in a series of constant scales from 1:148 to 1:18. They’ve recently started a nice H0 line of classic American cars from the ’30s to the ’60s.
ODC was set up by people from Lledo which itself was set-up by George Odell (hence Lledo), one of the chief designers for Lesney, the original creators of the Matchbox range.
@ geeber:
No worries, I’ve had those Matchbox models for so long, they aren’t going anywhere. In fact, some years ago, I had a plexi-box display case made for my remaining HO train cars: an Italian steam locomotive and tender, a couple of freight cars, and a little caboose, all mounted on a few sections of original track, and all in near perfect condition. The Matchbox cars and a couple of original HO scale trackside figures and RR crossing signals are arrayed in front of the train cars. Makes for a cute display, visitors are invariably drawn to it, like things transported from a distant planet.
You’re right about the subdued Matchbox colors, my Cadillac is silver with a cream color top, the Chevy is light blue over dark blue, the Ford is the same cream color top over light metallic green. The construction equipment is all yellow, and there’s even a little white travel trailer. The green jeep has a figure in the driver’s seat, which, being made in England, is on the right hand side. I would spend hours in our backyard with these little cars, using a brick garden edging as my superhighway. Hot wheels, indeed! And when I wasn’t doing that, I’d be building things with my Erector set or working in the garage with my chemistry set, all courtesy of the A.C. Gilbert Company, remember that? Anyway, interesting how these posts morph off topic into fun recollections.
I Too Spent many countless hours around the roots Of a Maple Tree Enclave Where Matchbox and Hot Wheels co-existed, The Tree Was a Highrise in my head. Here ny Dad would tell me to Interact More With Other kids … I’d Have my cousin over who still liked cars… not what he had in mind, but family nonetheless.
along our driveway its hard to imagine those rocks we used to drive up to, what were we Flintstones? will au to matics of course.
When your Matchbox ’59 Chevy just isn’t detailed enough…
I didn’t get into Hot Wheels as a kid; went from Matchbox to HO slot racers and then into electronics. The slot cars started off with a ratchet and solenoid arrangement before going to a DC motor. The ratchets were interesting, but really loud.
My brother got into 1:24 scale slot cars; someone in town built a layout that took most of his basement. IIRC it was a big basement, maybe 4 tracks on the layout.
The HO slot cars were fairly tame by HW standards,
For what it’s worth, in the early 70s someone did a HW version of a Lotus Europa down at college (Champaign, IL). I think it was the Gen 1 with Renault engine, but the rear tires were slicks. Not sure they were road legal. Maybe 12″ tread width, and fairly low profile. I don’t think I took any pictures, but will have to check my old slides.
Re: the feature car. Someday I want to have THE slot mag-mobile, parked next to THE Magnum 500-mobile. I think the first is an kandy-kolored Dodge custom van or a dune buggy, while the latter is a ’65-’66 Chrysler 300 or a second-gen Riviera.
Ive got about 12 Office file sz 3325 Boxes full of them. Mostly from the 60s-early 90s, I still buy the realistic Models.
My fave was a Magenta Hot Wheel Eldorado Blk roof
Earliest Must Have Been 8/68-9th birthday, blue cougar, antifreeze camaro, orange-red mustang that said 67/vs 68 on all else including a different Mustang in 68.
I had Been waiting For MatchBox Cougar, And My Brother, 11,Almost could not contain himself That Hed Discovered Hot Wheels, I was Unaware(pre-computers_)
I like Matchbox “Superfast ‘ response as Well, The 2 Rolls Royce Models, purple 64 GRand Prix, and Iso Grifo in Blue Were Tops in my book.
What a great thread, a lot of fun memories here. My brother and I were already into Matchbox cars when the first Hot Wheels came out. Between us, we had some pretty cool Matchbox cars– the green MG sedan, the green Ferrari, the yellow ’64 Impala Taxi, the ’65 Ford Fire Chief’s car, and best of all the coveted ’59 Chevy, along with assorted “exotics” such as the bronze Vauxhall Viva, an off-white Cortina, and that Studebaker station wagon with the sliding roof. When Hot Wheels came out, we completely forgot about Matchbox cars. One of my first Hot Wheels cars was the Corvette (mine was green), but I also had the Eldorado and the the Thunderbird. The only two that we still have are the Silhouette and the Deora pickup. With their skinny tires, those two weren’t very fast, and they didn’t get used as much.
I always thought the “suspension”, spring-loaded wheels, made these toys so cool.
The “Cowl Induction” hood kills the whole package there.
It reminds me of the “Hi Jacker” adjustable Hot Wheels cars from the early 80s.
I had a truckload of inexpensive small toy cars when I was a kid, equally parted between matchbox, hot wheels and majorette…my favourite hot wheels when I was a really young kid was a 1963 corvette painted in acid green, I still buy the occasional one when I go to the supermarket 😀 ! That LTD looks super-cool, a fastback Impala of the same year with the same treatment would be something I’d sell a kidney for !
I would take the ’68 LTD over any Hotwheels/Matchbox cars anytime…and with a 8V 425HP 427 please!
Wasn’t the 427 gone after 1967? Of course, I’m sure one would fit.
The 427 stayed until 1969 before being replaced by a 454 in 1970
I think that he was referring to the Ford 427, not the Chevrolet 427. But I believe you both to be correct –
I’ve totally forgotten all about the Ford 427 V8
The 427 WAS gone after ’67, even though a hydraulic-lifter, 390HP version was slated for ’68. The big strike of Fall ’67 thwarted a lot of plans. They ended having just enough 427s to launch a special Cougar, the GTE.
Early brochures mention it, though.
Nice, a Brougham Hot Wheels.
I got a bunch of my uncle’s old Hot Wheels about 15 years ago–like Paul, my dad was too old for Hot Wheels when they came out, but Uncle Dave was about 10 back then. I’ve got the Custom VW, Custom Eldorado and ’55 Nomad in blue, and a Maserati Mistral and Mercedes 230SL in copper, among others. I also lucked into an antifreeze Custom Camaro and a pink ’55 Nomad at a flea market about 20 years ago. Cool cars!
I recall having the T-Bird in gold, the Eldo in blue, the Fleetside in purple and the Deora in a lime green. Lost interest after my parents discovered Hot Wheels tracks usefulness as an instrument of corporal punishment.
The amazing thing is this LTD is still in the beginning stages of restoration and modification. Stay tuned you’ll be impressed,
this 68 ford LTD is my dads car
Like everyone else here (is there any CC reader above a certain age that didn’t have Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars?), I, too, had Hot Wheels cars.
But what’s interesting are the rare collector vehicles. Most of them seem to be for the export market but my favorite is the ultimate Hot Wheels car: a pink 1969 Type 2 VW van called ‘Beach Bomb’. The few released for purchase had side-load surfboards and, evidently, any Beach Bomb is kind of rare and worth some money. But the pink one with rear-load surfboards was a prototype that wouldn’t go through the ‘Supercharger’. The Supercharger itself was a rather dangerous device with motorized rubber wheels through which a Hot Wheels track was inserted and would ‘spit-out’ cars at a high-velocity, which would only occasionally stay on the track as they exited.
Anyway, only one pink, rear-load Beach Bomb is known to exist, and the collector who bought it reportedly paid $72k for it.
That’s right, $72,000 for an old Hot Wheels car…
I remember my favorite Matchbox had a similar profile to this ‘68 LTD coupe. A ‘69-‘71 Mark III. I loved the style of the real one, so the miniature was a favorite. I had a spot in my room where I cold sprinkle a smidgen of sand on the floor, and push my little cars around and make trails. It was so cool.
Like a lot of you I was 14 years old (eighth grade) when Hot Wheels debuted. I had no real interest in them at the time. I was deep in the mental preparation of getting my license. I was reading hot rod, general car magazines, as well motorcycle magazines. My six year younger brother got some so I was familiar with the orange track set up. When I was in fifth grade the hot set up was the large “slot cars”. These were run on those big layouts that were found in hobby shops or arcades, Always wanted, but never got one.
I became more interested in Hot Wheels when I bought several track set ups for my son, back in the early 1990s. After he grew up I would peruse the sales rack to see if there was anything of interest. I bought quite a few, I just donated a big bag of them to Goodwill. I kept a favorite few. I now mostly prefer the large die cast models and have a few on display in my den.
When I was a kid back in the 1960s, my parents bought Matchbox, Corgi and Dinky cars. For some reason they wouldn’t let me play with them, but instead bought them to complement Dad’s HO gauge model railroad layout and static display.
I remember that Hot Wheels ad in the late 1960s. For some reason, the hot rod/customized styling of those toys never really appealed to me. My friends bought them along with the track setup. Admired the freewheeling ability of the Hot Wheels though.
Still have the Matchbox, Corgi and Dinky cars in their original boxes. One of these days I’ll build a display for them, along with the model railroad layout.
Hemmings Muscle Machines magazine featured a ’68 LTD coupe, still owned by original owner. It had a 4 on the floor with bench seat. I think a 390 or 428 with 4 bbl, but not sure of the CID.
Way awesome this picture is right after i sold it. Unfortunate its that cool anymore