10 Amazing Hot Wheels Legends Cars

The automotive industry has come a long way since the beginning of the 20th century. Building a new car is a team effort, but one man's vision often kickstarts everything. Think designers, engineers, race car drivers, or even company owners. In the past 120+ years, we've had many influential figures to look up to. We each choose our heroes, as each played a certain role in automotive history.

For me, it's about people like Felix Wankel, Keiichi Tsuchiya, Brian Crighton, Gordon Murray, and Soichiro Honda. Of course, that's just scratching the surface, and you'd need an entire book to pay tribute to every single man and woman who has done something memorable in this domain. Today, I shall take you down memory lane 20 years into the past. Mattel's Hall of Fame series celebrated 35 Years of Hot Wheels cars with three special collections: Legends, Greatest Rides, and Milestone Moments.

I'll look at 10 Amazing Hot Wheels Legends cars for this story. I have handpicked them based on my preferences, so I had to eliminate five vehicles first. The first one was the Cunningham C4R (Briggs Cunningham). Dan Gurney's '70 Plymouth Barracuda was next, as I had discussed in a previous story. Phasing out the 1936 Cord (Gordon Miller) was a tough call, and the same goes for the Evil Twin (Larry Wood).

The last car that didn't make the list is the Split Window '63 (paying tribute to Vic Edelbrock). I still included photos of them here and will likely discuss them more in-depth in a future story. For now, I can tell you that buying all 15 collectibles in this series can cost between $160 and $570, depending on your patience and negotiation skills.

1. Carroll Shelby

Carroll Shelby may be gone, but the world hasn't forgotten him. Watching "Ford vs Ferrari" with Matt Damon and Christian Bale will give you a brief look into the legend's life, but there's so much more to it than just that. Shelby raced in Formula 1 for two years but won with Aston Martin at the 24H of Le Mans in 1959. There's a long list of cars with some "Shelby" in them, but perhaps none as iconic as the Shelby Cobra.

So it's no wonder Mattel chose this vehicle to pay homage to the automotive legend. Larry Wood's casting has been running since 1983, and it's certainly one of the most popular collectibles in the series. It's no wonder some eBay sellers think they can get away with listing it for $100.

2. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth

This vehicle may or may not look familiar to you, depending on how old you are. Ed Roth built it over 60 years ago, but I'm sure it would still be an impressive sight on public roads today. Being so popular in that era, Mattel included it in its Sweet Sixteen debut series back in 1968.

Harry Bradley designed the casting, and we have seen multiple variations until 2018. The 2003 Hall of Legends iteration is the closest you'll get to the original design, and it looks fantastic with White Wall Deep Dish Real Riders wheels.

3. Enzo Ferrari

Here's one name even non-automotive enthusiasts will be familiar with. Ferrari has built significantly fewer cars than any of the major automotive manufacturers, but something inherently special about them amounts to more than simple production numbers. I remember seeing a wax figure of Enzo at a museum in Italy; it was enough to make me tremble with excitement.

I was afraid to watch Michael Mann's recent Ferrari movie, as I fear it doesn't come close to portraying the Italian icon. And after seeing the Hot Wheels Ferrari 365 GTB/4, I want one more than ever. Be ready to spend as much as $60 for it, though.

4. Henry Ford

While Ferrari created some of the most exciting vehicles known to man, Henry Ford came up with a way to make them more affordable for the average person. The automotive industry might not have been what it is today without his vision, and it's no wonder Ford sells over four million cars per year today.

The '40 Ford Coupe casting is an interesting choice to celebrate the company's founder, and it's rather sad we haven't seen a new iteration in years. There's one neat thing about it that I enjoy seeing: "You can have it any color you want, as long as it's black."

5. Ira Gilford

Ira Gilford was a Chrysler employee before taking on a role at Mattel, designing Hot Wheels castings. Even though he was part of the company for a few years in the late '60s, there is still a long list of cars attached to his name, such as the Brabham Repco F1, the Custom Charger, and the Volkswagen Beach Bomb, to name just a few.

Some collectors will argue that the Twin Mill is his most popular design, which explains why this is a part of the 2003 Hall of Fame Legends series. Spectraflame Magenta was an interesting color choice, while the 5-Spoke Mag-Style Real Rider did a great job completing the look.

6. Reeves Callaway

Reeves Callaway passed away last year, but he won't be forgotten. You may remember some of his famous Corvettes, including the Sledgehammer, which reached 254 mph when I was born (1989). The Callaway C7 made a special appearance in the GT1 racing class but failed to achieve legendary status due to poor results.

It's still an interesting vehicle that would look great in any Hot Wheels collection. This Mark Jones-designed casting survived between 1998 and 2011, and the 2003 iteration was the only one ever to feature Real Riders wheels.

7. Robert E. Petersen

Some of you may remember Robert Petersen as the man behind the publishing empire, who explored everything related to cars, motorcycles, and competitive shooting. The Petersen Museum has been creating tonnes of interesting content in recent years, and it's always amazing to see what car they'll pull up next for a quick drive.

I have yet to visit it, but I'll probably stop right next to the Vector W8 once I do. Mattel opted to include the yellow Track T casting for this role and fitted it with the BNG Real Riders wheels (which have been gone for many years now). The Track T is one of the most affordable items on this list, with prices as low as $5.

8. Robert Lutz

Bob Lutz has been a force to be reckoned with in the automotive industry. This man worked for Opel, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors for over 50 years. While leading Chrysler Corporation's Global Product Development department, he played an important role in developing the Dodge Viper, one of three American cars I'd love to drive before becoming too old to do so.

The Metallic Dark Red Dodge Viper RT/10 in the Hall of Fame series fits the theme perfectly, but it's a real shame it was the last iteration of the casting to feature Real Riders wheels.

9. Steve Saleen

The Saleen S7 is the second of three American cars on my bucket list. I need to start a Hot Wheels collection for this casting ASAP, and it shouldn't be that hard to accomplish. Of the 17 variations, only a few are slightly more special, and the 2003 Legends S7 is one of them.

Steve Saleen is 75 years old, and I doubt I'll ever get to talk to him about his vision for these cars. But I can easily imagine how many cool stories he has to share with his grandchildren.

10. Zora Arkus-Duntov

The final car on this list is the Corvette SR-2. These '50s race car would be no match for today's mighty C8 Z06 in a race around the track, but it must have been a blast to drive back in the day. Zora Arkus-Duntov sadly passed away in 1996, but I bet he would have been proud to see how far the Corvette has come. Jim Mero is a hero of the Corvette world in the 21st century, but Zora is an all-time legend by any standards.

And just looking at all these collectibles, it would be a shame to open them up; you wouldn't want to damage the card now, would you? It's a good thing that there are 14 more iterations of the SR-2 to look for if you're keen on releasing them from their plastic prisons.