Let’s face it… information on variations can be found all over the place (especially the Internet), and by the time you get to read the info in a magazine, it’s usually old news. So, here’s the plan: In each issue of CRM (and now, the web site), I’m going to pick a rare variation, talk to the people that worked on the model, and discuss whatever it was that caused the changes, using the information that came straight from the proverbial horse’s mouth. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of the people behind the scenes at Mattel over the years (many of whom, like the company’s then-Senior VP at the time, Amy Boylan, were noted in the back pages of the Second Edition of my Hot Wheels Variations, The Ultimate Guide). Whether you’re a die-hard Hot Wheels collector - or a collector who just wants to learn about these highly collectible members of the Hot Wheels series - I think it’s going to be a great time, and a lot of fun.

Let’s get started. 

Vette Variations

When it got released, the 2004 First Edition #99 “’Tooned” Corvette C6 was talked about a lot; mostly because it one of the last cars produced by Mattel that was designed by Eric Tscherne - and then because it was produced with, and then without, the tampo decorations Eric had drawn up. It takes about 8 to 9 months for a car to go from drawing board to the store; in that time, Eric had left Mattel to pursue other opportunities.

The original paint scheme featured Tscherne’s name, as well as the names of Michael Heralda, who designed the graphics; Danny Koblin, a marketing manager working on basic cars at the time; and Tom Sneddon, who was the engineer for basic cars then. Heralda’s graphic design mimicked the layout of the real C5R race cars, and added the word Makuilli - which purportedly represents the number five in a Native American language - as the name for the car’s race team. Michael Heralda is particularly proud of his heritage, and often incorporated it into his designs, so it makes sense that he’d have “5” Racing on a car with a large number five on its sides.

Since Eric left Mattel and went to a competitor, his name, logos, and other markings connected to him have been removed from current production cars. It’s likely that this car had his name on the originally approved E-Sheets, but when the FEP (Final Engineering Prototypes) arrived, he had left the company, and they chose to remove them. The factory most likely decided to make a running change, rather than hold up production - and that makes the “’Tooned” C6 Corvettes with the original decos on them the rarest, most limited collectibles of the series. - CRM

Here are all the Variations for this car, as I have them listed:

From: Hot Wheels Variations, The Ultimate Guide.
#99 Corvette C6, 99/100 First Editions `Tooned

A: Yellow Pearl metallic, black plastic Malaysia base,
semi-gloss black roof panel and hood, large gray “5” with black & orange pinstripes on side, with small line of black checks at left and gray ones on right, four small black names on door: “Tscherne, Koblin, Heralda, Sneddon”
black “Makuilli” and orange “RACING” on rocker panel, black square with five gray dots behind front wheel, orange rear side marker light, chrome interior and rear exhaust, smoked window, pr5 (5-spoke wheels designed by Hot Wheels’ Phil Riehlman).

B: Same as A, now only 3 names on door, “Tscherne” missing

C: Same as B, large “5” on door is now black only with orange pinstripes, gray is missing.
D: Same as C, checks at right of the number “5” are now silver instead of gray
E: Yellow Pearl metallic, black plastic Malaysia base, semi-gloss black roof panel and hood, large black “5” with orange pinstripes on side with small line of black checks at left and gray ones on right, four small black names on door: “Makuilli, Koblin, Heralda, Sneddon”, notice that the first name in line is different that the first release of four names. Lettering now missing from rocker panel,
orange rear side marker light with small black & gray square below it,
chrome interior and rear exhaust, smoked window, pr5.

F: Same as D, 5s (standard 5-spoke wheels).

Mike Zarnock would like to thank Eric Tscherne for taking the time to explain this for all of us - and looks forward to his working knowledge of Hot Wheels for future columns.

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