Hitting the road for the third year, the Hot Wheels live-event series presented by Mobil 1 brings the nationwide search to new stops across the country
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Hot Wheels® announced the Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour is back for the third year and on the hunt for the next life-size custom car worthy of becoming a Hot Wheels die-cast toy. One of the world’s largest traveling car shows will kick off in Miami on March 7 and make 18 stops at Walmart parking lots across the country looking for cars that embody the Hot Wheels high standards of performance and design.
“After stopping in more than 20 different cities and seeing almost 10,000 custom builds over the last two years, we’ve been blown away by our fans’ talent and serious passion for cars,” said Ted Wu, Head of Hot Wheels Design, Mattel. “The Legends Tour brings together cars of almost every make and model that embody the Hot Wheels brand and we’re excited to take it to the next level in an even bigger and better way in 2020.”
In 2019, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour brought together more than 90,000 fans and 5,000 custom cars from across the United States, Mexico and Germany. Continuing in Hot Wheels true challenger spirit, the third annual tour will expand to stops in new cities like Boston and Milwaukee, giving fans even more chances to compete to see their custom car become an iconic 1:64 die-cast toy vehicle.
At each stop, fans will have the opportunity to show off their unique custom builds from open-wheeled jet-inspired rides like the 2018 tour winning 2JetZ™, to classic coupes like The Nash, which won in 2019. Hot Wheels designers and automotive influencers will select one finalist from each stop based on the criteria of authenticity, creativity and garage spirit. At the end of the tour, all 18 finalists will win a trip to the 2020 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where they will be judged side-by-side to determine the grand prize winner that will become the next Hot Wheels die-cast toy. New for 2020, Mobil 1 will also be providing one additional spot for a vehicle to be featured in the final competition at SEMA, through a fan favorite contest to give the runners up from each local stop a second chance at being immortalized into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends™.
The 18 stops on this year’s tour will feature even more fun for the family with on-site experiences with partners Walmart, Dickies, A&W Root Beer, American Honda, Dynacraft Wheels and title sponsor Mobil 1. On tour for the first time this year will be Mobil 1’s new Cupid build, a custom truck that aims to inspire the next generation to celebrate car culture. Hot Wheels traveling vending machine truck will also be cruising to Walmart stores across the country between the stops so even more fans can get their own Hot Wheels die-casts.
“The Mobil 1 brand is proud to again support the Hot Wheels Legends Tour,” said Ryan Allen, Retail Marketing, ExxonMobil. “We’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with Hot Wheels to bring family-oriented, exceptional experience to fans. This year, Mobil 1 is going bigger and better by bringing the Fan Favorite to the tour, which will give fans around the world a chance to vote on their favorite car at each of the stops. We can’t wait to see what car fans love best.”
The Legends Tour will stop at Walmart stores in the following cities: Miami (March 7), Tampa (March 21), Atlanta (April 4), Houston (April 18), Dallas (April 25), St. Louis (May 30), Northwest Arkansas (June 6), Boston (June 20), Detroit (July 11), Milwaukee (July 25), Denver (August 8), Salt Lake City (August 15), Portland (August 29), San Jose (September 12), Los Angeles (September 26), San Diego (October 10), Phoenix (October 17). The tour will also make a special stop at Hot Wheels headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., on May 16 to celebrate the brand’s 52nd birthday including new surprises from our partners.
“We celebrated the highly successful 2019 Hot Wheels Legends Tour by taking a one-of-a-kind 1972 HondaN600 with a motorcycle engine to SEMA, so we look forward to what the 2020 Legends Tour might bring,” said Bruce Garfield, Licensing and Brand Manager at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Honda and Mattel have enjoyed a long, successful relationship and we look forward to what the future holds for our fans and the tuner community.”
Conceived in 1968 by an innovator, a rocket scientist and a car designer, Hot Wheels 1:64 scale die-cast cars were designed to look awesome and perform. Five decades later, Hot Wheels is the number one selling toy in the world* with more than 16.5 cars sold every second. The brand has evolved from a simple, yet beloved, toy car with orange track system into a global franchise powerhouse that offers fans of all ages multi-channel play experiences.
To learn more about the Hot Wheels Legends Tour visit www.HotWheels.com and follow #HotWheelsLegendsTour. To check out the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends visit www.HotWheels.com/GarageofLegends.
*Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service
About Mattel
Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) is a leading global children’s entertainment company that specializes in design and production of quality toys and consumer products. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic franchises, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, American Girl®, Fisher-Price®, Thomas & Friends® and Mega®, as well as other popular brands that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 40 locations and sell products in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and technology companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in exploring the wonder of childhood and empowering kids to reach their full potential. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.
Contacts
Scott Shaffstall
Mattel Global Communications
scott.shaffstall@mattel.com
310-252-3610
Natalie Hamlin
Weber Shandwick
NHamlin@webershandwick.com
276-732-1464
