The Hot Wheels Legends Tour began in honor of the 50th anniversary of Hot Wheels. These events were held at Walmart stores around the country, where real car customizers were invited to show off their full size creations with the winner of the tour being immortalized as a Hot Wheels car.
Along with the car show events, there were events held at Walmart stores around the country where collectors had a chance at fresh products (similar to a Kmart day event) and the opportunity to purchase a Legends tour exclusive car. For $20 in product purchased in Walmart, and an additional fee, you could have one of these exclusives.
The first year, there was only one Walmart in the area that held this event, and I made sure to attend. The line was around the outside of the store! I purchased my items inside and got in line to try and get one of the Datsun Wagons. The Datsun wagon had been previewed but there was little information as to where it was going to be released, and it was unusual that it was a recolor of a Super Treasure Hunt from 2014.
2019: 71 Datsun Bluebird 510 Wagon
After a long wait in line, and seeing people purchasing multiple Wagons (which was not supposed to be permitted), I was able to secure the last Datsun they had available that day, much to my surprise and relief. There were some unhappy campers in line behind me, with some offering as high as $100 for it, in cash. Needless to say, that one came home with me.
Then Covid happened.
2020: 55 Chevy Bel Air Gasser
With the 2020 edition, a pattern became clear. The Legends Tour car would be a repaint of a previous Super Treasure Hunt.
The 2020 edition was a home run and a must have, but due to Covid, no Tour events were held. There were virtual events, where a link would be provided to order the car for a limited time. If you didn’t snag one in that window, you had to wait on the next virtual event. Such a frustrating process, but that’s 2020 for you.
2021: 83 Chevy Silverado
Another home run came in 2021, with the 83 Chevy Silverado. The Super was released in 2014 again, and the pink version is actually nicer than the gold, in my view. Another must have, and this one was also available to order during the events being broadcast.
2022: Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32)
2022 brought a bit of a reach, going all the way back to 2007 for it’s source car. The Nissan Skyline has become a Hot Wheels staple, so it made sense, but this was not one I was going out of my way to get, and to this point, I do not own one. It’s a sharp looking car though.
2023: Honda S2000
2023 dug even further in the crate, going back to 2012 with the Honda S2000. This was one of the first Super Treasure Hunts that I was able to find in the wild, and the purple was a nice recolor. I just ordered and received this one this past week and it’s beautiful.
2024: Kool Kombi
Mattel swung for the fences again for 2024, going back to 2015 and the ever-popular Kool Kombi. The 2015 edition was sharp in dark green, but the hot pink is almost nicer. I’ll definitely be going for this one as soon as it’s available, as it is surely going to sell fast.
These have been a fun annual thing to collect, and there is no rhyme or reason to which car they will select to be the next Legends Tour Exclusive. Hopefully the Walmart events will return to go along with the car show events. Which one of the Legends Tour exclusives is your favorite?
