By Eric Powell
indianapolismotorspeedway.com
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum will be one of six stops on Hot Wheels® three-week cross-country road trip celebrating the popular brand's 40th anniversary.
A free event open to the public will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30 at the Hall of Fame Museum.
The road trip starts Aug. 19 at Mattel, Inc's (NYSE: MAT) El Segundo, Calif., headquarters and will travel closely along U.S. Route 40, making stops Aug. 21 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah; on Aug. 24 in Speed, Kan.; on Aug. 30 at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum; and Sept. 1 at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit before culminating in a grand finale celebration on Sept. 5 in Watkins Glen, N.Y., one of America's most historic road racing venues.
At each stop, Hot Wheels® will play host to a free event open to the public, featuring life-size Hot Wheels® cars, historic Hot Wheels® memorabilia, kiosks for kids to create custom Hot Wheels® drivers licenses, autograph sessions with Hot Wheels® designers, and many more family friendly activities.
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"Over the past 40 years, Hot Wheels has been a part of children's lives around the world, creating a tremendous, passionate fan base," said Geoff Walker, vice president, Wheels and Games Marketing, Mattel Brands. "We wanted to be able to celebrate this milestone with our fans and bring a unique experience to their neighborhoods."
On display at each road trip stop is the custom jeweled Hot Wheels® car, created by celebrity jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills, as a way to commemorate the production of the 4-billionth Hot Wheels® vehicle. This car, the most expensive in Hot Wheels® history, contains nearly 3,000 diamonds, weighs nearly 23 carats and is valued at approximately $140,000.
The road trip will be the last opportunity for the public to view this one-of-a-kind Hot Wheels® that will be auctioned to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.
Hot Wheels collectors will have the opportunity to receive a commemorative 1:64-scale Hot Wheels® die-cast car created especially for each stop, available while supplies last. The commemorative vehicle to be given away is based on the Hot Wheels® car seen on late-1960s packaging, originally designed by Otto Kuhni. The car featured on the packaging was never produced in die-cast form. As a tribute to Kuhni for this milestone anniversary year, Hot Wheels® designers recreated his design in die-cast form for the first time.
For more detailed event information as well as photos, videos and event recaps from the road trip, cruise over to www.hotwheels.com/40th.
