Lamley News: The most valuable Hot Wheels RLC car...ever?

If you weren't tracking it and didn't see what happened, the #13 of 46 Hot Wheels RLC BRE Datsun 510 autographed by John Morton sold for a whopping $760 on ebay late last night.

It is crazy what a little frenzy can create.  Before the 46 autographed models were discovered, buzz on the RLC BRE began to grow as collectors received their models and saw both the stunning model and card artwork.  But it was the 46 autographed models, signed by John Morton at a Mattel event and randomly sent out with the other 3000, that has sent this model's value into the stratosphere.  Combine the scarcity of the model with the autograph and the fact that this is an actual Mattel-issued "easter egg", and you have a very valuable model.

Whether or not another First 46 will garner that same amount is hard to know, but any Mattel-issued model with a count less than 50 is bound to be valuable.  In fact, two 1-of-25 Matchbox Hazard Squad models made exclusively for a collector Line Preview sold for $500 each at the Matchbox Gathering Charity Auction, so there is a precedent.

Nonetheless, from what we know the signed First 46 BRE is now the most valuable RLC model on the secondary market, even surpassing what the red Blown Delivery fetched when it hit its peak (and by double at that).  Who would have thought the most valuable RLC model would not be a Blown Delivery, or a Drag Bus, or a Dairy Delivery, but a Datsun!

JDM forever baby.

(They may not be the signed first 46, but there a handful of RLC BRE listed on ebay for the taking...)

Two Hot Wheels BRE Datsun 510's autographed by John Morton...

There was a treat waiting for me the mail on Monday.  (Well, kind of waiting for me, considering it was UPS and the shipping address was wrong, but that is a stress-inducing story for another time.  Needless to say it eventually got to my door.)

While not a surprise among the Lamley set, the recently released Hot Wheels RLC BRE Datsun 510 has garnered a lot of attention.  It has surely introduced many collectors to Peter Brock and John Morton, and there is no denying how intoxicating the BRE racing livery is.

But besides all that, Mattel went and had a little fun with the model.  As told by Hot Wheels designer Steve Vandervate, Mattel held an event celebrating the release of the RLC 510, and John Morton himself was there.  Mattel had the first 46 numbered (you just need to look at the model to know why that number was used) models shipped to them and had Mr. Morton sign them.  They were then sent to their distribution facility and randomly mixed in with the other 3000 to be sent out.

So among the lucky collectors that were able to get one of the 3000, 46 were surprised to find an autographed version as well.  These special 46 have mostly been kept by the collectors, but a few have changed hands.  Two have been sold on ebay, and a third is up right now, and they are fetching extremely high prices.

#44 has changed hands as well.  It is now in the Lamley collection, thanks to a trade I was able to make with a great collector named Rob out of South Carolina.  Rob is not particularly into Japanese cars or BRE, and after chatting with me for a bit decided the autographed #44 would find a much happier home at my place.  So we were able to agree on a trade that brought some models his way that he has struggled to find, and here we are:

This takes a special spot in the Lamley collection, right next to another BRE Datsun, autographed by Mr. Morton when I met him at JCCS in 2012:

And there is a third coming.  As many know, Mattel sent 100 RLC models to BRE, and they decided to have them signed by Peter Brock and John Morton and sold on their site.  Those 100 sold out quickly, but I was able to get one.  They have not been sent out yet, but once I have mine I will be sure to post it.

We all have special parts of our collections, and this is surely one of mine.  I am truly indebted to Rob for being willing to part with his, and making this collector very happy.  Isn't collecting great?

First Look: Hot Wheels RLC exclusive BRE Datsun Bluebird 510, along with its Vintage Racing brother...

What is it about the BRE Datsun?  In our little corner of the diecast world, that iconic BRE racing deco shows up everywhere.  Customizers love it, and we have seen the deco on the obvious choices (Datsun cars, wagons, and trucks), to the less obvious (Skylines, Toyotas, the Mad Manga), to certainly not-obvious-at-all (Kool Kombi, Camaros).  Nissan used an obvious tribute to the BRE deco when it unveiled its 510-inspired IDx in November.  If you are at any event Datsun, the slanted red, white, and blue will most likely be somewhere.

This BRE infatuation is an interesting one.  Part is history.  The little Datsun that could is a classic American racing story, as the racing team with the wimpy Japanese car zipped by all of its Euro-competition.

Part is design.  I would challenge anyone to come up with a better racing design than what Brock Racing Enterprises did.  It is perfect.  Bright, fast, and easily recognizable.  And it looks great almost anywhere, including as we have just learned, on a diecast replica cardback.

Which brings us to the RLC BRE Datsun 510.  Those reasons above may be what motivated Hot Wheels to do a second BRE 510, this time as an RLC exclusive, after putting one in the Vintage Racing line in 2011.  The model looks so nice, why not do it twice?

Another reason?  Just look at what the Vintage Racing version commands on ebay.  In just the last few days, several sold for an average price of $87.  That is a lot for a model that was on the pegs just a couple of years ago.  Appreciation for Japanese cars continues to skyrocket, and many just discovering Hot Wheels' mini versions are kicking themselves for passing on the Vintage Racing version.  So Mattel released another, albeit even more limited.

It has been fun to see the reaction of collectors as the RLC model arrives in their mailbox.  It is clear that those who may not be as enthused about j-tin as we here at Lamley are happy they bought one.  And there are others that passed on it that are now regretting they did.  Neato.

The model looks fantastic, and even the Neo's don't bother us too much.  In fact, they look a lot like the hubcaps we saw on tons of Datsuns from that era (just not on racing cars).  But one of the biggest surprises is what might be the best packaging we have ever seen on a Hot Wheels car.  We will let the photos do the talking:

The artwork is superb.  That alone makes this model worth it.

And Mattel has done something to drive collector frenzy even higher.  Apparently numbers 1-46 were shipped directly by Mattel, signed by driver John Morton, and randomly dispersed with the other 3000.  A few lucky collectors have opened up their mailboxes to find one, including this one found by HWC member Budman340:

How cool is that!?!  If it weren't for the special John Morton/Peter Brock signed edition we have coming from BRE themselves (arriving soon), we would be knocking down doors to get one, especially since this one below is already in the Lamley Collection (signed by Mr. Morton himself when we met him at JCCS a couple of years ago):

Alright, on with the pics.  We could talk about this model forever, but we know you want to see it.  We sacrificed the amazing packaging on one of ours so you could see it up-close, so we hope you enjoy.

We hope many of you can get this one.  We are trying to get a few RLC members to hook up with overseas collectors who could not get one, and those updates are coming to those who inquired, but now the best bet is ebay:

Hot Wheels RLC BRE Datsun 510

Good luck...


Hot Wheels BRE Datsun Bluebird 510 (RLC Exclusive):