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):

Just Unveiled: Card art on the Hot Wheels RLC BRE Datsun 510, plus an opportunity to get a very limited autographed version...

We have a bit of news to pass on about one of our most highly anticipated models, the Hot Wheels RLC BRE Datsun 510.  Those of us who were lucky enough to reserve one or two awhile ago have to wait until January for the model to arrive, and from what we have seen it will be a beauty.  Until then, here are a couple of tidbits to whet your appetite.

First off, thanks to Lamley friend Bill who sent us a link, we now can see what the artwork on the blister card looks like, and it does not disappoint in the least:

The art on the front is stunning, while the write-up and photo on the back highlight exactly the significance of this car.  This one will be a hard one to open (but we still will).

Maybe the more interesting tidbit is where this photo came from.  It came from the Brock Racing Enterprises website.  Why?  Well, for one, BRE had to grant permission to use this livery, and sign off on the design once it was done.  When Hot Wheels works with a specific licensor, they are usually nice enough to send a few examples to that group or company.  Even though this is an RLC model, BRE will be getting a few.

And the cool thing?  They will make them available to the public, until they sell out.  And they have gone even further by having Peter Brock and John Morton (who raced the car) sign each one.  That means right now you have the ability to buy the RLC Datsun 510, but actually get one of possible 100 that is signed by the two primary figure.

If you are curious about what to do to get one, just follow the link:

BRE Datsun 510 Hot Wheels RLC offer

If you get one, let us know.  We would love to see such a cool collector's item.

Until then we will continue to try to be patient...

Just Unveiled: Hot Wheels Datsun 510 Bluebird RLC Exclusive in BRE racing livery...

Well I am back from a whirlwind weekend in Los Angeles, highlighted by another fantastic Japanese Classic Car Show on Saturday.  I also was able to pay a visit to the Hyatt in Garden Grove and take in a bit of the Hot Wheels Convention.

I will be sure to show what I came home with here in a little bit, and it was nice to finally put a few faces to names.  One of those names and faces was Mark Kasimoff, more commonly known as Racegrooves on youtube.

Mark and I had a nice chat on our respective endeavors, and it was nice to get to know him.  And just this morning, I got an email from Mark sharing an image that we agreed will excite our Lamley readers.

On Saturday night at the final convention dinner (which I did not attend), Mattel shared some tidbits on what to expect in 2014.  Racegrooves filmed the entire presentation, which you can see in its entirety here:

Mattel Sneak Peaks, Q&A, 2013 Hot Wheels Convention

There are quite a few gems to be seen, including (finally) Marty McFly's Toyota Pickup from the back to the Future Series.  But one really caught our eye, and Mark was nice enough to share the image with us at Lamley.

Say hello to the 2014 RLC Exclusive Datsun 510 Bluebird in BRE Racing livery:

From what we know, the model will be released in spectraflame red with the full John Morton BRE deco, and will will roll on the Neo-Classic Redline wheels.

So yes, the obvious first question:  Is this exactly like the Vintage Racing BRE 510 that was released a few years ago, and has risen to crazy expensive prices on ebay?

Let's take a look:

Livery-wise, yes.  All the details are there, as they were on the Vintage Racing version.  Both have metal bases as well.  Obviously the two distinct differences are the wheels and base color.  Clearly the model spectraflame red will look quite a bit different, and in that way the model will pay homage to both John Morton and his BRE racer as well as nostalgic Hot Wheels.

I love it.  It is great to see Hot Wheels putting more Japanese love into its premium line, and it further solidifies all the chatter that 2014 is the year of JDM at Hot Wheels.

Now how to get it.  To guarantee you can reserve one or two on the day it goes on sale (whenever that will be), you have to be a member of the Redline Club on HWC.  Memberships are sold out for 2013, and 2014 memberships will become available sometime early next year.  They are also reserved for collectors here in the US, which I hope will change someday.

It is our hope here at Lamley that our US-based readers can connect with overseas collectors who want them, and we can all work to get as many as we can to those who want them.  I have no idea how popular this model will be among the US collectors, who tend to favor their Drag Buses and Blown Deliveries, or if it will sell out before it is made available to the general public.

But I hope these can get to those collectors, here in the US and abroad who want them.  Let's figure out something when we know more...