Best Motorcycle 2014: Kenworth

We have been sitting on this batch for a few days, but it doesn't seem like we need to be that urgent about it. No new premium Hot Wheels have hit the pegs in 2014, and we wonder when that will change.

It is bound to change soon, so here is what to look for when Pop Culture arrives. Pop Culture is really not our thing, but we have the models, so we might as well show them. We will never get too excited about models with cartoon characters plastered on the side, but we will give kudos to Mattel for making models that look really good, with or without the cartoons. The Plymouth Satellite, for example, looks superb in black and red, we just don't need the Tazmanian Devil on the side.

So here they are, including several models being used for only the second time. And be sure to look closely, because the Kenworth and Drag Bus are bound to fly off the pegs once they hit.

Or you can always use ebay

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Hot Wheels 2014 Pop Culture Batch A:

Kenworth W900

VW T1 Drag Bus

'85 Ford Bronco

'40 Ford

'71 Plymouth Satellite

Customized C3500

There are a few things to address with this truck.

The movie the model is from.
The casting itself.
The real reason I like this model so much.
It is going to fly off the shelves when it hits stores.

Let's start with the movie. Smokey & The Bandit. Never saw it. Mainly because it was out in the late 70's and I was under five-years-old at that point. Plus I am sure my parents would have been petrified to let me see it even if I were older. Burt Reynolds in all his mustached glory was probably way too sexy.

I know there were sequels, I know Jackie Gleason and Sally Field were in one or all. I know I have seen parts during a channel surf or two. And I only associate the Firebird with it. But there is a semi, and I am glad there is, because it prompted Hot Wheels to make a very nice version of said classic semi.

Which leads to the model. Maybe it sits too high, but it doesn't bother me. Maybe the wheels are not totally correct, but it doesn't bother me. The fact is it is a classic Kenworth, which is what a truck should look like. Not slanted like the Long Gone, not completely out of proportion like the Custom Convoy (one of my least favorite premium models), just a behemoth, which trucks are. Behemoths. There are a lot of current Hot Wheels semi castings, and even more classic castings. While I think some can legitimately argue that some classic castings are better (I don't agree), to me there is no doubt this is the best current semi casting Hot Wheels has done. By a mile.

And why do I like so much? Because I loved Kenworth trucks as a kid. And the '75 W900 would have been the truck that I fell in love with. (Yeah, I know. Surprise. A little boy likes trucks. That is SOOOOOO unique John. Here is a medal.)

But I did, and in pure kid fashion, I arbitrarily picked Kenworth as my favorite. And according to my parents, I did it at a very young age. In the grand old days of the 70's family vacation, I apparently stood (yes, stood) in between my father (who was driving) and mother in the station wagon and pointed out every truck that would be heading the opposite way. And I got especially excited when I saw the Kenworth badge sitting right on the truck's nose. When I was tiny, I made sure to single out every truck by pointing at it and yelling "TRUCK!" "TRUCK!", only using "f" in place of "tr" was apparently a lot easier. My clean-mouthed parents apparently got quite the kick out of my foul-mouthed toddler-hood. I probably said more f-words before I was 3 than I did from 4 to 18. I loved fu...uh...er...trucks.

And the fact that a 2-your-old Sam Kinison grew up to be me is the main reason I love this truck. It may have hauled beer for Burt, but even better, it made me cuss in front of my parents. Happy times...

(Find the Hot Wheels Kenworth on ebay