Six Wheeled V-12 Gremlin With Original Paint!

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Wow, look at this, six wheels, a V12 that’s half as long as the car, all wrapped up in a metallic candy blue AMC Gremlin! Must be some sort of prototype or something…what’s that? You say it’s only 2 inches long? Hey! Well, it’s located in Flint, Michigan (how did it survive without rusting?) and is up for sale here on eBay, where spirited bidding has the price up to $394.00 (!) as I write.

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Okay, in all seriousness, we were struck by the apparent value of this Gremlin, named Open Fire by the Mattel Hot Wheels designers in 1972 (the only year of production until it was reproduced in 2008). The blue is listed as “…rare, very expensive and difficult to find” on this website. I’m guessing that’s what has driven the price so high for a less than pristine example. And yes, I am aware that Hot Wheels have sold for more than this–according to this list of the top ten most valuable Hot Wheels, there’s a pink VW bus that went for $72,000 (!!!!!)

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As you can see, the underside is very clean, with plating still in place and the suspension still taut. Those red line tires are probably getting a bit old in the tooth, though. According to the price guide here, this is a little high, but the guide doesn’t mention an add on for that rare blue paint. Now I’m an AMC fan, and anything with six wheels and a V12 strongly appeals to my love of oddballs, but this seems a little high priced for a car I can carry in my palm. I should note after that comment that there are somewhere around 1,000 model cars in Jamie’s household in various scales, with a lot of them being 1:64 like this one. What do you think? Do any of you collect rare Hot Wheels? Is this a good deal?

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Comments

  1. RoughDiamond

    I have that particular Hot Wheel Gremlin in the more common gold color in mint condition. It seems that right now one of the most in demand Hot Wheels is the ’70 Olds 442 with the original rear wing and tampos.

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  2. RoughDiamond

    Never seen a blue one. I have that same Gremlin in the more common gold color in mint condition. It seems right now that one of the “hottest” Hot Wheels in terms of supply and demand is the one year only ’70 Olds 442 with the original rear wing and tampos.

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  3. Birdman

    I’m a collector..I have upwards of 1000 Hot Wheels, Matchbox,etc…. I’m very leary on this car. Most of my 1960’s and early 70’s cars have a solid metal, unpainted bas and do not have the name of the car on the bottom either. My gut tells me this is a 2008 repainted and trying to be passed off as a 1972. I have found the Wiki sites for Hot Wheels do at times miss some of the variations in color, production country, etc. But the 1972 model would be a bare metal base, where the 2008 has the chromed base…. I would want to see this thing in hand, and go over it with a magnifying glass…. even at that, personally, I have a hard time with spending $10 on a car..never mind $400…. On this one, I say buyer beware and enter with white gloves and do not buy without further investigation. But I will also publicly say this.. I could be wrong…it wouldn’t be the first time, won’t be the last…. and if I am, I do apologize.

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    • MH

      I understand about the plated underbody. But it has the old style wheels. Did he change everything?

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      • Birdman

        It’s possible…. I’m a member of a website where people modify their Hot Wheels and race them… so definitely possible… not saying they did, but it is possible…

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    • Angrymike

      I guess I’m not as crazy as some of my friends say, I also collect hot wheels, but mostly newer greenlight muscle cars and the like, I’ve been told more than once I was crazy for “throwing away” money on lil cars. Hey, if I didn’t become the billionaire that I dreamed of with a 200 car garage, at least I can look at what has been an obsession for my entire life !
      I blame my father for buying the 67 Pontiac 2+2 and then trading it in on a 69 Road Runner ! 😂

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    • CATHOUSE

      Birdman, I would suggest that you go back and relook at your cars. If you have original redline Hot Wheels you will find that they will have the name of the car cast right into the base. Matchbox cars of the 60s-70s will also have the car name on the base.

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  4. RoughDiamond

    My apology for commenting twice as the initial post did not show up after I clicked on “post comment” and refreshed the screen.

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  5. Larry K

    Was my favorite. Don’t know what happened to it.

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  6. Jeffro

    I’ve had plenty as a car crazy kid. Would take to school and trade. As an adult, I still collect but specifically 68 &69 pontiac GTO’s. I can’t afford a full size version so I settle for 1:64 size.

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  7. SWM

    My mother gave mine away. I do not want to talk about it anymore.

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    • Birdman

      It’s ok… We’re here for you…

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    • Jeffro

      I’m sorry she did that. But tell I said thanks for all the Hot Wheels.

      Sorry…but I couldn’t resist

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      • Alan (Michigan )

        Funny!

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    • Mike Reese

      Yeah, I know how you feel … can’t blame my mom, though, I gave mine away when i got serious about a girl … and she turned out to be NOT worth it!!

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  8. jimjim

    We had a similar, blue full-size 76 gremlin growing up (only four wheels, not six) that my Dad bought new and kept for about 15 years. Not sure where that car is now, but doubt it is worth as much as this one.

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  9. OA5599

    Back in the day I had a collection that I traded away to a friend for a bunch of Estes Rocket engines…seemed like a good idea at time.

    Some of them were in a wheel-shaped rally case… and the rest in a shoebox.

    I was a fan of the Jack Rabbit Special!

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  10. JW454

    Interesting. At one time, I heard Mattel was the largest auto maker in the world. They may still be.

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  11. Blindmarc

    My dad sold all 4 wheel cases of mine, at a flea market for $5.00. I was 12 and didn’t talk to him for a month. My favorite was the “boss hoss” in chrome. It was a hemi 69 barracuda.

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    • 68custom

      I have a cereal promotion Boss Boss but it is a chromed 68 mustang fastback.

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    • Poppy

      Did he at least let you keep the fiver?

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      • Blindmarc

        Yes, and I bought a bicycle with it.

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    • CATHOUSE

      The Barracuda was called the King Kuda. It was a part of the Spoilers series.

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      • Blindmarc

        Thanks! I loved that one.

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  12. 68custom

    oops make that a Boss Hoss . Were did the edit function go?

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  13. Alan (Michigan )

    Ka-ching!

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  14. stillrunners

    Still have my first – a 68 Charger in blue….though I was already a Cuda kid…..I didn’t like the – think it was lime? color they came in at first …..changed the front wheels like by 1969 with the little ones that came on something else……will need to look at my Red Barron….I bought a buddies collection…..

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  15. 68firebird

    We had an orange Gremlin when I was a kid. We got t-boned at an intersection. It was totaled, but no injuries. Solid car.

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  16. Mark

    Does anyone notice that if you look at it backwards it looks a LOT like a Dodge Deora concept truck from the 60’s?

    One with a V12 and a tag axle that is……

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    • Mark S

      Good point I thought the same thing I just couldn’t remember where I’d seen one.

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    • Jeffro

      Wow. It looked familiar. After I read your comment it became clear. Nice catch!

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  17. Nic Brown

    I remember playing with them in the sandbox. Buried them in the Fall and dug them back up in the spring, simply cause it was like finding treasure. Now some of these are worth as much as treasure. Maybe I should go back to my childhood sandbox and see what I can find.

    LOL, if we only knew!!!
    Now I collect a few and we don’t even open the packages….Things have changed!

    Nic

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  18. Tommy

    Drop a chevy small block in it and resto rod it!

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  19. Dave

    This car does have the Hong Kong base, I believe after ’70 Mattel shifted production there from their Hawthorne California plant. It might be the angle of the picture but it looks like a crack in the base in front of the rear rivot. I’m curious as to why the base rivots are different. I’d want to see this car in hand before I was to bid on it

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    • Birdman

      Since you mention the rivets, is it me or do those look like regular pop rivets rather than the rivets the use on Hot Wheels? Again, I could be wrong….

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  20. James Cofer

    I’ve got this car as well this is the only thread I’ve been able to find it on

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