Review – Franken Berry Hot Wheels Custom ’77 Dodge Van

Line: Hot Wheels * Manufacturer: Mattel * Year: 2011 * Ages: 8+

Mattel sure as hell knows how to use their Hot Wheels brand to reach thousands of collectors. And fans of the General Mills “Monster Cereals” have had plenty of opportunity to buy Hot Wheels cars; this latest Franken Berry design is one of several (Amazon.com search*) that have been released over the years . . . and I still want more!

Great Tampos

The basic van itself is a 2008 release that has seen a lot of use (see the Hot Wheels wiki), ranging from standard releases to customs that include He-Man and Franken Berry here. So while the van is a perfectly functional and durable toy, it’s the graphics that make this particular edition special.

And, as you can see in the pics, Mattel nailed the design. A bright pink van with Franken Berry artwork and logo, there’s nothing here to make a Franken Berry collector unhappy. The printing is nice and tight and every bit as professional as we expect to see on Hot Wheels cars. Mattel may make some odd choices from time to time, but as a casual Hot Wheels collector it seems to me as if they can do no wrong with the brand.

I’m betting more dedicated Hot Wheels collectors will disagree with me . . . this is one of those areas where I’m happy to be simply a casual fan who picks up the occasional piece in the line.

It’s Fun!

My Franken Berry Hot Wheels Custom ’77 Dodge Van will simply sit on the shelf — probably with other Franken Berry toys and not with Hot Wheels cars — where it will look neat and collect dust. At $5 it was pricey for a Hot Wheels toy car, but it’s also a bit more involved than the usual $1 cars (the extra metal and rubber tires are special) so I’m not unhappy with what I paid for the toy. It’s a simple and fun collectible, and that’s all I was hoping for when I spotted the toy in the store.

Philip Reed has older Franken Berry cars that he should review. Why? Because taking pictures of toy cars with pink monsters on them is fun.