Review – Hot Wheels Fright Cars – Red Baron

Line: Hot Wheels * Manufacturer: Mattel * Year: 2009 * Ages: 3+

A classic, classic Hot Wheels car, the Red Baron’s history is summarized over at the Hot Wheels Wiki as follows:

“The story behind this casting is complex – in 1968 (possibly due to the popularity of the “Peanuts” cartoon character Snoopy’s imaginary battles with the Red Baron) Monogram introduced a model kit of a stylized hot-rod incorporating a WWI German infantry helmet (Pickelhaube) and an Iron Cross motif on the radiator. In 1969, Chuck Miller built a working life-size version of the car, and the Hot Wheels casting appeared in 1970.”

I was a bit surprised to see this released as part of the Fright Cars series — it’s weird, sure, but it doesn’t exactly scream “Halloween” at me — but since it’s a classic car I figured I should grab one for my growing Hot Wheels collection. And I’m glad that I did, because I remember playing with the original back in the late seventies, and I had forgotten just what a wicked, wacky machine this thing actually is.

The Red Baron’s a heavy car, with the body, chassis, over-sized helmet, and engine all constructed of metal. The interior’s beautifully decorated in orange plastic, with bucket seats and a long steering column, and I’d love to see one of these in 3.75-inch scale (my stormtroopers would look amazing in this thing).

The car’s decorated with the Hot Wheels pumpkin logo on the sides of the helmets and flaming skulls on the fenders. Other than that, the car’s matte and gloss black with the shiny metal engine, black tires, and orange wheels. Definitely a Halloween-styled colorway!

The Red Baron is a bit heavy on the rear axle, and the wheels don’t spin quite as well as some other cars, but it’s possible that the weight comes in handy when the car’s screaming down a track. I think my car might be a little defective; anyone know how to get Hot Wheels’ wheels to spin a bit faster?

Closing Thoughts

There’s not a lot to say. The Red Baron looks fantastic — as you can see in the photos — and it feels pretty retro. Which we should expect from a car design that hasn’t been modified since it was created in the sixties. If you’re a fan of Rat Fink-styled cars then the Red Baron is the car for you. I know it’s a design that I’m enjoying.

Philip Reed knows that he doesn’t need a collection of die cast cars, but they’re just too cool to ignore. And now that he’s been reading Juxtapoz Car Culture things aren’t getting any better.