The Holy Grail Of Hot Wheels Collectibles Is This 1969 VW Surf Bus

Hot Wheels was founded in 1968 by a man named Elliott Handler.

He challenged his design team, which included a General Motors car designer and a rocket scientist to create a toy car that was cooler and performed better than anything on the market. They answered with the first-ever trackable toy car.

Elliott was so impressed by the car’s groundbreaking new wheel design and performance that his first response when he saw it rolling along the floor was, “Those are some hot wheels!” and thus the Hot Wheels brand was born. 

50 years later the die-cast model cars were the best selling boys toy in the world. Elliott’s wife, Ruth Handler, then went on to start Barbie in 1969, which shortly-after became the best selling girls toy in the world. It’s estimated that more than a billion barbie dolls have been sold since they began. Talk about power couples. 

But more importantly, the most expensive Hot Wheels collectors item belongs to Bruce Pascal, a Hot Wheels aficionado from Maryland whose pink VW, Rear-Loading Beach Bomb Surf Bus is now valued at more than $175,000 USD. 

While his collection of more than 3,500 cars are estimated to be worth $1,000,000, it is his 69’ Surf Bus that is the true treasure of his Hot Wheels collection.

Surfers around the globe should be swelling with pride. 

The most coveted Hot Wheels collectible in the world is vaguely related to surfing.