First Look: Hot Wheels '70 Ford Escort RS1600...

It's an Escort.

Crazy eh? Hot Wheels does a Civic last year, and the folks go nuts. And the model that has the Hot Wheels world abuzz this year? An Escort. And if we were not car nuts, that might sound a little weird. But hopefully most of you are, so you know why an EF Civic and Escort RS1600 are big deals.

And as far as that Escort goes, for us it isn't because of a movie. This is not a car that needed a movie to make it cool. It was already supercool, at least in the UK. It is Japan's Skyline, or the US's Mustang. It has a rich rally heritage, it is beloved in the motherland, and it is a super version of the most common car of the era. And that was well before it jumped a bridge and took on a tank.

And by golly Hot Wheels made one. Who would have thunk? Of course it is because of that Furous and Fast movie, but at least it is here. And the good thing? The movie version is stayed true to a common RS1600 deco from the era, instead of going full custom like most F&F cars. So once we get past the movie hype, hopefully we can excited about more true versions, like an Escort Mexico and additional takes on that superb stock deco:

The RS1600 is a rally racer, so it fits in so well with the tastes of many of our readers, and with us at Lamley. So we are ecstatic to see it in Hot Wheels form. And with that heritage this is a model that will be at its best not as the next subject of Instagram trolling (LOOK! I have 50 and you have none! I am better than you! Don't hate!), but as another classic Hot Wheels car sitting next to models like the Datsun 510, Hakosuka Skyline, Ford Gran Torino, and Chevelle SS. Maybe even some Matchbox gems like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint and Volvo P1800. It can be a part of a diverse, satisfying collection. (I see a future post coming.)

With that in mind, one model we know it looks great next to is this one:

Yeah, that is the hardly-used Hot Wheels Ford Anglia

, which was replaced by the Escort in the UK in 1968. And surprisingly, now we have Hot Wheels versions of both. A bit unexpected, but unquestionably cool:

So yeah, we are all in on the Escort, but maybe not for the same reasons the masses are. This is one cool car, and definitely a highlight of the 2015 lineup...

Hot Wheels Ford Escort RS1600 (2015 New Models):