First Look: Hot Wheels '76 Greenwood Corvette Toys R Us Mail-in Exclusive...

Ok, I am feeling a little overwhelmed. Here is what is on the docket for the blog:

First Look: Hot Wheels Simpsons Family Car
First Look: Matchbox BMW M5 Police
First Look: Matchbox Ford Cargo
First Look: Matchbox Dodge A100
First Look: Matchbox Everett Marshall Charities Exclusives
A look at all the upcoming 2015 and 2016 Matchbox models
A look at all the preproduction models donated by Mattel to the Gathering Auction
An interesting history on the donated prepro that I won at auction
Larry Scaduto's final Matchbox Ambassador Report and Gathering roundup

That is a lot. And I leave for vacation today. Yikes.

But I will chug along and get all of this out to you. There is too much interesting stuff to keep you waiting, especially those upcoming Matchbox model pics.

Looking at what I need to get to, I see a lot of orange, and that is to be expected, considering I just returned from the Gathering. But blue deserves a bit of attention, and they have provided a beauty that is definitely worthy of a full post.

That model is the latest mail-in promo from Hot Wheels, the Toys R Us exclusive '76 Greenwood Corvette. I don't pursue all the Hot Wheels mail-ins, but when I do, it is because it looks like the Greenwood.

The Greenwood is a special model, and happily Mattel knows it. I could argue that amid a sea of Skylines, Porsches, and that infamous Datsun Wagon, Jun Imai's true design gem is the Greenwood. Who knows if it was Jun or another designer who chose the Greenwood for the HW Racing line a few years ago, but whoever did made an inspired choice. It is a loud, over-the-top racing model, with enormous - ENORMOUS! - flared wheel wells, a huge nose, and something resembling headlights. The result is an unforgettable Hot Wheels Corvette, that no one can complain about because it is based on the real model.

And this summer it became extra special. John Greenwood, the legendary racer behind the car, passed away earlier this month. We certainly pass our condolences onto his family and friends, and can think of no better way to remember him by showing the fantastic casting based on one of his most iconic cars.

If you were to only have one Greenwood Vette in the collection, it would still be the Hot Wheels Racing version, which sports the actual racing livery. But it makes more sense to have all, and considering the premium treatment this model continues to get, that can be hard. You need the Racing, two basics, a Super TH, the 2015 Nationals Finale Car, and now this mail-in. Hard to do, but totally worth it. All are handsome models.