Hot Wheels
| Product type | Scale model cars, racing tracks |
|---|---|
| Owner | Mattel |
| Produced by | Mattel |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | May 18, 1968 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Website | hotwheels |
Hot Wheels is an American media franchise and brand of scale model cars invented by Elliot Handler and introduced by his company Mattel on May 18, 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until Mattel bought Matchbox owner Tyco Toys in 1997.
Many automobile manufacturers have since licensed Hot Wheels to make scale models of their cars, allowing the use of original design blueprints and detailing. Although Hot Wheels were originally intended to be children's toys, they have become popular with adult collectors, for whom limited edition models are now made available.