The Chevrolet Camaro first went on sale in 1966 when 1967 models rolled into car dealerships nationwide. Just over one year later, Hot Wheels, the biggest name in tiny toy cars, developed their own toy version of the Camaro—one by itself would’ve cost just 59 cents.
Today, those toys might be of some small value to many collectors, but one, in particular, is rare enough to command nearly four times the value of a real 2020 Camaro—$100,000 USD.
Hot Wheels cars were shipped in sets and according to Joel Magee, the “Toy Scout” who has appeared on Pawn Stars and at collectors’ conventions nationwide, one set at least held a prototype toy Camaro. It has survived to today, and due to its rarity, it is, in Magee’s words, the Hot Wheels collector’s “Holy Grail.”
Magee indicates the collectible is identifiable by its white enamel paint, which was actually used to hide flaws.
More details from Robb Report:
“There were only a few other white Camaro prototypes known to exist but they were all US models,” Magee told Robb Report. “The guess is that while experimenting with castings and checking quality, a Mattel designer grabbed a Hong Kong casting and mixed it in with the US castings. Boy, it would’ve been amazing to be a fly on the wall when this happened.”
The collector claims that in the 50 years of Hot Wheels’ existence, this is the only known Hong Kong Enamel White Prototype Custom Camaro that has ever surfaced. On top of that, it’s in impeccable condition.
If you’re a collector and the sight of this seemingly innocuous little antique has you mortgaging your house to make an offer, don’t bother—Magee is keeping it for himself, according to Robb Report.
He’ll be showing it at various toy fairs in the years to come.
So, you can either content yourself with searching Amazon and eBay or, you know, buy a less expensive, real Camaro. Just be sure you do it before 2023.