We have spent a couple of posts on the mysterious appearance of the Treasure Hunt logo on the card of the Fiat 500 Police car. We even dug deep trying to find the logo in the stripe on the deco.
The Rogue Hog is the Treasure Hunt in this batch, but the logo also appeared on the Fiat. Yet the Fiat was showing up 2 to 3 per case, obviously suggesting is wasn’t. Could it be that the Fiat was supposed to be a TH but was pulled? Or is this something new the Hot Wheels is doing?
It has obviously attracted the attention of collectors, as we have seen Instagram posts of folks picking up every Fiat they have found, assuming it is something special.
So what is the answer?
I got the answer from a contact at Mattel, and it is riveting:
We solved the Fiat mystery and the answer isn’t very interesting. It was added inadvertently to the card and no one caught it.
There it is. Exciting eh?
So it isn’t a Treasure Hunt. But then again, it appears every model in the back has the logo on the card, so I can we say it actually is? That is up to you. I open everything, and base my collection on the models I like, so it matters little to me. But if having the logo means you want to buy them all, have at it. It isn’t a TH on Mattel’s list, but it can be on yours…
I put it in the same category as the red Viper from 1996. It was a mainline car on a Treasure Hunt card.
It looks a little treasure that I'll be hunting out. HW's Fiat 500 captures the look and character of the real 500. Chris
So said wikia.com: “…Like new models, the 2013 Treasure Hunts were mixed in with the normal cars, identifiable by a small flame symbol…” (http://hotwheels.wikia.com/wiki/Treasure_Hunts), besides the Treasure Hunt logo on the card.
What can be said about the “Origin of Awesome 5” 5-pack? (here: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Em5KbTc8pX0/VS730Oai8nI/AAAAAAAAZeE/8w2cR34MiPw/s1600/IMG_7968.JPG) are them all THs?
So although this has been settled there is much to be asked about this “misprint”.
As shown is the “US card” however the international release (with just a “circle-flame” logo) [https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D6iVQVx6FWc/maxresdefault.jpg] kinda imply that the Fiat was supposed to be a TH release but pulled out the last minute in favor of the hog or there was a major screw-up on the print order.
I'm not familiar with Mattel's process but I do assume that the international and the US go to different areas of printing. If so, the reason why I think that the “intent” on the Fiat TH was clear until somebody made the last stop.
And they made that “inadvertent error” on both the long card and the short card? I call b.s.
And they made that “inadvertent error” on both the long card and the short card? I call b.s.
I have one that has a small blue logo directly under the plastic casing. What exactly does that mean?
I have one that has a small blue logo directly under the plastic casing. What exactly does that mean?
Hi, I have this nice car and I thing the HW logo is at the end of the yellow line, above the back tire.
Is a stylized logo.