Hot Wheels have been making cars for over 50 years now, and they still keep finding ways to suck you in…and that’s not a bad thing. Cue the 2020 Flying Customs line.
2020 Flying Customs on sale at your local Target store or eBay
The 2020 Flying Customs line is a Target exclusive and features eight vintage-inspired castings. While none of the castings are new, they all have awesome retro liveries, throwback Hot Ones wheels, and VINTAGE INSPIRED CARD ART! Seriously – even if I didn’t collect some of these cars I would still grab them because of the card art.
Once you unglue your eyes from that glorious card art, you start to appreciate the physical castings in the line. I was originally just going to feature the 510 and Skyline, but after mulling it over with the best minds behind Lamley, the post was expanded to include all eight cars. So buckle-up and get ready for some retro inspired action.
The Flying Custom set is comprised of eight cars (listed in no particular order):
Nissan Skyline RS KDR30
’71 Datsun 510
’57 T-bird’
’13 COPO Camaro
’68 Nova
Audacious
Custom ’69 Volkswagen Squareback
Custom ’72 Chevy Luv
We’ll take a quick look at each of these models to see why they stand out from the run-of-the-mill mainline.
’71 Datsun 510
The Datsun hype doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon, so I’m going to guess this will be a hot seller. The tangerine paint looks great on the car and contrasts the chrome Hot Ones wheels perfectly. The 510 also gets a cool JDM inspired racing scheme – which is the only “race” car livery of the bunch. The car is a solid, solid buy for the $1.29 Target has them for.
Bonus points for whoever can translate the text on the Datsun!
Nissan Skyline RS (KDR30)
The Skyline is a looker, plain and simple. The midnight blue over gold graphics and black chassis is drool-worthy. Simplicity at its best – no need for crazy tampos on this one! The gold Hot Ones wheels are icing on the cake. JDMmmm!
I think both of the JDM cars are very well done. They each have tasteful tampos, believable color schemes, and look like they could have been released back in the 80’s. I could see the 510 and the R30 pulling up along side the Z-Whiz or 200sx at a Sto & Go Service Center, couldn’t you?
Custom ’69 Volkswagen Squareback
VWs have been hot on the Hot Wheels collectors’ radar ever since the Beach Bomb dropped in 1969. We’ve been graced with several notable Volkswagens since then, including the recent ID car, the radical VW T1 GTR. The Squareback is a great addition to the Flying Customs line and comes decked-out in an almost Mooneyes-ish yellow Hot Wheels livery.
This casting comes with matching gold Hot Ones wheels, but I think it would have looked good with the silver versions as well. The Hot Wheels deco on the rear panels is a nice touch too.
It’s the only German in the release, so I’m sure the VW guys will be pumped not to see another BMW hogging the limelight.
Custom ’72 Chevy Luv
The Luv is the sole truck in the series, and it earns its place as it looks oh so period-correct sitting on those gold Hot Ones.
The truck wears a vintage orange and black Z stripe and it follows the line of the bed just right. The orange Hot Wheels logo added to the fenders are a fitting match as well.
Being the only truck in the line makes me think it may do decent at the pegs too. A solid execution all around for this little Flying Customs Luv.
’13 COPO Camaro
The COPO Camaro is the interesting one of the lot. By design it rolls on skinnies up front, and beefier meats out back…but it’s the only one of the group to not come with an era wheel. It didn’t get a vintage wheel and comes equipped with modern 5SP wheels.
Does rolling on modern stock kill it? Not in my eyes. The bright blue body accented with some 80’s tri-color striping is beautiful. I like the enamel look over the metallic paint, so this is a personal stand-out of the bunch.
My guess is that HWs didn’t have a retro skinny available so it got stuck with a set of “plain” wheels. But hey, it looks rad so no complaints here. Again, a solid buy.
’57 T-Bird
The ’57 T-Bird has been in the Hot Wheels line-up since 1978, ever since it made its debut in the Flying Colors line. The old bird has seen a lot over the past 42 years, and this may be one of the coolest variations of it.
I have to admit I love pink cars. I feel like pink (and purple for that matter) don’t get the love they deserve, and this bird deserves a flock of love. The cool pink base tone paired with a dark pink and orange stripe is utter perfection. This has quickly become my favorite casting in the series.
Another thing you’ll notice is that this is the other non-Hot Ones equipped car. This beaut gets a set of staggered blackwalls and they look magnificent. A serious contender for the best ’57 T-Bird out there.
Audacious
Audacious is the lone fantasy casting in the series, but it’s still a great looking car. While it’s not my favorite fantasy casting ever, the designers did a good job making it look like a vintage casting.
The deep purple paint makes the polished wheels shine even brighter – and the almost satin stripes set the deco off in style. The colors truly make this thing work.
I assume this will be the peg warmer of the bunch, but it shouldn’t be. The paint job alone makes it worth the purchase price.
’68 Nova
Whether it’s a mainline or premium, American muscle cars seem to be a hit with collectors both old and new. The Nova is no exception, especially in this street-machines looking deco.
The green metallic paint is paired nicely with a set of lime green and yellow stripes. A lemon-lime shot of torque coming right up!
From what I’ve read in some of the Hot Wheels Facebook groups, this Nova is fixin’ to be a hot seller. And I agree – my eyes were drawn to it immediately.
The series is full of eight stellar designs and each one is worthy of a feature. Which one is your favorite? Will you be adding the series to your collection?
Whether you’re a fan of the eight cars in this series or not, grabbing them for the card art alone is well worth the investment 🏁
BONUS: Video review of the entire Flying Customs line
What’s going on with the wheels/axles/base of all of these? It seems as if they’re either all on crooked axles or the wheels are slightly conical and they’re all riding on inner edges. I know this happens to a lot of cars, but these seem to be REALLY off compared to others.
The Skyline is VERY ‘80s. Looks like it could have been found on the pegs circa 1983.
I think that is the point.
I’m already pissed off at my local Scalpers on these… They have been clearing out everything but the LUV and Audacious
I will buy all of them just for the Hot Ones wheels. I love the slotted look for customs of older HW.
With the exception of the Skyline and Datsun, the others are gathering dust here. Since this is an ‘80s-themed set, I don’t get why the Camaro and Audacious are in it at all.
I haven’t seen these hit locally yet, but if they’re anything like the past 2 years of Target exclusive Throwback models, I can count on never finding any of the desirable ones.