Model: Morris Wagon
Release: 2012 NHRA Championship Drag Racing
eBay link: Hot Wheels Morris NHRA
Why I’m featuring it: There were plenty of Morris Minors still on British roads when I was growing up in the 80s – no surprise given that more than 1.5 million were made before production ended in 1971. One of several Minor derivatives including a convertible and a widely used van, the Traveller (wagon) was instantly recognizable for its ash-framed rear body.
The Minor was family transport for the masses, including for my grandparents, who owned an early one a couple of decades before I was born. But more than a few Minors were made into drag cars, as celebrated by the Hot Wheels Morris Wagon, which was first issued in 2001.
I confess I’d never paid this model much attention until I found this one recently in a $1 bin at a model shop. It was the Real Riders that caught my eye – this Traveller is from the 2012 NHRA Championship Drag Racing series, which proved to be one of the final outings for this casting.
Decorated as the ‘Candy Wagon’, you’ll find it available for an awful lot less than a certain other Candy-themed Hot Wheels model. It’s a caricature of a car, but the colour combination is good and the wheels suit it well. There are a dozen other versions to find, including a couple of Treasure Hunts from 2004.
For all the memories it brought back, the Traveller isn’t a great fit in my collection, so it’s gone to a friend back in the UK to enjoy. I’d be on board for a stock Matchbox version though – it’s 60 years since the original #46 Morris Minor 1000 was in the range!
(find Hot Wheels Morris Wagon on eBay)
