The 50 Best Hot Wheels of All Time

The G.I. Joes for child car enthusiasts.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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By the time the set up was complete, you almost needed a machete to cut through the jungle vine-like mess of flimsy yellow plastic. Like the vibrant skin of a tree frog, the blue and red striping on the track should have been a sign that this wasn't a safe place for cars. The daredevil jumps. The near-vertical starting points. The multi-entry intersections with spinning speed boosters. They all meant inevitable steel-crunching crashes. And they were all trademarks of the childhood toy brand that any car enthusiast came to know and love: Hot Wheels. 

The brand was launched in 1968, when Mattel manufactured the first cars as direct competitors to Matchbox cars. Today, Mattel owns Tyco, the brand that created Matchbox cars. Guess we know who won that race, huh? Let's a trip down the yellow loop-de-loop road, where kids learned way before high school physics the lessons of kinetic energy, and count down The 50 Best Hot Wheels of All Time.

Related: The 50 Coolest Matchbox Cars

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50. 1968 Custom Camaro

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49. 1970 Ambulance

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48. 1975 Chevy Monza 2+2

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47. 2000 Seared Tuner

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46. 1971 Cockney Cab

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45. 1976 Gun Bucket

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44. 1994 Killer Copter

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43. 1975 Backwoods Bomb

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42. 2001 Fright Bike

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41. 1975 American Victory

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40. 1972 Funny Money

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39. 1975 Emergency Squad

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38. 1971 Snorkel

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37. 1970 Custom Police Cruiser

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36. 1972 Hot Fire

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35. 1974 Baja Bruiser

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34. 1977 '56 Hi-Tail Hauler

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33. 1975 Sand Drifter

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32. 1971 Team Trailer

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31. 1975 Gun Slinger

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30. 1974 Carabo

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29. 1977 '31 Doozie

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28. 1975 Tough Customer

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27. 1971 Fuel Tanker

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26. 1970 King 'Kuda

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25. 1975 Chief's Special

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24. 1971 Evil Weevil

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23. 1974 El Rey Special

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22. 1981 Peterbilt Tank Truck

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21. 1969 Chaparral 2G

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20. 1975 Ramblin' Wrecker

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19. 1996 Ferrari F50 Spider

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18. 1976 American Hauler

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17. 1969 Classic '57 T-Bird

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16. 1983 Classic Cobra

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15. 1971 Grass Hopper

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14. 1975 Vega Bomb

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13. 1970 Red Baron

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12. 1970 Blue Ed Shaver Custom AMX

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11. 1970 '55 Chevrolet Nomad

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10. 2008 Diamond-Encrusted Custom Otto

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9. 1974 Blue Rodger Dodger

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8. 1996 Volkswagen Drag Bus

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7. 1976 Street Rodder

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6. 1968 Custom Volkswagen without Sunroof

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5. 1976 Corvette Stingray

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4. 1968 Deora

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3. 1971 Purple Olds 442

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2. 1968 Beatnik Bandit

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1. 1969 Pink Rear-Loading Volkswagen Beach Bomb

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