1969 Hot Wheels Grand Prix Lotus Turbine (#6262)
The Lotus Turbine is (1) of (4) open wheel style racers from the Exclusive Grand Prix Series introduced by Mattel for Hot Wheels in 1969. It is (1) of (3) Indy style racers included for this year. Ira Gilford is credited with developing both the series ideal and this casting design.
It is based on the STP backed all wheel drive wedge shaped Lotus 56 car built by Maurice Philippe for Team Lotus and raced at the 1968 Indianapolis 500 by Mike Spence, Graham Hill, Joe Leonard, and Art Pollard. Spence died testing one car. Hill crashed early in the race and Pollard retired early as well. While Leonard as the pole sitter suffered a fuel pump failure with just a few laps to go while leading the race.
It was produced only in Hong Kong and features the standard blue tinted windshield and has a silver painted intake inlet port at the top of the car body directly behind the driver. It is know to have been distributed for at least two years.
Most models were produced with a black interior, but some are known to exist with a champagne/tsn colored insert. These are noted to be hard to find with referenced paint color combinations being aqua, green, blue, purple, red, and orange. An even more rarer combinations with a white colored insert piece is also known. Here the referenced body paint colors are blue, red, purple and green.
Nine (9) Spectraflame colors are known to have been used during the two year production run. In increasing rarity they are - Aqua, Blue, Red, Green, Purple, Orange, Olive, Copper, and Rose.
A red Hot Wheels swoosh decal was applied at the factory. It is found on the body side directly behind the right front wheel. (Making it easily visible while still in the blister pack.) It also came with a seperate water slide decal sheet with the #70 number on a black back ground, a Lotus emlem, and various other sponsor decals.
Reference is made to an early and less common variation of a black painted chassis base used on some castings. And an even rarer occuring silver painted chassis base.
Most castings have medium sized front wheels and large sized rear wheels. Both all medium and all large castings are known. Initially the bearing style wheels were used and then capped wheels. Bearing style wheel sets correspond to the rarer white interiors and painted bases.
This casting was issued with a corresponding smooth tabbed Hong Kong collectors button with a red car image on an orange background.
A water slide sheet of sponsor decals were also included along with a few #70 rondels
Prototypes are commenly found in orange enamel (7), but a single purple and red version are also known. All prototypes have clear glass window pieces and white interiors. A grey plastic set of saddle tank pieces to make the casting more compatible with Supercharger accessories - 5 authentic sets are known.
The orange enamel 1970 catalogue car is accounted for in a private collection.
This casting is one of the five known 'dinner cars' from an event hosted by Mattel during the 1969 New York Toy Fair. Along with chromed castings of the Shelby Turbine and Brabham Repco F-1. This car has a black interior and a blue tinted window piece.
Referenced resources -
http://hotwheels.wikia.com/wiki/Lotus_Turbine
http://www.onlineredlineguide.com/69/69_lotus_turbine/69_lotus_turbine.html
http://www.hwprotos.com/menu-grp-cars/1969/6262-LotusTurbine/6262-LotusTurbine-Hgrp.shtml
http://hotwheels.wikia.com/wiki/Wheel_Types
Milton Fox Racing Mar 17, 2018