When the Hot Wheels Dragstrip Demons were introduced in 2009, they were a big hit. The series, which continued through 2010, featured 18 different castings – 13 of them brand new. They had Real Riders and metal bases, and many were carefully decorated to represent real-life drag cars. So, many of us were excited in 2018 when Hot Wheels brought back the Dragstrip Demons in the Car Culture lineup.
The 2018 edition had five different castings, including the ’55 Chevy Bel Air Gasser, ’65 Dodge Coronet, ’65 Mercury Cyclone Comet, and the two Novas featured here – the ’66 Super Nova and the ’63 Chevy Nova AWB. The amazingly detailed cars are enhanced by beautifully illustrated card art. I wasn’t able to find these locally, but my hunting friend, Brad, sent me these from New Mexico.
The Hot Wheels ’66 Super Nova was first released in 2012 in limited numbers exclusively on HotWheelsCollectors.com. It was offered again through the Red Line Club in 2014 and 2017, then was a Nationals Convention Car in 2018 – all of these in fairly limited production. This is the first variation that is more widely available and the first of this casting that I’ve added to my collection. It is also available in the 2019 Car Culture: Team Transport series, so I will be on the lookout for that one as well.
I’m not sure if this ’66 Nova is based on a real drag car, rather I suspect it is a nod to the legendary Hot Wheels designer whose name appears on the doors.
Hot Wheels | FVN70 | 2018 Car Culture Dragstrip Demons 5/5 | ’66 Super Nova | blue with light blue, gray and white trim | Goodyear rrdrags / rrprf
The Hot Wheels ’63 Nova AWB was first cast for the 2009 Dragstrip Demons series and a second variation was included in the same series the following year. This 2018 release is only the third variation of the car to be produced, though a similar casting, the ’63 Chevy II, has made regular appearances in the mainlines since 2016.
Again, I’m not sure if the livery is based on a real-life drag car, but I see some similarities to the Chevy 2 Much – and the later Chevy 2 Much II – built by Doug Thorley in Southern California.
Hot Wheels | FVN73 | 2018 Car Culture Dragstrip Demons 2/5 | ’63 Chevy Nova AWB | red with light blue, black and white trim | Goodyear rrmag
The Race Case Chevy 