Hot Wheels 1973 Volvo 142 GL: A Welcomed Surprise

The Volvo 140 series, while incredibly historical and influential for Volvo, has mostly been overshadowed by the 240 series. That being said, when Hot Wheels released the teal blue '73 142 GL last year, Volvo fans were shocked. I was too, and my car collector self wanted nothing more than to find one in the store. While that reality didn't come true, I was successfully able to find one on Ebay for a decent price. 

The '73 142 was released for the first time under Hot Wheels' "Car Culture" series. These cars are part of a series, usually of five cars, and produced with finer details (headlights and trim), rubber tires (known as "Real Riders"), and metal diecast bases as opposed to plastic parts. The "Car Culture" series is aimed more towards adult collectors, and typically cost a higher price than a normal Hot Wheels main line casting. The result is a car that looks more true to life than your typical Hot Wheels car. Notably, each release has a sub-series, usually a theme that goes along with each of the five cars.

So far, the 142 has only been released in the Car Culture series. It debuted for the first time in the 2022 AutoStrasse sub-series in two colors. The most common being the teal, as seen here, and the "chase" example in gloss black. The gloss black chase car was released in very limited numbers, making it all the more collectible and rare to find in stores. That being said, finding an example on the collector's market from a third party is not cheap. Most examples of the black 142 fetch more than $70. The 142 appeared again in the 2023 Canyon Warriors sub-series, this time in a vibrant orange, also seen here. I was able to find this one in stores, and no alternative chase car was released for this model.

Obviously, I have only the two examples released so far. It would be great to have the black chase car, but I don't really feel like paying such a huge premium for such a car! I love old Volvos, but not that much! Anyways, I'm really impressed with each of these cars. 

I think it was a great move for Hot Wheels to go for an underdog in Volvo's history. While the 140 series saw great success in its time, it became ultimately overshadowed by the success of its descendants. However, without the 140, we wouldn't have the 240, and the many boxy Volvos we've come to love from the '80s and '90s. I think with the debut of the Hot Wheels 142 GL, more light will be shed on such a historical vehicle. 

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