10 Exciting Hot Wheels Ford Garage Cars

I haven't realized how to display my Hot Wheels collection once I have a man cave. I have seen various solutions online, including tire cutouts, wooden shelves, glass displays, etc. But I guess I'll cross that bridge once I get there. Until then, I keep finding fascinating collections from years past, which I'll gladly share with you. Larry's Garage series debuted in 2009, and Mattel continued with the Hot Wheels Garage in 2010 and 2011. I've been fond of the latter due to its Italian Supercar lineup: the Ferrari Garage.

In a previous story, I've looked at the 25 coolest Hot Wheels Ferraris, so I'll skip this one for now. Then there are the GM Garage and Mopar Garage collections, as expected. The Volkswagen Garage lineup was not as extensive, but it was still a good catch. You could kickstart a nice display with either Hot Wheels Garage set (one with 20 cars and the other with 30 items inside). But for now, I will focus on the Ford Garage collection.

It featured 20 different castings and 30 iterations if you account for the multipack exclusives. I had difficulty locating three of those iterations, which could mean many things. But adding up the remaining ones, I've found how much you'd have to pay to acquire the entire lineup. At best, you're looking at a $500 budget; at worst, it could be double that figure. It's not the most expensive Hot Wheels collection on the market, and it's quite decent, considering we are talking about premium castings.

Choosing the 10 most exciting stories for this story was easy for me. But as I've always mentioned, your list may look completely different. As a quick note, some vehicles I didn't include here are the '65 Mustang Fastback, the '56 Ford, the '73 Ford Falcon XB, and the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. I also skipped the three Mercury cars and two more first-gen Mustangs, so that's that.

'67 Shelby GT500

Kevin Cao designed the '67 Shelby GT500 for its 2010 Mainline debut. Despite being around for less than two years, Mattel released seven variations before the Ford Garage appearance. It was the first GT500 to feature a metal base and Real Riders wheels.

The Metallic Olive Green paint job was a fantastic choice combined with the white stripes, while the 20-Car Set exclusive GT500 wasn't as impressive in ZAMAC and black.

I'm also not a fan of the Larry Wood 5-Spoke RR wheels and judging by prices on eBay; I'm not the only one. The first iteration will cost as much as $60, while the most expensive ZAMAC will only take $45 out of your pocket. However, the entry-level price is similar for both at around $30.

'66 Ford Fairlane GT

The '66 Ford Fairlane GT is one of my favorites on this list. Phil Riehlman designed this casting, which debuted in 2009. With 10 iterations popping up before the Ford Garage series, this moment marked its jump to Premium, just like we saw with the GT500.

Choosing between the Metallic Black and the Metallic Teal models sounds like Mission Impossible, so you might as well get them both. It only costs you less than $45, which is at least $20,000 cheaper than buying the real thing.

'67 Ford Bronco

If I had to choose just one casting out of the entire collection, this would be the one. The older Broncos are so much cooler than the newer ones (either that, or I'm too nostalgic to get with the times). It doesn't surprise me that Brendon Vetuskey designed this model; most of his work is fantastic!

One more interesting thing about it is that it's a Premium-exclusive model! All 12 variations between 2011 and 2019 had a metal base and Real Riders wheels. Four became part of the Ford Garage series in 2011, also its debut year.

The 30-car set exclusive iteration in Metallic Olive Green is what I'd call Hot Wheels perfection! But the Baby Blue paint job is just as good! I couldn't find the Tan Bronco, but the other three combined will cost between $70 to $150.

Shelby Cobra 427

The Shelby Cobra 427 is one of the oldest castings here. It's one of Larry Wood's designs from the '80s, so it has a rather extensive background. But allow me to put a number on that claim: 74 iterations.

That's how many different Cobra 427s showed up before the two Hot Wheels Garage items. I might someday muster the courage to calculate how much the entire collection would cost. But I couldn't even come across the Dark Gray Cobra from this set. Meanwhile, the ZAMAC will require a budget of $18 to $40.

'62 Ford Mustang Concept

Here's one vehicle you may not remember ever seeing before. One of my colleagues discussed the history of the '62 Ford Mustang Concept some time ago. And I must confess I've never seen one in the real world.

In over a decade, Mattel has only developed 11 variations of the Mustang Concept. Today's iteration on our list is the only one to have achieved Premium status, featuring a Satin Black finish and 5-Spoke Mag-Style Real Riders wheels. It's one of the most accessible Fords in the collection, with prices ranging from $8 to $18.

'70 Ford Mustang Mach 1

You can't have a display of Ford cars without a Mach 1 in it, won't you agree? The '70 Mustang Mach 1 is one of the few castings with just one iteration in the Ford Garage series. But it looks great in black and yellow, a color combo we've seen on several iterations before.

The stance seems slightly off, with those huge rims on the back, but let's not forget that function > form. I was surprised to see listings for $12, but the pricier ones will get up to as much as $45.

'64 Ford Falcon Sprint

Some Ford enthusiasts may tell you that the '60s were the golden years of automotive development. Nostalgic or not, Mattel supported that affirmation with another model from that period: the Falcon Sprint. It started as a simple, Mainline casting in 2007, with a second variation coming out in 2008.

However, it became a Premium exclusive beginning with the 2009 RLC sELECTIONs iteration. Sadly, we only saw three more releases since that moment, and the project seems to have been "offline" since 2016.

The livery on the Ford Garage model wasn't exactly what you'd call flashy, but it was still good enough to leave a lasting impression. You'll need somewhere between $25 to $45 to buy the Falcon Sprint. That is a breeze compared to the rarer RLC version, which can go up to $255.

'70 Ford Torino

The '70 Ford Torino is yet another loner on this list, with just one release in the Ford Garage series. Jun Imai takes credit for designing it before its 2008 debut. The Convention model that appeared that year was certainly rarer but not as good-looking. Matte Black is a fantastic choice for the sleek body shape of this forgotten muscle car.

With the Moon Disc wheels on, it looks ready to take on the Bonneville Salt Flats, and one can almost hear the 429 ci (7.0-liters) V8 rumbling away at high speeds. $12 to $24 sounds like a bargain to me, and I'm adding this iteration to my bucket list right now.

'10 Ford Shelby GT500

The '10 Shelby GT500 looks like it just drove into the wrong neighborhood here, as it's the only modern Ford in the entire collection. But diversity always goes a long way with these sets, and seeing something different is refreshing. Phil Riehlman designed this one, and Mattel released four iterations before coming up with the 2011 Premium model.

The color combo is rather unexpected, and I rarely like Hot Wheels cars with blue wheels. But they pulled it off with the Shelby, which might explain why some people listed it for as much as $43.

'72 Ford Ranchero

The last model on the list is the '72 Ford Ranchero, another iconic Larry Wood design. It's also the second item here to feature Moon Disc wheels. Throwing flames onto the Satin Blue paint job doesn't feel like such a brilliant idea today, but I'm sure older collectors will disagree.

There are quite a few special Ranchero iterations to keep an eye out for, including a Super Treasure Hunt release. That could take as much as $60 out of your wallet, while the Ford Garage version will typically go for about $30, give or take.