10 Hot Wheels Disney Cars to Make You Feel 10 Again

Mattel has just the series for you if you're a Pop Culture geek like me. Pop Culture continued in 2013 after Nostalgic Brands had left off, and we've seen plenty of exciting vehicles come out year after year. You may remember I recently discussed the 2015 Star Wars set. But that was just scratching the surface of how big this collection is: we've had over 60 sets by now, and it's not over yet.

There are four Disney mixes in Pop Culture alone, containing 20 collectibles. Sure, you'll see other similarly themed products in different series, but we'll deal with those in another story. Today, I'll kickstart the Disney discussion by looking at the first two sets, released in 2018 and 2019.

Volkswagen T1 Panel

You may have noticed that these series constantly rely on trucks and vans to deliver their message. The explanation is rather simple: there's more graphics space than you'd have on sportier castings.

Jun Imai's Volkswagen T1 Panel debuted in Nostalgic Brands featuring a Hershey's livery. It has spent most of its shelf life in the Pop Culture lineup, with occasional Boulevard and Car Culture releases. The 2018 Disney iteration features a metallic purple finish with a white roof: after all, it's a "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" special.

There are no symmetric graphics here. On one side, Snow White is there with the Dwarves; on the other, she's with the woodland critters. The cheapest carded version I spotted costs $19, while the most expensive goes up to $75.

Deco Delivery

The Deco Delivery casting is slightly older, having debuted in 2009. Quite a few of the iterations that year featured Spectraflame paint jobs, although only some also had Real Riders wheels.

You'll see several rare variations, with some amounting to just 500 units from the factory. In 2011, collectors could pick up a Wonder Woman-themed iteration of this van. With just one exception, it has been a Premium model ever since. After sporting a Bounty Hunter theme in 2017, it moved to Fantasia.

While I haven't seen the movie, I noticed viewer reviews reminiscing about the good old Disney days that now seem long gone. I spotted the Deco Delivery selling for as little as $5 on eBay, making me think it wasn't as popular as Mattel intended.

'34 Dodge Delivery

I have never seen the '34 Dodge Delivery in any store near me before. And there is a good reason for that: Mattel shelved the project in 2018. Even more so, this was a Premium-exclusive casting, and I didn't pay attention to those until a few years ago.

The Dodge Delivery spent its entire "career" in Pop Culture (with just one appearance in Nostalgic Brands). With just seven iterations, it went from Iron Man to SpongeBob, then to Batman, Nestle, Scooby-Doo, and finally to Peter Pan.

You'll see Peter fighting Captain Hook on both sides of the vehicle, albeit in two different circumstances. The old Dodge looks pretty good in blue with the Deep Dish Real Riders wheels, and it's great to see you could buy it for as little as $4.

Ford Transit Supervan

Cruella's car is the first vehicle that comes to mind when people think of the One Hundred and One Dalmatians. But there's insufficient space on the Panther de Ville for a large illustration.

The Ford Transit Supervan is a better base for the project and probably the second-best casting in the set (P2 after the VW). Mark Jones designed the Supervan for its 2015 HW Heritage release, and we've seen 12 variations so far. Like the Volkswagen, the Ford Transit uses Turbine Real Riders wheels, and you cannot often buy one for less than $10.

'55 Chevy Panel

The '55 Chevy Panel is the final item in the 2018 Pop Culture: Disney set. It brings back fond memories of The Jungle Book, and "The Bare Necessities" is still one of my favorite songs ever.

You may have seen the '55 Chevy Panel in the 2020 NFT Garage series, but that's not our focus point today. Green seems like the perfect color for the 2018 iteration, and it works great with the gold 5-Spoke Mag-Style Real Riders wheels.

You'll see Mowgli playing with Baloo on one side while the other shows King Louie instead of the main hero. With the story's popularity, don't be surprised that some people are trying to sell their collectibles for over $30.

'66 Dodge A100

Pop Culture started with the Disney set in 2019, which was a fairly exciting reveal. The '66 Dodge A100 is another one of Jun Imai's designs. This Premium-exclusive casting debuted in the 2010 Slick Rides series but quickly became a Pop Culture favorite starting in 2015.

The 2019 Disney model showed up with a Dark Blue finish and Real Riders Larry Wood 5-Spokes wheels. Once again, Mattel opted for different graphics on each side of the van.

But Pinocchio takes center stage on both of them. Just like its predecessors, this item falls under the same price range. Desirable as it may be, this Disney collection would ruin you financially.

Bread Box

If you're a big Dumbo fan, you are probably going to love this 2019 Bread Box iteration. Mattel typically used this casting as a Mail Van, starting with its 2010 release. But it feels equally as good to fill in the role for the Disney set.

Do you realize this movie came out more than 80 years ago? You'll see several Premium iterations of the Bread Box on the market, and the 2013 Milky Way one is my all-time favorite.

But the 2019 Dumbo isn't half bad, either. Interestingly, the designer opted for mismatched wheels front and back, combining the Slotted Real Riders with a set of Mini Real Riders Drag Dish rims. Once again, a sub $10 budget will suffice for buying this collectible.

Volkswagen Deluxe Station Wagon

I would have been surprised if Mattel hadn't included another Volkswagen in this Disney set, too. This time, the diecast manufacturer went for the Deluxe Station Wagon.

Although this casting debuted in 2008, we haven't seen much of it, as only nine iterations are on the market. I don't even remember seeing one up close, although I knew of its existence.

The latest iteration of it appeared in the 2022 Boulevard lineup. The 2019 model is a nod to Alice in Wonderland, and its only downside is that it sits too high off the ground. I'd still rate it 9/10, regardless of that minor inconvenience.

Super Van

The Super Van is by far the oldest casting in today's story. Larry Wood designed it for its 1975 Flying Colors debut, and Mattel released almost 40 variations up until 1985.

The retooled version arrived nearly two decades later, in a limited run of just 12,500 units. It appeared in Pop Culture four times before taking on the Disney set in 2019. The black paint job works great as a background for the Sleeping Beauty graphics, and the van looks phenomenal, rolling on Classic 4-Spoke Real Riders wheels.

I'd rate it as one of the top items in this set, although it's not the most intriguing one. I think I need to rewatch the movie, as I last saw it in the '90s.

3D-Livery

I mentioned that the Super Van isn't the most intriguing casting on today's list. That award goes to the 3D-Livery! Mark Jones designed this strange contraption, and I think it's fantastic.

I can see how this would make a good delivery vehicle as it's half-motorcycle, half-van. I'm not usually a fan of Hot Wheels motorcycle castings, but this one works. Sadly, the diecast manufacturer only released two variations under the Pop Culture umbrella. The first one was a Marvel special, while the second pays tribute to Robin Hood.

"Steal from the rich and give to the poor" could work well if this strange vehicle were used. Am I the only one wishing we'd see at least one more iteration?