5 Best Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt Cars of 1998

Even looking at some of my older collectibles, I re-live a particular moment: visiting Tokyo Auto Salon, moving into a new apartment, starting a new job, etc. Most collectors will have a story for every item. And those stories make everything much more exciting than you'd think. Anyway, we're getting close to the end of the TH reviews or the start of the series.

We've gone back through time to 1999; today, we're looking at 1998's line-up. That leaves us with just three more years of Treasure Hunt items. But before we look at some of the best Hot Wheels cars that year, let's remember what 1998 felt and looked like. Seinfeld aired its last episode after a run of almost ten years. Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google in California. The world played some epic titles for the first time, including Half-Life, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, StarCraft, and Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit.

I'd also like to mention Caesar III, to which I've dedicated at least 500 hours of my life. 1998 gave us memorable movies like Saving Private Ryan, The Truman Show, and The Big Lebowski. Mika Häkkinen won his first F1 title that year, with Michael Schumacher claiming P2 by the end of the season.

Mick Doohan went on to win his fifth and final 500cc World Championship. It was Valentino Rossi's first year in the 250cc class, and he finished the season in second place behind Loris Capirossi. Tommi Mäkinen won the WRC title, with Carlos Sainz coming in a close second: just two points behind!

Similarly to what we've seen with the 1999 TH line-up, Mattel didn't use Real Riders for the 1998 series, either. To make things worse, you'll only recognize half of the 12 collectibles, as there was an influx of Fantasy items to deal with.

Choosing the five best vehicles of the year wasn't easy, and I'd only ever buy two of them if it came to that. It could all explain why one seller on eBay is willing to let go of his 1/5000 1998 Treasure Hunt sets for just $150. Before starting, I want to note one more thing: I omitted the 3-Window '34 and the '57 Chevy because I've discussed them in a previous story.

Scorchin' Scooter

I avoided including the Scorchin' Scooter on my "5 Best Hot Wheels Motorcycles" list because it just wasn't good enough to be there. But it's better for today's story than castings like Twang Thang or Turbo Flame. Greg Padginton designed the Scorchin' Scooter for its 1997 First Editions debut.

So, the world only saw two iterations of this custom chopper before the Metalflake Dark Red TH model came along. Interestingly enough, this was the first motorcycle to become a part of the Mainline series. Between 1997 and 2015, Mattel released over 80 iterations, most of which featured the standard MC3 wheel design. Sadly, that goes for the Scorchin' Scooter Treasure Hunt model, too.

You'll occasionally find one for less than $10, but it will cost slightly more most of the time. As long as you're at it, you might as well look up the Scorchin' Scooter Collector Series with 16 NASCAR-themed bikes inside. I would much rather have the 7th Nationals Convention edition, as it featured Real Riders Motor Cycle 5-Spoke wheels.

Kenworth T600A

My grandfather used to work on a big rig back in the day. And yet, to this day, I never knew I liked trucks. Looking at the Kenworth T600A, I want to start collecting this casting. And then there's also the question: Why have we yet to see vehicles like this in today's Mainline series?

Or have I been utterly oblivious to their existence? Larry Wood designed the Big Rig, and Mattel has used this name for it, too. If you don't care about errors or imperceptible changes, there are only a few variations to look for. And for once, the Treasure Hunt T600A is the most exciting one of the bunch. It's about the Metalflake Purple finish and the 3-spoke wheels.

It's slightly odd to see something you'd typically get on a Dodge Viper rolling beneath a big truck, but it works out in the end. Prices for the T600A range between $13 to $40, and you could buy them all while you're at it.

Sol-Aire CX4

If you ask me about my favorite race cars, I'll take some time to answer. I'll list Group B vehicles, GT1 cars, drift vehicles, and the sacred Group C monsters. Mattel released the Group C Fantasy casting for 2023, but I could never justify picking one up. I don't feel the same way about the Sol-Aire CX4. Despite being rough around the edges, it has an OG vibe.

You can't help but love a 1/64th-scale casting with moving parts, and this Group C machine features an opening bonnet that reveals the cast engine. Larry Wood designed this thing, with the original design reaching stores between 1984 and 1989. That was enough time for 14 variations, but more were coming up. With a revised rear wing, the Sol-Aire CX4 thrived for almost 20 years until its demise in 2011.

That adds up to an additional 40+ iterations. After several years of using Ultrahot or 3-spoke wheels, Mattel switched to Wire Spoke rims for the Treasure Hunt. What I like most about it is that its livery takes after the American flag, and it worked out quite nicely. The cheapest Sol-Aire CX4 TH iteration I've seen had an asking price of less than $5, which sounds like a bargain!

Stingray III

The Corvette Stingray III is a Michael Kollins-designed casting that first appeared in 1993 as part of the Demolition Man series. Chevrolet's concept car appeared in that movie but never made it into production as the company chose a different route for the C5.

That didn't stop Mattel from releasing almost 20 variations of this cool convertible. The Treasure Hunt iteration deserved a better color and livery. The silver body featured a rather basic checkered flag design. The 3-spoke wheels are a plus, but the best part about this collectible has to be the red interior.

The Stingray III will not go down in history as one of the best Hot Wheels Corvettes ever. So it's easy to understand why most owners are willing to let it go for $5 or slightly more than that.

Way 2 Fast

Way 2 Fast is another obscure and slightly mad Hot Wheels original casting. Bruce Baur designed this one; the first thing you'll notice about it is that it has two engines. We saw 38 iterations of it between 1997 and 2009. The Full Grid Exclusive Trailer Edition was fantastic as it had Real Riders wheels and flame decals for that hot rod look.

Mattel produced 15,000 units, so it's also a rare appearance. But it failed the test of time, as its current value is less than $20 per item. I'd much rather have a go at the 2007 Street Show model in Metalflake Blue, but let's go back to 1998 for the mission at hand. The dark shade of Gold should have made the casting more appealing, but I'm not sure about the red stripes running down the middle.

The designers in El Segundo opted to use the same 5-spoke wheels that have been standard on the Way 2 Fast for almost 90% of its "career." You can easily find at least five other variations of the casting that are more appealing than the Treasure Hunt model. It may not be worth the extra $10 at all. But that's for each one of you to decide.