5 Best Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt Cars of 2001

I've dug further through Mattel's Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt series in recent months. I've already looked at almost 20 years of special collectibles. Seeing that it all started in 1995, we still have seven more sets to look through. Today, I'll be reviewing the 2001 lineup. But first of all, let's set the stage and remember what that year was like.

George W. Bush officially became the 43rd President of the United States in January. In February, Dale Earnhardt tragically lost his life on the final lap of the Daytona 500 race. Apple introduced the Mac OS X operating system in March, while Microsoft launched its XP system several months later. I also remember being shocked by the September 11 attacks, as every single news station around the world was reporting the topic. But at least 2001 gave us some incredible movies, including the first installment of the Lord of the Rings series, The Fast and the Furious, Down to Earth, and Ocean's Eleven.

If music helps you remember distant moments in time, Nickleback released How You Remind Me that year. And the world was still listening to Outkast's "Ms. Jackson," which had debuted one year prior. Over at Mattel, the Treasure Hunt series featured 12 items as usual. But one was a motorcycle, the Blast Lane. Three more featured non-Real Riders wheels, while the Deora wore the ugly Red Line rims. That leaves me with seven collectibles to go down from for my top five list. We already discussed the Rodger Dodger in a previous story, while the Pontiac Rageous concept is anything but exciting.

'65 Corvette

Mark Jones designed the '65 Corvette for its 2000 First Editions debut. It featured a simple black finish with a contrasting red interior, and it was great. Mattel upgraded it to Treasure Hunt status for the second iteration, which arrived the following year. It had an Enamel Red paint job and a white interior this time. But the Chromed Deep Dish Real Riders wheels were the cherry on the cake.

This TH would be just as popular in 2024 as it was back then. Its market value ranges from $10 to $80, whereas the complete 2001 TH set will cost slightly over $200. Mattel would release an additional 35 variations of this casting until 2020. That's right, no new model has come out since that year.

Given that the previous four were all Multipack Exclusive items, this casting may be a thing of the past. The most expensive iterations of the '65 Vette are the 2005 RLC sELECTIONs 'Vette and the Spectraflame cars from the Hot Wheels Classics 2 series. But you'll still be able to get the entire collection for a reasonable budget.

Roll Cage

The Roll Cage debuted around the same time as the '65 Vette. You can quickly tell what Mark Barthold intended with this design. With the new Mad Max universe movie coming up this year, this casting may serve as a base for a themed series. Even though we last saw it in 2019, it has had two re-tools with 25 variations in between.

Most featured a metal base, always a big plus for collectors. The First Edition model featured a yellow paint job and Saw Blade wheels with Off-road tires. Only the first few iterations used the same wheel design, and sadly, Mattel decided to switch to a 5-spoke setup starting in 2002. But before that happened, the TH variation was a rather spectacular appearance. If you're an off-road enthusiast, I'm sure you'd like to have this collectible on display at home.

With no fenders to cover the tires, you get a clear view of them, and you'll forget this is just a fantasy casting. It's a shame that the spare tire is not part of the RR lineup, but that's one way of reducing costs. Price-wise, you can expect to pay anywhere between $5 to $40 for the Roll Cage TH.
So please use common sense before spending more than necessary for one.

So Fine

Gary Saffer drew inspiration from the 1951 Buick Roadmaster to design the So Fine casting. It's just as old as the previous two items but went extinct long before they did. Between 2000 and 2015, Mattel released 30 iterations, only five of which rolled on Real Riders wheels.

The 2001 Treasure Hunt variation was first in line, and one should pay attention to avoid confusing it with the base model. The latter has the same color on the outside but no tinted windows and a regular set of wheels. What's even better about the TH So Fine is that it has White Wall tires, something you'd expect from a car over 70 years old.

Price-wise, it's the same old story: $10 to $30 will allow you to add this item to your collection. A lot of eight variations could even kickstart the whole adventure for less than $60 if you're keen on reaching that point.

'67 Dodge Charger

You may have noticed the lack of Japanese cars on this list, which shows how different things were back in 2001. Something like this may become inconceivable ten years from now. But Dave Weise's Dodge Charger was exciting enough to make you forget about this minor issue. The First Edition featured a tedious Grey paint job but a fun red interior and PR5 wheels.

Mattel quickly addressed the issue by switching to yellow on the outside, black for the cabin, and Chromed Deep Dish Real Riders wheels. Let's be thankful for the wheel diversity we have today. The livery for the TH was slightly overcrowded, but then again, you'd expect something like this from a race-ready vehicle.

I've spotted two of these collectibles for just under $60 on eBay, which is unsurprising. You can still find several for less than $20. With 35 variations coming out until 2012, you're looking at anywhere between $500 to $1,000 for the complete collection. You'll be fine if you stay away from the one with a $5,500 price tag.

Olds 442

The last item on today's list is the Olds 442. Michael Kollins designed it, and it's the oldest one here. It made its debut in 1993 as part of the Demolition Man series alongside eight more vehicles. Mattel released a limited edition run of 7,000 items for the Greater Seattle Toy Show the following year.

Despite the scarcity and the Goodyear Real Riders, you can still pick one up for less than $50. 1995 was a big year for the Olds 442: it was part of the first-ever Treasure Hunt series with a 10,000-unit limit per collectible. I've seen a few of these selling for over $200! The 2001 TH was the 22nd iteration of the casting and featured a Metalflake Blue finish.

It's one of my favorite items on the list, and I'm surprised that most sellers have listed it for less than $20. If the name rings a bell, you may remember Mattel used an Olds 442 in the Mud Runners series in 2022. There are several other similar castings to look for if you're a fan of the model. Have fun spending all your money if you decide to get them all!