5 Most Exciting Hot Wheels Ford F-150s

I've moved to the countryside for three weeks and have discovered that my station wagon is no longer enough. You need more than that when carrying lumber, cement, or rocks. My godfather was kind enough to help with his small Italian tractor, but that's too slow for me. It may be time to look into buying a ninth-gen F-Series truck. But I've got other priorities first.

I might stick to starting a new Hot Wheels collection instead. With that in mind, I decided to see how many F-150 castings and variations Mattel has made. Following my investigation, I've come across 15 different models. That adds up to just over 170 variations, making this endeavor costly. I chose the top five castings for this list based on my preferences.

That means your list may look completely different, so let me know how you'd change things up. I noticed that Mattel had 11 designers working on all these castings. Only four drew up more than one vehicle: Michael Kollins, Brendon Vetuskey, Ryu Asada and Mark Jones. Given how popular the F-150 is, I'm surprised the diecast manufacturer has only used the SandBlaster (an SVT Raptor-inspired casting) for the Super Treasure Hunt series so far. But who knows what the future holds? I expected a lot more castings and variations for the model.

But let's swift through those that didn't make the list today. I own the latest Goodyear iteration of the 2009 Ford F-150, but it didn't make the cut for two reasons. First, I'm not a fan of the Super Crew cab style. And secondly, this casting doesn't have a Premium variation to show for. Ry Asada's '17 Ford F-150 Raptor was decent and became a Collector Edition model in 2021. I'd rank sixth on my list, but it was a close call.

There's only one iteration of Vetuskey's Raptor Monster Truck, and I have something else in mind for that department anyway. Older 'Tooned Hot Wheels do nothing for me, but I'd give the 2007 Fright Cars Ford Lightning a go, mainly thanks to its Mag-Style Real Riders. Ron Way's '15 Ford F-150 is even more tedious if you ask me, but I'm more of an old-school guy anyway.

The Ford F-150 Lightning Custom will be around for a while, and I would be surprised if Mattel doesn't release a Premium variation later this year. I also skipped Larry Wood's F-150 Lightning in favor of the newer casting. And there's one vehicle I'm sad Mattel pulled the plug on: the Bad Mudder. Mark Jones designed this for its 1998 release, and it's a replica of Robby Gordon's 1997 Ford F-150 Baja Truck. I've seen one going for $80 on eBay, and it's a shame Mattel couldn't continue the project for some reason. But let's move on to the five F-150 castings I enjoy the most.

Ford F-150

I've listed the five trucks chronologically. That means this F-150 is the oldest casting on the list. Michael Kollins designed it for its 1997 First Editions debut, featuring a simple red finish and five-spoke wheels. The designer in El Segundo transformed it for its second appearance that year by using the same livery as Ernie Irvan had on his Craftsman Truck Series F-150.

Finding this item can be a tricky thing to do if you're not patient enough. The 1998 JC Whitney F-150 featured Real Riders wheels and came in a box instead of a blister card. It seemed like the project would halt in 2003 with the release of the Highway 35 World Race model that had CM5 wheels. However, Mattel retooled the casting, and the lifted version appeared in 2006.

It already felt like an aspiring Monster Truck, and I'm genuinely fascinated by the 2008 Team: Ford Racing iteration. If only it had the RR wheels from the 2015 Pop Culture: Batman series! There are 37 variations to look for if you want both the stock and the lifted trucks!

1979 Ford Truck

The 1979 Ford Truck casting showed up two years after the previously mentioned model. It was part of Walmart Exclusives, and its initial name was the Sam Walton 1979 Ford.

Yes, it was a tribute to the founder of the chain store. And it was great in its simplicity. Out of the 13 variations, five fall under the same them. The 2018 Ford Pickups iteration in black would have been my favorite if it had Real Riders wheels, too.

But this privilege was reserved for the Sam Walton-related items. And that's also the one you will come across most often. Mattel has not released a new iteration of this casting since 2021, which is a shame.

Blue Thunder

Only about a week has passed since I last discussed Monster Trucks. And here I am again. You are already familiar with Blue Thunder if you're a sports fan. But I'll give you a quick history lesson for those who have not heard about it.

While "Kickstart My Heart" was Lucas Stabilizer's theme song, you'll listen to AC/DC's Thunderstruck playing in the arena when the Blue Thunder rolls in. This iconic machine has been around since the start of the 21st century and has had drivers like Lyle Hancock, Matt Cody, and Todd LeDuc.

Between 2003 and 2018, Mattel developed 18 variations of this Monster Truck, and the most expensive one I've seen on eBay has an asking price of $100. Granted, this isn't as fun as an RC toy, but it will still look good on display if you have some crashed cars and some mudd to play with.

'17 Ford F-150 Raptor

When you examine Mattel's Red Line Club exclusive products, things will get pricey. Brendon Vetuskey designed the '17 Ford F-150 Raptor that debuted in the 2018 RLC Exclusive series. Back then, there was still a sense of scarcity to it. There are only 10,000 units of the First Edition model, and you know what that means.

One of the more expensive items costs as much as $300. But if you'd like an autographed version, expect to pay a small fortune for it (how does $2,000 for a single Hot Wheels sound?) The truck looked incredible: the Spectraflame Blue paint job, the opening hood, and the Real Riders Fifteen52 Turbomac wheels all contributed to the success.

Mattel then released a Gulf Version of the Raptor the following year, and it was just as rare. Prices will also vary between $200 and $300 for this one. And then there's the 2021 Spectraflame Light Brown variation, which saw 25,000 units leaving the factory in China. You can still pick one up for $50 or less, but it's also the least exciting iteration of the bunch.

Ford F-150 SVT Lightning

And that brings us to the last casting on our list. I know what you're thinking: would it have been as popular without the Fast & Furious ties? We'll never know. It's the diecast manufacturer's second attempt at the design, as the first one arrived 20 years earlier. Mark Jones designed this premium-exclusive item. But if you prefer spending less on Hot Wheels car, you can always turn to Ryu Asada's mainline version, which has a shorter bed.

Three of the four SVT Lightning variations will bring back memories of Brian Earl Spilner (Paul Walker). Two use Mag Style Real Riders wheels, while the third is on five-spoke Modern rims. The Fast & Furious Motor City Muscle is perfect by all means. And you can buy it for less than $15, which proves it's still an underrated machine.

I noticed the Metalflake Silver iteration wasn't as popular, and at one point, it turned into a real peg-warmer, as we call it, in the community. The Real Riders Exotic wheels were a big plus, but everyone wants the Racer's Edge legacy in their homes. That's about it for my short Hot Wheels F-150 analysis. Should I look into more pickup trucks next?