5 Most Exciting Hot Wheels Six-Wheelers

Of course, those with four wheels are the most common, and everyone knows about them. In a recent story, I reviewed some of the best-looking motorcycle castings. One of them had three wheels, and that was pretty cool. But in my voyage through Hot Wheels history, I've encountered some attractive six-wheel vehicles. As you can imagine, most of them are school buses, trucks, or some fantasy machines designed by the team in El Segundo.

You may remember that I talked about the GMC Motorhome back in 2022. I still haven't bought a single iteration of this casting, but it's on my list. I have selected the ten most exciting Hot Wheels six-wheelers for this story. But I will split the review into two parts, given it's rather extensive. I do have a few honorable mentions, to begin with. The Tyrrell P34 lasted only a few years, between 2010 and 2013, but that was enough to reach Treasure Hunt status.

Space fans will surely like to get a glimpse of the Radar Ranger, and it makes me think of Michael Bay's Armaggedon. The Greyhound MC-8 casting has been gone for 40 years, but that doesn't make it any less attractive. I have seen a few going for over $100 on eBay. Cabbin' Fever is an unlicensed casting that ran between 2000 and 2012. While I don't usually care about fantasy vehicles, this one could make the list if you want a six-wheeler.

Racer Rig/Moving Van/Fire Engine/Team Trailer (1970/1971)

You'll notice that I've listed the selected castings chronologically. And the first model is more of a trifecta. The Moving Van, Fire Engine, and Racer Rig featured the same futuristic-looking cabin.

Ira Gilford designed the first two, with some help from Larry Wood on the third casting. The Moving Van and the Fire Engine were only available in 1970, while the Racer Rig was only on the market in 1971. Some more digging will reveal a fourth casting called Team Trailer, which is just as excellent. The four castings add up to 18 variations, most of which feature a Spectraflame paint job.

I love how the Racer Rig looks like a primitive Team Transport model. Mattel should pay tribute to this casting by releasing an updated new model in the series soon! Given their age, these items will be costly. I've seen multiple Racer Rigs going for $300 or more! But the Fire Engine and Movin Van can quickly rise to $1,000 apiece.

Ford LTL (1982-1992)

Mattel came up with the Ford LTL some ten years later. Larry Wood worked with Bob Rosas on completing the design, and it debuted in the 1982 Steering Rigs series. It featured a blue paint job and Basic Wheels, but it looks good enough even by today's standards.

The world saw several variations of the LTL that year alone, some towing a trailer behind them. After an almost decade-long hiatus, the casting returned with a new iteration as part of the Bigfoot Champions Monster Rig set. It reminds me of my love for Monster Trucks, and I've been watching the sport recently.

The last iteration of the Ford LTL had a similar mission, but this time, it was towing the Auto Palace Monster Truck. The most expensive version of this casting I have ever seen has an asking price of $280. So, a $500 to $1,000 budget should buy you the entire collection.

Long Shot (1983-2016)

I never knew I liked big rigs so much until I started digging for tiny Hot Wheels replicas. Larry Wood designed the Long Shot for its 1983 Mainline debut. Mattel released two variations and seemingly dropped the project.

But the casting returned nearly 30 years later: it now had several visual upgrades and a new name (Long Gone). Its 2012 "The Hot Ones" revival was spectacular in Metalflake Dark Red with series-specific wheels. In 2013, it graduated to Boulevard, but it looked somewhat strange with the Moon Disc wheels. Mattel made 4,500 units of the RLC sELECTIONs model in Spectraflame Purple, which was incredible minus the Neo Classic Red Line Club rims.

There were eight variations of this truck between 2012 and 2017. I'd trade part of my collection for the 2016 HWC.com Series 14: Real Riders version in Spectraflame Gold and Black featuring Firestone Real Riders wheels. I'm afraid to calculate how much the entire Long Shot/Long Gone collection would cost. And it might require a separate story to begin with.

Thunder Roller (1983-2020)

Thunder Roller is another creation signed by the master, Larry Wood himself! He drew inspiration from the Kenworth K100 Aerodyne in the process, and this is a 1/87 scale casting. A yellow paint job and Basic Wheels were the standard setup for the Thunder Roller for the first few years.

Mattel started switching things up in 1996, using a Metalflake Burgundy paint scheme and a five-spoke wheel on the front axle. We saw three rare variations in a row between 2004 and 2010. The most coveted one appeared at the 2005 19th Annual Hot Wheels Collectors Convention, with 2,500 units leaving the factory floor. But I'd much rather get the 2010 model with Deep Dish Real Riders rims.

The last time we saw the Thunder Roller was an RLC-exclusive variation with 20,000 units. It's also one of the best ones in the series, with a Spectraflame Purple paint job and Turbine Real Riders wheels. Don't be surprised if this one alone will cost over $300.

International Eagle 9400 (1998-2005)

The International Eagle 9400 is the first of three trucks, mainly part of the Pro Racing Team Transporter Series. Reportedly, these were the first transport trucks to feature Real Riders wheels.

So the modern Team Transport series isn't an original idea, after all! This casting debuted in 1998, and Mattel developed over 30 variations before pulling the plug on the project in 2005. As Netflix just announced a new NASCAR series similar to Drive to Survive, there's a good chance more people will become interested in buying these Hot Wheels collectibles.

Some of the later iterations were carrying Top Fuel Dragsters, though. There's also a 35th Anniversary Transporter with 5,000 units available and a Spectraflame Red finish. Be sure to return soon to see five more exciting six-wheelers in part two of this story. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to check my bank account and start short-listing some of these iterations for my collection.