Ferrari 599XX Is the Star of the 2012 Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt Series

Part two of our story comes with more diversity than part one. There's only one Japanese car on the list and one very special Italian exotic, but that's enough to raise the level quite a bit.

'66 Ford 427 Fairlane

Let's start with the '66 Ford 427 Fairlane, another Phil Riehlman-designed casting from 2009. Collectors could enjoy two Premium variations in 2011 before the Super Treasure Hunt came along in 2012. The Spectraflame Green body is adorned with simple black and white lines to emphasize the 427 side of the story. Most people wouldn't like to have Steelies on a life-sized car like this, but this Real Riders design works great.

Despite being one of my favorites in the 2012 STH Series, the Ford 427 Fairlane isn't all that expensive: you can get it for $30! Naturally, that's the cost of the long card, as the short one can cost twice as much at any given point. Also, counting the 2022 Ultra Hots appearance, there are 27 variations of the Fairlane to collect, and you will likely need to spend $200 to get them all.

Honda S2000

Without a doubt, this is the second-best Super Treasure Hunt of 2012, at least if you ask a JDM enthusiast. The late Ryu Asada designed this casting for its 2011 release. If you have ever watched Hot Version, this car might remind you of J's Racing S2000 that Keiichi Tsuchiya used to race down the touge. The first three variations sported simple colors, which was phenomenal, but Mattel moved on to a racing livery for 2012.

With AEM logos on the side and a Satin Blue finish, even the Mainline design was quite exciting. The STH took it to the next level with a Spectraflame Blue paint job and Real Riders 10-spoke wheels. You may need help finding this item for less than $100, albeit some eBay users have listed it for $230. But then again, this will only be the beginning of your problems, as the S2000 also has several RLC, Convention, and Premium editions to look out for. Getting the complete Hot Wheels S2000 convention might cost as much as an old, 1:1 Honda Civic EG. But those are the choices we must live with when starting a hobby like this.

Ferrari 599XX

Drumroll, please! Enter the Ferrari 599XX, one of the most spectacular cars humankind has ever built. As you can notice by the XX at the end of the name, this is not your regular 599 but a race-spec version of Ferrari's V12-powered supercar. John Violette designed the Hot Wheels casting for its 2010 release, and only nine variations had made it out of the factory before Mattel lost the license to create Ferrari scale-model replicas.

The first four variations were all Speed Machines models, which means they had Co-Molded wheels. In 2012 the 599XX arrived in the Mainline series, and that's how the Super Treasure Hunt also came to be. Real Riders Exotic wheels complemented the Spectraflame Red finish, and any collector will tell you that they would love to have this car on display at home. This rare item will cost between $200 and $300, and you must remember that a second STH variation came in 2015!

'69 Camaro

The '69 Camaro is the only convertible Super Treasure Hunt in the 2012 collection. Phil Riehlman designed this in 2006, and Mattel made further adjustments in 2015. There are 47 variations of it on the market, which should tell you how popular it has been for almost two decades.

The casting reached STH status in 2012 and 2013, with a similar wheel design for both. The first one had a Spectraflame Black paint job, and the Real Riders wheels had Red Line tires. Market prices go as low as $30 for one carded item; a loose version would be even cheaper.

Volkswagen Beetle

The Tooned Volkswagen Beetle is a rather odd appearance in an otherwise highly-impressive line-up of Super Treasure Hunt cars. Still, plenty of Kafer fans would be more than happy to have this item at home so that prices can go up to $90. The casting was introduced in 2010, sporting a Metalflake Dark Blue finish and white accents.

Seeing a Hot-rod engine coming out of the trunk is pretty interesting, so it's no wonder Mattel made 20 variations of the Beetle until 2020. The most recent one was part of the now-defunct iD series, but we'll discuss that in another story.

'70 Chevelle SS Wagon

And now, onto the only Station Wagon of the 2012 STH series: the '70 Chevelle SS. Because who doesn't want some extra power in their deceivingly slow grocery-getter? This casting first popped up in 2009; it was only a matter of months before it graduated to the Premium line. Mattel made 29 variations until 2022, not counting the extra ten delivery models between 2011 and 2023.

The 2012 STH featured a Spectraflame Dark Burnt Orange paint job with black and gold flames. The white accents highlighted "Fire Chief" on the sides and the hood, and it all felt like a bit too much for the car. At least we can be thankful for the Gold Chrome Real Riders Steelies, which may be enough to persuade any collector to pay about $30 for the Chevelle SS Wagon.

'09 Ford Focus RS

I can't get excited about a Hot Wheels replica of a '09 Ford Focus RS for some reason. I would have loved to drive the life-sized version back then, but now I'd try the newer generation instead. The 2010 First Edition release is still one of the best ones to this day, as the Metalflake Light Green reflects a color that was used on the RS from the factory. This casting ended abruptly in 2019 after Mattel had only released nine variations of it.

There are no Premium, RLC, or iD iterations here, so the STH is your best option for something slightly more unique. The Spectraflame Dark Red would have looked much better without the overcrowded livery, but we can at least be thankful for the Real Riders 8-spoke wheels and Red Line tires. And the price is decent, too, as some sellers are willing to part with their Fords for less than $30.

'11 Dodge Charger R/T

The last item in the 2012 Super Treasure Hunt series is the '11 Dodge Charger R/T. This might be even less interesting for some collectors than the Focus RS. Designed by Brendon Vetuskey, it first appeared in 2011, and Mattel created 25 variations of it so far. Those include many Batman and Fast & Furious releases, which may or may not be down your alley. The 2012 STH is the only one worth mentioning, given its Spectraflame paint job and Real Riders wheels. The color combo could be more exciting too, and the result is a market value of less than $30 in most cases.

That wraps it up for the STHs in 2012. All the cars in part two can cost as much as $800 if you don't care to spend too much time searching for the best offer. If you want the complete collection, the most logical thing is to look for the Mattel-released set of 15 collectibles. You'll get them all in one go and pay less than $1,000. That seems rather hefty if you think about it, but there is a good chance their value will increase with time, so you'll still benefit from the move at the end of it all.