autoevolution
 

Hot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to Order

If you spend enough time on Hot Wheels forums, you'll often notice people making suggestions on what diecast cars Mattel should release next. And any successful company knows how important it is to listen to your customers. The Red Line Club is the perfect place to voice your opinion, and it might just come to fruition if other people feel the same way. The RLC sELECTIONs Series was first introduced in 2004 and has delivered dozens of exclusive items so far.
Hot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to Order 13 photos
Photo: Hot Wheels / Mattel
Hot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to OrderHot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to Order
Between 2004 to 2010, Mattel built a total of four cars each year. They would provide a list of available castings, and people could vote for their favorite one. After that first step, you would then be able to choose the color, the wheels, and the deco on the vehicle.

The first-ever vehicle to come out of this series is the 1955 Spectraflame Red Chevy Nomad. A total of 10,871 units were built, but you can still get one for about $30 or more via eBay. A 1970 Mustang Mach 1 was up next, and then the Classic Packard.

But the rarest item for the 2004 series was the Thunder Roller. Based on the Kenworth K100 Aerodyne truck, only 6,490 units were ever built. A few sellers are charging as much as $139 for this collectible. But someone is asking $459 for what seems to be a prototype of the diecast truck.

In 2005, the first winner of the sELECTIONs showdown was the GMC Motorhome, less than 10,000 units of which were made. Round two was all about motorcycles, while the third one was a battle between Corvettes and Mustangs. The last one in 2005 pitched VWs versus Muscle cars, at it comes as no surprise that a 1968 Chevy Nova won that event.

Hot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to Order
Photo: Hot Wheels/ Mattel
Looking at the number of cars produced for each edition, you can see the evolution of the series. For the first four years, Mattel managed to sell almost 10,000 pieces for each model. But it all went downhill from there. Between 2008 to 2015, the Blown Delivery was the only model to reach that kind of success. It was followed closely behind by the 1967 Ford Mustang. Other than that, just three other vehicles made it past the 5,000-marker.

The sELECTIONs series started gaining traction once again in 2016, as Mattel sold 9,000 pieces of the Texas Drive'Em pickup truck. By 2018, numbers had gone up to 20,000. The 2020 winner of the polls is the 1941 Spectraflame Ice Blue Willys Gasser. In 2021, that title went to a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T in Spectraflame Purple. This one might set you back as much as $150 these days.

For 2022, the voting polls were open for three weeks. It all started on the 24th of March, and fans could first choose their favorite casting. The competing castings were the 1969 Chevy Camaro SS, the 1971 Datsun 510, the 1982 Lamborghini Countach LP500 S, the 1991 BMW M3, and the Volkswagen T1 Rockster. While the first two options featured opening hoods, the next two presented themselves with opening doors. A total of 12,549 votes were cast, and the Italian supercar won by a mile.

Choosing the right color for the car was the next step, and RLC members could cast their votes between the 31st of March and the 4th of April. With this being an exclusive model, all the colors proposed by Mattel were part of the Spectraflame series. The five options included Antifreeze, Bright Orange, Bright Yellow, Ice Blue, and Shadowcrome.

Hot Wheels RLC Exclusive Lamborghini Countach LP500 S Coming Up, Will Be Made to Order
Photo: Hot Wheels/ Mattel
Over 150 forum pages later, the decision was in. More than 4,000 people voted for Spectraflame Ice Blue, bringing the vote for this color up to 36.52%. Shadowcrome was second on the list, while Bright Yellow was the least-voted option. At this point, there was just one more step to go: the wheels. Alongside six different Real Riders options, Mattel also added a set of newly launched Neo-Classics Deep-Dish wheels.

Just under 11,000 members voted on this poll, and this was the closest one for 2022. Over 21% of them opted for the Real Riders Modern wheels with silver hubs. Almost three months have passed since the voting process came to an end, and we are happy to announce that you will be able to order one soon.

The release date for this 2022 sELECTIONs Lamborghini is the 12th of July, and it will be available until the 25th of July. This implies two things you should know. One, the car is made to order, so you will have to wait several months up to one year to get your hands on it.

Two, by the looks of it, everyone can get one as long as they have a Hot Wheels RLC membership. There are no purchase limits here! While it is slightly more expensive than your regular RLC-exclusive, at $30, it also comes packed in an acrylic case with a sturdy outer box. Are you going to get one?
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories