Inside the 2024 Hot Wheels Case A: New Super Treasure Hunt Is a Ford Escort RS2000

Two years have passed since I last found an STH item, and it felt like it would never happen again. Short cards are tough to find; only some people ever find two in a year. Most collectors would agree that the Evija is in the Top 5 best Super Treasure Hunts in the 2023 series, and this is one collectible I don't think I will ever sell. Alas, Mattel is already rolling out the 2024 collection, and today, we'll be looking over the highlights of Case A.

The first STH item for 2024 is the Ford Escort RS2000! Fraser Campbell designed this casting, first appearing in the 2023 Retro Racers series. The First Edition release is the most beloved, with its mismatched wheels and simple livery. Mattel came up with three designs in 2023, and it was only a matter of time before a new one emerged.

The standard model features a Neon Green finish and five-spoke wheels, but the STH takes things to another level with its Spectraflame Green paint job. Not only that, but the Real Riders eight-spoke wheels further add to the excitement. This design could quickly become one of the most popular in the 2024 STH series, with prices on the open market surging to $115 already! And if you'd like a hint about the future, there's a good chance Case B will also feature a Muscle Car STH.

Albeit less exciting than the casting above, the Regular Treasure Hunt is also something that keeps collectors interested in the Mainline series. In 2023, only six out of 15 models were replicas of actual vehicles. You can make it seven if you consider the Tooned VW Golf. But we're off to a good start in 2024 with the police-themed '47 Chevy Fleetline.

This casting is almost classic, as Phil Riehlman designed it over 20 years ago! Matel opted for a Metalflake Lavender paint job back then, and you can still find this item for less than $3. There are 32 variations on the market today, the most recent in 2022. We wouldn't label this the most exciting TH model, but it's still much better than any fantasy car.

With that out of the way, let's check out some of the new things Case A for 2024 offers, aside from the repeat items we've seen before. The '70 Plymouth Barracuda is the first one that brings something new to the table. It last appeared in the 2022 Hot Wheels Ultra Hots series but has been around since 1997. The new blue design is the 30th iteration of the casting, which Dave Weise designed two and half decades ago.

Hardcore Hot Wheels enthusiasts will tell you that the Custom Otto is also called the "Lost Redline," given it draws inspiration from artwork from these items' original 1968 packaging. Mattel skipped on creating a new design for this casting in 2023, but it was only a matter of time before it returned to the Mainline series. The Max Steel Hot Rod is also back with a new color, the fourth one since the casting's 2022 release.

The first exciting item in Case A for 2024 has got to be the Ford GT40. You might almost think this is a new casting, but it's not. Mattel launched this in 1999, but the latest release came in 2021. This casting made it to Super Treasure Hunt status in 2020, using a Gulf livery. But you'll find that the RLC version is way more expensive on any given day.

The '15 Dodge Charger SRT is also back after a two-year hiatus, but I wouldn't quite label this one as exciting. Still, we can all look forward to the brand-new Czinger 21C casting. Charlie Angulo designed this, and it's one more insane miniature hypercar to add to your Hot Wheels collection. And it works well with the McLaren Solus GT next to it, although we all know older collectors would rather see more classic Porsches and Mercedes-Benz vehicles instead.

Mattel has included a new version of the Volvo XC40 Recharge in Case A for 2024, and we can't help but wonder if cars like the V60, V90, or C30 will also be part of the line-up in the future. The last time we saw the 2020 Ram 1500 Rebel, it had the fabled TH symbol on the back of it.

Now, the seventh iteration of the casting has arrived. Unsurprisingly, it uses the same Beadlock Off-road wheels as all the previous variations, but that's okay. Overall, Case A seems rather disappointing. And it wouldn't be memorable without the Ford Escort RS2000 Super Treasure Hunt.