Six Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt Cars of 2008

I have been exploring the world of Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt of future, present, and past for some time now. Given the extensive history behind the brand, there's a lot of information to dig through. I've made it as far back as 2009, and I'm starting a new chapter today. I'll review the 2008 Super Treasure Hunt line-up, including 12 collectibles.

I wasn't even aware of what a Hot Wheels STH was then, and some of you may have long forgotten how 2008 felt like. So, let me refresh your memory. The world struggled because of the Great Recession, which started in 2007. I was in awe of the newly-launched Large Hadron Collider, a fascinating bit of seemingly sci-fi tech developed in Switzerland. The SpaceX Falcon 1 successfully made orbit, predicting a seemingly glorious future for Elon Musk's attempt to make it to Mars.

It was a good year for superhero movies, with titles like The Dark Knight and Iron Man conquering the box office worldwide. T-Pain was still riding the wave of success with his "Low" collab hit together with Flo Rida. Who would've guessed he would become so passionate about drifting a few years later?

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton won his first F1 World Championship at 23. Valentino Rossi won his sixth MotoGP title, defeating Casey Stoner by 93 points. Speaking about cars, Lotus introduced the Evora, KTM came up with the X-Bow, and Audi showed the world their R8 V12 concept. Thank God they gave up on using a diesel engine inside that car. But let's get back to the topic at hand: Hot Wheels. In part one of our story, I'll go through the first six items in the STH series, and only two are fantasy models.

Chrysler 300C

Let's kick things off with the Chrysler 300C. Phil Riehlman designed this casting for its 2006 First Editions series, featuring a Metalflake Silver finish and Gold Faster Than Ever wheels. Mattel came up with three more variations that same year, all of which used BLING wheels. The trend continued throughout 2007 with another three iterations, and those cars were popular in the late part of the Crunk music era. In 2008, the 300C returned to a more conventional wheel design, which could have improved its appearance.

The 5-spoke wheels on the Regular Treasure Hunt model differ from what you'd call ideal on a car like this. The 5-spoke Mag-Style Real Riders wheels are a significant improvement, though. But they are slightly oversized, creating a less-than-perfect stance. I don't know about the two-tone paint job either, but that's what you'd expect from a time when people were still playing Need for Speed: Underground 2. You can buy the STH and the TH for about $40, while the first can sell for as cheap as $20.

'70 Plymouth Road Runner

While Mattel retired the 300C casting in 2016, there is still hope for the '70 Plymouth Road Runner. We last saw it in the 2022 Plymouth Car Culture 2-Pack Premium set, so it might eventually return. Phil Riehlman designed this casting in the late '90s, featuring an Orange Enamel paint job for its 1998 debut. You need to buy 65 variations of the '70 Plymouth Road Runner for a complete collection, 44 of which came out before the TH and STH iterations.

The Lime Gold finish on those two could have been excellent without the white part on the side of the car, but I guess you live, and you learn. At least the Deep Dish Real Riders wheels on the Super Treasure Hunt made up for the uninspired livery, turning this variation of the Road Runner into one of the most desirable ones on the market. You can pay as much as $230 for the two unique collectibles, while the STH alone will often sell for more than $70.

Rockster

Next, we've got a fantasy casting that may look familiar. Mattel thought building a Hummer-Jeep would be a good idea and asked Eric Tscherne to handle the design part. The Rockster made its Hot Wheels debut in the 2004 First Editions series, featuring a Pearl Yellow finish and Off-Road 5-spoke wheels. It's one of the diecast manufacturer's better fantasy experiments, but adult collectors will not take it too seriously.

Still, it looked pretty neat on 5-Spoke Mag-Style Real Riders wheels in its 2007 variation. Mattel opted for Metalflake and Spectraflame Green for the 2008 TH and STH iterations of the Rockster. And we can at least be thankful for the Off-Road RR wheels on the rarer model. Even so, a budget of $40 will be more than enough to buy both collectibles. And yet, the Rockster had another Treasure Hunt appearance in 2018, and Mattel is still using the casting today.

Ford Mustang GT

The 2005 Ford Mustang GT came like a breath of fresh air after the Rockster. I'll admit it: I was never a fan of the S197, but I would still pick one over a truck or SUV any day of the week. Phil Riehlman designed the casting for its 2005 First Editions: Realistix series debut, which had another three almost identical variations following suit. The 2006 Bullrun iteration looked fantastic with Real Riders wheels on, and it's still one of the best iterations of the casting to this day. By 2008, there were 16 different versions of this Mustang to collect.

The Spectraflame Gold Super Treasure Hunt could have been a hit if the diecast manufacturer hadn't opted for the Gold Real Riders wheels. It all felt too tacky, at least by today's standards. Mattel later addressed this issue with newer STH models using black wheels instead. Despite this, two short-card TH and STH models will cost as much as $85. But that's the upper limit; you'll find plenty of more affordable items on the market.

Hot Bird

Larry Wood and Bob Rosas worked together on designing the Hot Bird. It's one of the oldest Hot Wheels castings, as it debuted in the Flying Colors series in 1978! Several variations of this model will cost more than $100 on the open market. And given how old some of them are, finding them in perfect shape will be pretty challenging. Mattel released 50 variations of the Hot Bird before developing the 2008 Treasure Hunt and Super Treasure Hunt models.

In 2006, several iterations featured Spectraflame colors, and I would add some of those to my collection if I choose to walk down that path. Gold was the color of choice for the two special iterations of 2008, and even the inferior model was decent. Thanks to the Mag-Style wheels, the STH is one of the year's best designs, although it still falls short of what's coming up in part two of the story. An additional $50 to $80 budget for this fifth STH model will do the job.

Qombee

The last item on our list for today is quite strange. It has a weird name, and it's equally as shocking to look at. Alec Tam designed it for its 2006 First Editions release, and you can tell which vehicle served as a starting point for it. The Qombee is a fictional reinterpretation of the Volkswagen T1 Van, and it's supposed to be a race machine. It looks like it's using a rear-mounted eight-cylinder engine, and the First Edition blue and white color combo looks interesting.

Opting to use flames on a futuristic truck/van isn't quite the best idea, and it ruins the whole point. The Preferred Series Real Riders wheels alone can't save the day, and it all would have been much better if the designers had used a similar color scheme for the TH and STH variations. That explains why you can pick these items up for $20 or less and why Mattel seemingly discontinued the casting in 2019.