The Force Is Still Strong With These 10 Hot Wheels Cars

She hadn't seen any Star Wars movies before meeting me. And that was a dumbfounding thing for me to discover. "How can you live in the 21st century without seeing the saga?" Then I realized many kids today haven't seen the first six movies. There's something even worse: some have only seen the latest ones and think that's the best part of George Lucas' story.

It's never too late to celebrate Star Wars Day, so I'm doing it tomorrow. But in the meantime, I wanted to show you some more Hot Wheels collectibles related to the topic. I've chosen ten out of 11 vehicles from the following two Pop Culture sets. I already discussed the Palpatine-centered '67 Ford Bronco in a previous story.

Mattel's Hot Wheels Pop Culture series is a constant source of amazement if you haven't figured this out by now. And you might just find your next favorite set inside. The best part about the cars you'll see below is that they only cost between $64 and $282. And that's decent for a total of 11 cool items.

'34 Chrysler Airflow

Star Wars is a vast and exciting Universe, even extending to the world of diecast cars. A list of all the Hot Wheels related to the galaxy far, far away would be extensive.

Some of my favorite ones are part of the Pop Culture series, and I'll start here with the 2016 Ralph McQuarrie Star Wars Concept Art set. Science Fiction was a big part of Mr. McQuarrie's life, and he drew some amazing concepts for the original trilogy.

The '34 Chrysler Airflow takes us back to one memorable Dagobah scene where Luke Skywalker meets Master Yoda. You may remember this casting from the 2013 Universal Monsters set. The Star Wars iteration was the last we saw, possibly due to poor sales in its final years.

Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder will also remind you of Empire Strikes Back, as it features a scene from the icy planet Hoth. Ton-Tons and AT-ATs each played a role in that movie, and you'll see both on the sides of this collectible.

Wayne Scott designed the casting, which was only available between 2010 and 2016. It was a premium exclusive model and featured an opening body (as expected on the coolest drag-racing machines).

Some people are trying to sell this car for as much as $34, but finding one for less than $10 is still manageable.

Ford Transit Supervan

Seeing Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker crossing lightsabers is one of the most memorable moments in cinema history, especially if you know the background. Mattel picked the Ford Transit Supervan to depict this scene, which is already an exciting casting.

Between 2015 and 2022, we had 12 iterations of it, and three of them paid tribute to the Star Wars universe. Two of those are on this list today: one in the 2016 set and the other in 2019. Choosing between the two isn't easy. While Luke and Vader are much more popular, Bobba Fett was pretty cool.

I'm usually a big fan of the 5-Spoke Mag-Style Real Riders wheels (seen on the 2016 Supervan). But the 8-Spoke Real Riders seem a much better fit for this van. And it's also more exciting to look at in Metalflake Gold, with the Bounty Hunter staring you down from the side. I think I should add this one to my bucket list ASAP.

'66 Dodge A100

Growing up, I could never watch any "Alien" movies; they were too scary. Horror movies are just not my thing. And this one scene from Star Wars strongly affected me when I first saw it. I thought Luke was a goner when he fell down Jabba's trap door and into the Rancor's lair.

The card art is impressive for the '66 Dodge A100, with the mighty beast taking up most of the plastic surface. It's also present on one of the van's sides, facing Luke Skywalker. The other part shows the young Jedi facing Jabba the Hutt moments before the surprise. Mattel used this Jun Imai-designed casting in 2023 for a Mandalorian release (although that series never matched the popularity of the early Star Wars releases).

The 2016 variation featured a Metalflake Brown finish with white accents and Copper Chrome Real Riders Steelies. The '67 Bronco was still slightly better, but the Dodge Van could be the second-best collectible in this set.

Hiway Hauler

Some collectors will say it's further down the list, in third. That's because it has to compete against the Hiway Hauler. Have you ever wondered who the main hero is in Star Wars? Luke wasn't part of the prequel trilogy, nor Han Solo or Leia.

You could argue that Anakin is the star of the show. But I think it's more about what happens to the two droids, C-3PO and R2-D2. Both showed up in a previous Pop Culture set: the latter appeared on the Quick D-Livery, while the first was on the Haulin' Gas casting. For some reason, seeing Ralph McQuarrie's sketch of the golden droid made me think of Isaac Asimov's work.

But just thinking about that scene on Tattooine makes me want to sit down and watch the series as soon as possible. Yellow and the Preferred Series Real Riders wheels are a perfect match for the Hiway Hauler. And I'm happy to see it's making a comeback in 2024.

Super Van

Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker debuted in 2019, the same year Mattel unveiled this new Star Wars set. That movie didn't manage to light a fire in my heart, and it's no wonder the diecast manufacturer opted to use older themes to attract more customers.

Larry Wood designed the Super Van almost half a century ago, just a few years before Episode IV - A New Hope debuted in cinemas. I imagine who has a complete collection of this casting would easily reach Legendary status within the community.

"Sandtroopers" was the theme for the 2019 iteration, and these guys look even more menacing riding the dewbacks. Well, that's true if you're not a Jedi master.

'88 Mercedes Unimog U1300

The most exciting casting in the new set has got to be the '88 Mercedes Unimog U1300. The world of Hot Wheels Mercedes-Benz cars is expanding yearly, and this old truck is just as desirable.

Mattel only developed seven variations since 2018, and the Slate Blue finish is a chilling throwback to the Planet Hoth. AT-ATs would likely dwarf this truck if they showed up next to it, but seeing them on its sides is still nice.

The matching Slate Blue Off-Road Real Riders 6-Spoke Mag wheels highlight this collectible. I think I'd buy two cars to use these rims on another vehicle in my collection.

1985 Chevy Astro Van

If you have followed my previous Hot Wheels stories, the '85 Chevy Astro Van is likely a familiar sight. Mattel used it in 2015 to remind us of Harrison Ford's golden days portraying the "scruffy-looking" Han Solo.

Last year, we saw a Lion King version of this machine. But the 2019 release reminds me of the epic chase scene on Endor. Seeing the Storm Trooper riding the Speeder Bike could make you think: Why didn't Mattel just build one of those hovering vehicles?

Gloss Green is a fitting choice for the Astro Van, as the scene occurred in the deep forest. I would rate it as the least exciting collectible in the set, but some may feel otherwise.

Dream Van XGW

Darth Vader returned in 2019 for this series of Hot Wheels vehicles, and this time, Mattel portrayed him using the Dream Van XGW. It is another special Larry Wood design, debuting in 1984.

In 2015, you could see Princess Leia on the side; interestingly, it was off the market for four years. Despite switching to a darker theme, using Steel Blue Metalflake as the main color, the Dream Van XGW retained the same Larry Wood 5-Spoke Real Riders wheels. They feature the Red Line finish to match the color of the Imperial Guards.

And they make the whole scene considerably more menacing as Vader takes center stage on both sides. Excuse me, I'm signing off to play the old Star Wars Episode I: Racer game.