The Mystery Machine Is a Big Hit With Hot Wheels Collectors

Here is an interesting game to play with your friends. Ask them to think about a car they like. Then, try to see if Hot Wheels has made a replica of it. There's a 99% chance you'll find it or something similar. That's how vast the world of Hot Wheels cars is. For instance, did you know Mattel's portfolio has several Scooby-Doo-related releases? I'm not just talking about the Mystery Machine, although that is the main topic of this story.

I've dug into the archives and found several exciting castings. Some just have certain iterations that pay tribute to the media franchise. Think models like the '67 Austin Mini Van (has Fred on the sides), the '34 Dodge Delivery (portraying Shaggy), or the '70 Chevelle SS Wagon (it has the whole squad of "meddling kids" on it). If you want to gauge the popularity of Hot Wheels Scooby-Doo releases, you might like to know that the 2017 Pop Culture series had an entire mix focused on this theme. That's right, there's a whole set of Premium castings with metal bodies and Real Riders wheels.

I find it funny that Mattel chose the Hiway Hauler to depict Velma and Daphne- that's not a very girly vehicle, is it? But it does offer a larger surface for the design to shine. This may be just a coincidence or the law of attraction at work. Over the past few months, I've become increasingly nostalgic about Monster Trucks: the RC version of the Lucas Oil Stabilizer is one to get started.

The Monster Jam Showdown is coming right up on multiple platforms. And now I've found another Hot Wheels casting I need to add to the collection: the Scooby-Doo. Bryan Benedict designed this one, a replica of the real thing that Feld Motorsports owns. The real truck debuted in 2013, and it only took Mattel less than a year to release the tiny version of it. And you can still pick it up for less than $30. But let's move on to bigger things, at least metaphorically speaking. Zoinks!

The Mystery Machine

Manson Cheung designed The Mystery Machine casting, which debuted in 2012. It was part of the New Models series that year and had a plastic base and Japanese 5-spoke wheels. Can you believe this flower-power design is over 50 years old? The San Diego Comic-Con came with the first Premium variation of the casting. The Lary Wood 5-Spoke Real Riders were just what it needed to reach the next level.

And it was funny that the big wigs included a box of Scooby Snacks with the collectible. These special releases are always hard to come across: I only found one for sale on eBay, but I'll get to that in a minute. In 2013, The Mystery Machine became part of the Retro Entertainment series, thus becoming accessible to collectors worldwide. Another Mainline iteration was up next, and it arguably looked better with the 5SP wheel design than the J5 one.

One more piece of evidence that indicates how big of a hit this casting was arrived in 2014 as well. The 28th Annual Hot Wheels Collectors Convention occurred in Los Angeles between October 1-5. The diecast manufacturer revealed a special run of 2,400 units for the casting, and it's one of the most coveted variations money can buy. After another Entertainment release, it was time for another sign of appreciation from El Segundo.

The Mystery Machine joined the Super Treasure Hunt series in 2017, switching to a Spectraflame Turquoise finish and 5-Spoke Mag-Style Real Riders. The next big change occurred that same year and carried on for 2019. Instead of the Larry Wood rim design, the "pesky kids" now had Classic 4-Spoke RR wheels on the van, which was a big improvement. All this wasn't enough, and in 2019, The Mystery Machine even joined the now-defunct iD series.

The Series II Spectraflame Ice Blue version is reportedly rarer and is certainly on my Top 5 list out of the 16 variations. We saw the most recent take on the van in 2023 as part of the Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary set. The funny part about this one is the card art. You see Bugs Bunny dressed up as Fred, Lola Bunny roleplaying for Daphne, Tweety Bird wearing a Velma-wig, the Tasmanian Devil posing for Scooby-Doo, and Daffy Duck acting as Shaggy.

That's right, collectors care about the cards and not just the cars. You may be surprised by the number of small details that hold a certain value to us. Speaking of value, let's see how much the complete Mystery Machine collection would cost if you decided to go for it.

Pricing and Availability

I spent several hours looking up every variation of The Mystery Machine, going through thousands of listings. As I've pointed out before, this doesn't mean that the ensuing results accurately depict the market value for each product. That's because scalpers are increasingly greedy with each new wave of collectibles. And you always have to be on the lookout for custom artists who like to make replicas of rare or valuable items.

With that in mind, my analysis will still give you an overview of the required budgets for a Hot Wheels Scooby-Doo adventure. Before I reveal the total minimum and maximum cost for all sixteen variations, let's see which ones are the most difficult to acquire. Unsurprisingly, convention models are highly popular due to their limited availability.

Maybe I haven't tried hard enough, but I could only find one listing for the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con release. The seller is asking $160 for it, but this is just the beginning. Mattel unveiled an unpainted version of the van for the 28th Annual Hot Wheels Collectors Convention, and I'm not that fond of it. But it scores extra points for being rarer than most other cars, and prices will vary between $280 and $330.

I'm sure those who have gotten a hold of lower-numbered cards will ask even more than that, though. And then there's the Super Treasure Hunt iteration to think of. Despite not having a metal base, it wins points for scarcity and the RR wheels. While the non-STH version will cost between $8 to $28, you'll need a budget of $145 to $170 for the special collectible.

Some enthusiasts might tell you that the Mystery Machine from iD Series 2 is rarer than the Series 1 release. The latter won't exceed $80 on eBay these days, but the 2020 iteration could take up to $170 out of your account. I've done the math, and it may surprise some of you. Sure, plenty of other castings are even more financially demanding, but collecting all items in the Mystery Machine collection won't come cheap, either.

A $741 to $1221 budget should be enough if you don't add the shipping costs. As always, buying in bulk would be a great idea. But I don't think anyone who has amassed the entire collection would let go of it that easily. I found one seller with a pack of seven iterations, for which he is asking for $100. It's still a good way to start.

Ideas for the Future

Coming up with new ideas for The Mystery Machine doesn't sound like an easy thing to do. After all, if you want to stay faithful to the original design, you're reduced to only fiddling with the wheels and card art. Coming up with an entirely different casting may be counterintuitive, as it wouldn't have the same cult following.

Mattel could use it for the Treasure Hunt series at this stage or even insert it in the NFT Garage line-up. If one idea could send the community into a frenzy, it would be releasing a Red Line Club variation with moving parts and a tiny Scooby-Doo in the back for a more accurate diorama. If that ever happens, I want one for my collection, too!