Most people looking for success are looking to go big time.
For these custom car owners, success means going small.
On Saturday, the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter in Gardner was filled with custom car owners displaying their unique vehicles for the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. Each owner was there with the hope that their car would be the one chosen to be replicated in the form of a Hot Wheels die-cast collectible toy.
One car out of the more than 100 vehicles at the event would be declared the winner and be eligible to compete in the U.S. semi-final. The national winner goes on to compete with other custom vehicles in the global finale.
A classic hot rod pulls up in front of the Hot Wheels backdrop to take a photo at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour on Saturday, July 12, 2005 in Gardner, Kansas. Nearly 100 cars parked side by side and were judged on whether or not they would be selected as the newest Hot Wheels diecast car. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
“There’s a lot of amazing cars here. Pretty impressive the variety of stuff we’re seeing here today,” Bryan Benedict, key principal designer of Hot Wheels die-casts, said while wandering the lot to judge the vehicles. “We’re looking for something really unique and different that’s going to stand out on the shelf.”
One of the cars Benedict studied was a mud-covered Mazda Miata. The small, two-seat roadster had been transformed into an off-road vehicle, lifted high off the ground with oversized tires. “It would certainly work well at our scale,” Benedict said.
A muddied Mazda Miata parked at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour on Saturday. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
The scale he’s talking about is 1:64, the scale at which most Hot Wheels are built compared to their real world counterparts.
Teresa Cross of Franklin, Ohio, was one of the custom car builders who hoped her vehicle would make the cut. She was showing off her customized Volkswagen Beetle she calls her “Splatterbug.” The brightly colored car sports a paint job that makes it look like it has been tie dyed. It’s also loaded with other features intended to capture the vibe of the late 1960s.
Teresa Cross of Franklin, Ohio, brought her ‘Splatterbug,’ to the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour on in Gardner. Cross applied to be in the show and didn’t expect to get in. “I was surprised when I got the email. Then I told my husband, ‘I think we’re driving to Kansas!’” Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
Describing her car, Cross says she went with a Woodstock theme. “I wanted to go to Woodstock but I didn’t get to go. I’m a hippie at heart. Always have been. Always will be,” Cross said.
Olathe resident Paul Craig brought his 1963 Chevrolet panel truck to the event. The truck was painted with an American flag motif and has flag-style seat covers. Craig wore a Hawaiian-style shirt with pictures of his truck on it while he encouraged people to go ahead and touch his custom vehicle. “It’s covered in rubber so you can touch it if you want,” he told a visitor. “The more fingerprints the better.”
Paul Craig of Olathe, stands next to his panel van emblazoned with the American flag on all sides at the Hot Wheels Legends Tour on Saturday, July 12, 2005. Craig had his car covered in rubber so that kids can touch and climb on top of the car at events like these, where they can’t often touch the cars on display. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
Hot Wheels designers and local celebrity judges were looking for authenticity, creativity and garage spirit in their hunt for a winner. Last year’s global winner was a customized 1968 Ford Falcon race car from Chile.
Johnny Smith of Raytown stands next to his ’73 Stingray at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour Saturday in Gardner. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
A station wagon that looks like it’s straight out of a zombie movie is eyed by attendees of the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
Drag racers, hot rods, and sports cars were among the vehicles shown off at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour on Saturday, July 12, 2005 in Gardner, Kansas. The cars were to be judged on whether they would make a good Hot Wheels car. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
Myles Sauer, 2, gets excited looking at a table full of Hot Wheels cars at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. Myle’s dad, Dylan, says he’s always loved cars and he’s happy that he could pass that love down to his son. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
Chad Smith’s show his ’95 Toyota Camry at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour Smith, said he has used to the car as a demolition derby car. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
A car nicknamed ‘Cherry Bomb’ is was a favorite at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
Hundreds of people showed up at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour on Saturday, July 12, 2005. Nearly 100 cars were parked to see which car could be selected as the newest Hot Wheels diecast car. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
A cart held hundreds of Hot Wheels cars at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
Joe Gorman of Freeman, Missouri, stands next to his classic semi truck at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour on Saturday. Gorman has owned the truck for 20 years and he drives it often. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
A roadster with flames inside and out was on display at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
A cart holding hundreds of Hot Wheels cars at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour on Saturday, July 12, 2005. Many of the people with cars on display also had Hot Wheels cars to give away to children in attendance. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
A miniature version of a green BMW was on display at the Kansas City stop of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour on Saturday in Gardner. Several varieties of BMW were present but this is the only one that had a mini version. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com
Dominick Williams serves as a visual journalist for the Kansas City Star. His journalistic endeavors cover a diverse array of topics, notably sports, breaking news, human interest narratives, and culinary features.
