Hot Wheels Turismo: the miniature that was supposed to be a DeLorean!

Hot Wheels Turismo: the miniature that was supposed to be a DeLorean!

In 1976, DMC introduced the first prototype of the DeLorean, which featured an innovative design that quickly captured the public’s interest. In 1978, while DMC was setting up its factory in Ireland, Mattel reached out to DMC and obtained verbal authorization to produce a miniature version of the DeLorean. Based on photos of the prototype, Mattel began developing molds for the miniature and created a few prototypes.

However, for reasons that were unclear at the time, DMC ultimately decided not to grant a formal license to Mattel. It was later revealed that this decision stemmed from an agreement between DMC and Matchbox, which at that time was not yet owned by Mattel.

To mitigate the costs associated with the design and mold development, Bob Rosas, the Product Development Manager at Mattel, convinced the company to make minor modifications to the existing molds. This allowed them to alter the model enough so that it was no longer a direct copy of the DeLorean.

And that’s how Hot Wheels Turismo was born! It was launched in the 1981 line and was produced until 1984. The 81 and 82 models were made in red color, with yellow, white and black graphics, and with the number 10 on the side. Also, on the doors, there were stickers from brands like Goodyear , Bell, 76 , STP and Champion . The only difference between the 81 and 82 models is the color of the plastic parts (interior, rear deck, bumper). On the 81, it’s beige, on the 82, black.

In 1983 and 1984 they were painted yellow. The 83 with orange, purple, black stripes and purple plastic parts. The 84 with orange, red, black stripes and black plastic parts.

In 2009 Mattel finally got the license from DMC to produce the DeLorean. The first model was released in 2010. In 2015, Hot Wheels released two DeLoreans with similar graphics to the Turismo: a regular version and a Super Treasure Hunt version.