Global 2022 Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour Winner Crowned at Jay Leno’s Garage
- Announced on November 12, the 1992 Autozam Scrum from Beaumont, Texas, will be inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends™
- The first truck in Hot Wheels Legends Tour history will be immortalized as a 1:64 Hot Wheels die-cast car sold around the world
- Hot Wheels debuted “Where Legends Are Made” adult-focused campaign during Global Grand Finale, showcasing activities the brand will launch in the future
- Hot Wheels Legends Tour demonstrates the brand’s legendary status in the automotive world as part of the adult-facing campaign
The winner of the 2022 Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour was crowned during the virtual Global Grand Finale event held at Jay Leno’s Garage on November 12. Nicknamed “Texas Toot,” the ultra-custom 1992 Autozam Scrum mini truck, built by Craig Meaux of Beaumont, Texas, will be immortalized as a 1:64 Hot Wheels die-cast vehicle and inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends™.
Customized in Meaux’s garage and built entirely for fun, “Texas Toot” started life as a stock Japanese import in 2020, before becoming this year’s Hot Wheels Legends Tour champion. This custom Kei truck features a fabricated five-foot hydraulic lift, Chevrolet 454 big-block, TH400 transmission, 12-inch drop reverse rotation FTI transfer case, 250 shot nitrous kit, train horns and massive custom welded 30″x15″ wheels. Following this bucket list win, and in true challenger spirit, Meaux intends to use his passion project in burnout competitions, which he is sure to dominate in what Jay Leno calls his “superhero” truck.
“The competition was strong in 2022, but turning a Japanese mini truck into a monster truck was hard to beat,” said Ted Wu, Vice President, Global Head of Design for Vehicles, Mattel. “As the first truck to be crowned since the inception of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour, we hope Craig’s passion project inspires builders and fans from around the world to set big goals and follow their dreams. I cannot wait to see what this super-sized mini truck looks like in 1:64-scale.”
“I wasn’t expecting to win, so this is a dream come true,” said Meaux. “I wanted to create something that no one else had. I didn’t have previous experience with this sort of fabrication, so it’s awesome that it came out the way it did and to have everybody enjoy the truck.”
Co-hosted by celebrity car enthusiast Jay Leno and motorsports ambassador Jarod DeAnda, the fifth annual Hot Wheels Legends Tour Global Grand Finale featured 10 incredible builds around the world and an array of judges who were tasked with choosing the entry that best represents authenticity, creativity and garage spirit. Joining Jay and Jarod on stage were Ted Wu, Global Head of Design for Vehicles, Mattel; Bryan Benedict, Design Director of Hot Wheels and Matchbox Die-Cast Vehicles, Mattel; Brendon Vetuskey, Lead Designer for Monster Trucks Die-Cast and Redline Club Vehicles, Mattel; Dalal Elsheikh, Advance Autonomous Design Director at Ford and Hot Wheels Brand Ambassador; Magnus Walker, television presenter, fashion designer and prolific car collector; Misha Mansoor, founding member of progressive metal band Periphery and Hot Wheels Brand Ambassador; and Jon Chase, former Art Director at Hoonigan and Founder of the DSTROYR lifestyle brand.
As part of this exciting finale event, Hot Wheels announced the brand’s first-ever adult-facing campaign, “Where Legends are Made.” Designed to further engage the global car enthusiast community, this campaign serves as an umbrella for the adult-facing activities Hot Wheels will launch in the future, expanding beyond traditional automotive into pop culture. This includes segments such as fashion, film, gaming, NFTs and luxury, while remaining true to the brand’s car culture heritage with builder activities such as the Hot Wheels Legends Tour – the world’s largest traveling custom car show.
To kick off this adult campaign, Hot Wheels shared a video featuring culturally relevant influencers from around the world who champion different categories of car fandom – exotics, muscle/hot rods, modified/drift, EV/future, motorsports, trucks/off-road and retro/classic.
“’Where Legends are Made’ was created to expand our reach to more adult auto enthusiasts with an affinity for Hot Wheels and encourage them to celebrate their passion and become collectors,” said Wu. “Membership in our exclusive Red Line Club tripled in 2021, which proves that there is a strong demand for premium limited-edition die-cast cars and a desire for an adult members-only collector community for Hot Wheels die-cast vehicles.”
For more information about the “Where Legends are Made” campaign, visit:
https://creations.mattel.com/pages/hot-wheels-where-legends-are-made
Dickies, the global leader in workwear, is once again proud to join the Hot Wheels Legends Tour and celebrate the brand’s do-it-yourself personality. The Legends tour exemplifies “Built not Bought” and this falls right in line with Dickies, which is proud to be present at each of the tour stops providing Dickies wear for judges and staff. In addition, select commemorative Dickies apparel will be available to consumers at each Walmart stop with proof of Dickies purchase from inside the store. Visit the Dickies booth at the event for more details.
To learn more about the Hot Wheels Legends Tour, visit www.HotWheels.com/Legends.
About Hot Wheels
As a 54-year-old brand more relevant today than ever before, Hot Wheels is the world’s leading vehicle franchise which represents and unites all segments of car culture. For decades Hot Wheels has proven its influence in automotive and pop culture with legendary design and epic performance. Through unparalleled collaborations with global leaders in streetwear, fashion, luxury, entertainment, action sports and motorsports, Hot Wheels is the #1 selling toy in the world with over 8 billion vehicles sold. The brand engages fans of every generation through immersive live events, global competitions, theme park attractions, world-class digital gaming, consumer products and film and television content.
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & FriendsTM, UNO® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and e-commerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.
About Mobil 1
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