Hot Wheels Spectraflame: The Essential Guide (Hot Wheels (Krause Publications)) [Paperback]

Edward Wershbale (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hot Wheels (Krause Publications) | Publication Date: October 2, 2008

Die-hard collectors of pocket-sized racers, fans of nostalgia, youngsters and the young at heart will revel in the candy-colored brilliance and muscle-car-fashioned attitude features in this pioneer book devoted to the superior Spectraflame cars.

From the Beatnik Bandit and Hot Heap to the Python and Custom Camaro, the whole gang of classic miniature cruisers is featured in this one-of-a-kind book of Mattel's mightiest cars. In addition, readers will discover valuable casting information, production data, values, and insight about the differences between U.S. and Hong-Kong-made models, in this stunning Spectraflame showcase.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Edward Wershbale, 36, has been collecting Hot Wheels his entire life. A member of the online community Redline Online, he has focused on collecting and selling Spectraflame Era cars since 2000. He has more than 400 mint and near mint Hot Wheels in his collection.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications (October 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089689665X
• ISBN-13: 978-0896896659
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #951,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A high Quality Reference Book, October 24, 2008

By 

John E. Henderson - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hot Wheels Spectraflame: The Essential Guide (Hot Wheels (Krause Publications)) (Paperback)

The book had very high quality photographs and overall it appears to be a worthwhile reference book for HOT WHEELS collectors.
So far, I have found no fault in it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what the Doctor ordered., January 6, 2009

By 

R. Gholston "Military Accumulator" (Mid-America USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hot Wheels Spectraflame: The Essential Guide (Hot Wheels (Krause Publications)) (Paperback)

I purchased this for my brother for Christmas, and he was really pleased. He is a Hot Wheel collector, and has a massive collection. He says that he pulls it out every few days to go through it again. Going strictly by his reaction to it, I would recommend it to anyone who has a strong interest in Hot Wheels.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hot Wheels early red lines, October 7, 2008

By 

Janette A. Rawls "Skatealabama" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot Wheels Spectraflame: The Essential Guide (Hot Wheels (Krause Publications)) (Paperback)

I have grown tired of the hotwheel books that focus on the entire product offering through the years. The Tomarts guides did a good job of covering early redlines, but it's job was, once again, to cover all hotwheels. The Spectraflame book takes it back to the start, covers the beginning and ends it right there (~'72).

For the redline enthusiasts, this book will be a welcomed addition; good photos, notes, and definite focus. Is it 100% authoritative as a source? Others may be more qualified than me to scrutinize; all I know is my first car was the custom camaro along with a barebones strip track, I remember when the superchargers came out, adding a whole diminsion to track layout. I remember stalking the local stores when the spoilers came out(especially the nitty gritty kitty) I was in the Hotwheel club and received my chrome heavy chevy, while my friend got the boss hoss that I had hoped would come in my box. I had the tune-up tower, the sky show, and a few of the heavyweights, etc etc.

So, I may not be an expert, but I was there and have been collecting off and on through the years. I enjoyed the book.

What it lacks is more information of the track design and concepts. But, by its title "spectraflame", it owes none of that info to the reader.