This Hot Wheels VW Beach Bomb is Worth as Much as an Audi R8
Hot Wheels fans—at least the older ones—know how valuable some of these toy cars can be. We’ve already told you about a 1968 Chevy Camaro that is worth over $132,000, but that’s way less than what is often considered to be the most valuable Hot Wheels in the world: the 1:64-scale pink Volkswagen “Beach Bomb” bus prototype.
The vehicle belongs to an American collector by the name of Bruce Pascal, who managed to track and purchase the only two known copies in existence before selling the one that was in rougher shape.
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Unlike the production models that were sold in stores, the original prototypes had the surfboards out the back window and were unable to stay upright when they rolled. Only Hot Wheels employees had access to them.
The pink Beach Bomb prototypes are the rarest of all these models.
“I already had heard about [the Beach Bomb] in purple, green, red, light blue and gold. I even had heard about an unpainted model,” said Pascal. “But pink was extremely hard to find. Most Hot Wheels models were marketed to young boys, who the brand assumed didn’t want to play with pink. They created just a few pink [Beach Bomb] models to market to their female audience.”
Pascal, who owns over 4,000 Hot Wheels models, won’t say how much he spent for this one, but it is believed to be worth an estimated $190,000 today—as much as a brand new Audi R8 supercar or six well-equipped Volkswagen Tiguan SUVs!
The prized Beach Bomb sits in a dark, Plexiglass case to help prevent sun damage. When it’s not touring the U.S., the model can be found in Pascal’s personal museum in Maryland, where he gives private tours to other Hot Wheels enthusiasts.
“I want other people to experience the Beach Bomb. I’ve found so much joy in learning about classic cars and Hot Wheels, and I hope I can spark some of that in other people. It’s a treasure to find these rare models,” Pascal says.
