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1975 Blister Pack example

Description[]

Will the Real Flying Color paint please stand up?!? The El Rey Special runs a close race for castings with the most alternative colors.

The El Rey Special was originally released in 1974, with enamel paint and the new Flying Colors tampo. Early versions can be found with capped rear wheels and were released in the '74 style blister-pack. It is unsure which was issued first in 1974, the Light enamel Green or Dark enamel Blue; this was such a short run before the casting change to the Formula P.A.C.K. It is hard to trace the history of the name. The fact that the Formula Pack showed up mid- to late-1975 in the 6-pack, means the El Rey Special was only made for about a year and half.

The Formula P.A.C.K. was released in 1976 or so it has been thought. In 1975 Mattel started releasing the 6-Pack again, the set Streak Machines was released with the El Rey Special in 1975, but it also is found with the Formula P.A.C.K in 1975 6-Pack. It would seem that this casting had some retooling due to some nose issue and was released early in the 6-Pack. Then released in the line-up of 1976. It has also been released under the name of Malibu Grand Prix (1982) and Lightning Gold (1985). This cast was a Retool of the El Rey Special (1974), with only modifications to the nose of the body. The Formula P.A.C.K was more readily available with Redlines than Blackwalls in 1977. With a complete tampo change for 1978.

Original Tool Versions[]

The El Rey Special has come out in the following versions:

Col # Year Series Color Tampo Base Color Window Color Interior Color Wheel Type Toy # Country Notes / Variations Photo
1974 Flying Colors Dark Enamel Blue Yellow and Orange "Dunlop" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal RL 8273 Hong Kong Capped Rear/Alt. Color 1974 BP elrey sp dk blue close shot1
1974 Flying Colors Dark Enamel Blue Yellow and Orange "Dunlop" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal RL 8273 Hong Kong Alt. Color Formula P.A.C.K. BluRL
1974 Flying Colors Light  Enamel Green Yellow and Orange "Dunlop" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal RL 8273 Hong Kong Capped Rear/Alt. Color 1974 lt green el rey special
1974 Flying Colors Light Enamel Green Yellow and Orange "Dunlop" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal RL 8273 Hong Kong Alt. Color Image Not Available
1974 Flying Colors Light  Enamel Blue Yellow and Orange "Dunlop" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal RL 8273 Hong Kong Alt. Color El Rey Special-5874
1975 Flying Colors Dark Enamel Green Yellow and Orange "Dunlop" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal RL 8273 Hong Kong Elreyspecial
1976 Flying Colors Black Yellow, Orange, "P.A.C.K." Unpainted
/
Metal
N/A Unpainted RL 9037 Hong Kong Named Formula P.A.C.K Formulapack
1977 Flying Colors Black Yellow, Orange, "P.A.C.K." Unpainted
/
Metal
N/A Unpainted  BW 9037 Hong Kong Named Formula P.A.C.K Formula P.A.C.K. yelredBW
1978 Flying Colors Black White pinstripes, "8" Unpainted
/
Metal
N/A Unpainted BW 9037 Hong Kong Named Formula P.A.C.K Formula P.A.C.K. whitpinstrp
1978 Flying Colors Black Yellow pinstripes, "8" Unpainted
/
Metal
N/A Unpainted BW 9037 Hong Kong Named Formula P.A.C.K Formula P.A.C.K. yelpinstrp
1978 Speedway Specials Black Yellow pinstripes, "8" Unpainted
/
Metal
N/A Unpainted BW 9037 Hong Kong Named Formula P.A.C.K Formula P.A.C.K.-20905
1982 Mainline Black Red, Yellow, Blue, "Malibu GRAND PRIX", "GOOD YEAR", "1" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal BW 9037 Hong Kong Named Malibu Grand Prix Formula P.A.C.K. redbluBW
1982 Mainline Black Red, Yellow, Blue, "Malibu GRAND PRIX", "GOOD YEAR", "1" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal BW 9037 Malaysia Named Malibu Grand Prix Malibu gran prix Malaysia base 1982
1983 Real Riders Black Red, Yellow, Blue, "Malibu GRAND PRIX", "GOOD YEAR", "1" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal TRR 9037 Malaysia Named Malibu Grand Prix Formula P.A.C.K. redbluRR
1984 Real Riders Yellow Black, White and Red, "2" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal RR Grey 4372 Malaysia Named Lightning Gold Lightning Gold RRG
1984 Real Riders Yellow Black, White and Red, "2" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal RR White 4372 Malaysia Named Lightning Gold Lightning Gold RRW
1985 Mainline Yellow Black, White and Red, "2" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal BW 4372 Malaysia Named Lightning Gold Lightning Gold BW
1985 Mainline Met. Blue Red and White "2" and "Hot Wheels" logo Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal BW Malaysia Named Malibu Grand Prix
Kellogg's Cereal Promotional & Mattel Toy Club
Formula P.A.C.K. RT

Retooled Versions[]

The El Rey Special has come out in the following versions:

Col # Year Series Color Tampo Base Color Window Color Interior Color Wheel Type Toy # Country Notes / Variations Photo
2011 The Hot Ones Green Red, Yellow & Black tampos, "2" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal BW W1550 Thailand Base code(s): 2011how1550
2011 The Hot Ones Green Red, Yellow & Black tampos, "2" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal RLBW W1550 Thailand Chase
Base code(s):
ElReySpecialChaseBH
2012 The Hot Ones Black Yellow & Gold stripes, "8", "El Rey Special" Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal Gold BW W3785 Thailand Base code(s): El Rey Special Black 2012
2013 Flying Customs Metallic Brown Blue, Orange and White stripes '13' Unpainted / Metal N/A Unpainted / Metal BW X8216 Thailand Base code(s): F09, F11 El Rey Special-2013

Gallery[]

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