Description[]
The Hairy Hauler is a Hot Wheels casting designed by Paul Tam which debuted in the 1971 Hot Wheels range of vehicles. It features a front opening canopy which reveals the interior, it also has a large rear-mounted engine with long exhaust pipes.
It was mainly manufactured in the USA but some Spectraflame blue cars were made in Hong Kong. Some small casting variations are known; later produced cars have a cross-bar between the two exhaust pipes and a slightly different hinge mechanism for the opening canopy. Some cars also have a longer steering wheel than others. It came packaged with a metal 'Collector's Button'.
Due to shade differences in the Spectraflame painting process, the existance of Spectraflame Lime and Spectraflame Aqua versions receive sceptisism by collectors. Some believe that most 'Lime' cars are actually an off-shade of the regular 'Spectraflame Yellow' and 'Aqua' cars are faded 'Spectraflame Green', and that true Aqua and Lime cars exist but are very rare.
The Hairy Hauler was also manufactured in Mexico by CIPSA, these versions are very hard to find and usually in poor condition.
Versions[]
The Hairy Hauler has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions:
| Year | Series | Color | Base Color / Type | Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Aqua | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | Rare / Speculative | 
|
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Blue | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Light Blue | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | Hard to Find |
|
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Green | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA |
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Light 'Apple' Green | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Red | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | Hard to Find |
|
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Rose | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Purple | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | Hard to Find |
|
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Magenta | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Pink | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Salmon | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA |
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Yellow | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Lime | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | Rare / Speculative |
|
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Blue | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | Hong Kong |
|
CIPSA Versions[]
In the early 1970's, the Hairy Hauler was made in Mexico for the Mexican market by CIPSA. They all use the casting with the cross-bar between the exhaust pipes and the only major difference are the paint colors. Despite being made in Mexico they still have 'USA' marked on the base.
| Color | Base Color / Type | Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metalflake Dark Blue | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA |
| |
| Metalflake Dark Green | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA | Replacement window
and interior shown |
|
| Light Blue (Chrome) | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA |
| |
| Enamel Orange | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA |
| |
| Pink (Chrome) | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | White | RL (Dual Rear Wheels) | 6458 | USA |
|
Gallery[]
