Description[]
The Jet Threat is a Hot Wheels casting designed by Larry Wood which debuted in the 1971 Hot Wheels range of vehicles. In the pre-production stages of design it was named 'Jet Dragster'. It features an an enormous jet engine in the front with two large exhaust nozzles in the rear. The cockpit is located at the very back of the car under a small glass canopy.
1971 versions of the Jet Threat were painted in various Spectraflame colors and featured an opening compartment in the middle of the engine which reveals an orange turbine. It was manufactured in Hong Kong and has a blue tinted glass canopy. It was packaged with a decal sheet of a yellow/orange stripe with '15' and an artist's impression of the car. It was also packaged with a plastic 'Collector's Button'.
The Jet Threat was released as a Shell Promo in 1973, a giveaway promotional car handed out to customers at Shell service stations. As with other 1973 cars, it lost its Spectraflame paint which was replaced with enamel paint. To save on cost, the opening turbine compartment on the engine was cast shut.
It was also produced in Mexico by CIPSA using the 1973 casting, these releases are extremely rare and are usually found in poor condition (more information below).
In 1976, the Jet Threat was released in the Flying Colors series. It was renamed 'Jet Threat II' despite being the exact same casting as the 1973 version. The Jet Threat II was made between 1976 and 1978 and saw two different color-schemes.
The Jet Threat has not been seen since 1978, although it has led to two follow-up castings: Jet Threat 3.0 from 2001 and Jet Threat 4.0 from 2007.
The Jet Threat was playable in the Hot Wheels: Turbo Racing video game,
1971 Versions[]
The Jet Threat has been released in the 1:64 scale following versions:
Year | Series | Color | Stickers | Base Color / Type | Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Yellow | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | ||
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Light 'Apple' Green | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | ||
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Red | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | ||
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Aqua | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | Playable in Hot Wheels: Turbo Racing | |
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Blue | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | ||
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Green | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | ||
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Lime | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | ||
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Magenta | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | ||
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Purple | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | Hard to Find | |
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Rose | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | Rare | |
1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Gold | Yellow/Orange Stripe '15' | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 6179 | Hong Kong | Rare |
1973 Shell Promo Versions[]
The Jet Threat has been released in the 1:64 scale following versions:
Year | Series | Color | Stickers | Base Color / Type | Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973 | 1973 Shell Promos | Enamel Light Blue | None | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | Shell08 | Hong Kong | ||
1973 | 1973 Shell Promos | Flourescent Dark Blue | None | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | Shell08 | Hong Kong | ||
1973 | 1973 Shell Promos | Enamel Pink | None | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | Shell08 | Hong Kong | ||
1973 | 1973 Shell Promos | Enamel Red | None | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | Shell08 | Hong Kong | ||
1973 | 1973 Shell Promos | Enamel Yellow | None | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | Shell08 | Hong Kong | ||
1973 | 1973 Shell Promos | Flourescent Green | None | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | Shell08 | Hong Kong | ||
1973 | 1973 Shell Promos | Enamel Lime Green | None | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | Shell08 | Hong Kong |
CIPSA Versions[]
In the early 1970's, the Jet Threat was manufactured by CIPSA in Mexico for the Mexican market using the 1973 Shell Promo casting. These versions differ from the regular versions in a couple of small ways. The glass is clear instead of tinted blue, and the wheels are completely different. Despite being manufactured in Mexico, they are still marked with 'Hong Kong' on the base.
The Jet Threat has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions:
Color | Stickers | Base Color / Type | Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Country | Notes / Variations | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enamel Light Blue | None | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | N/A | RL | Hong Kong | ||
Enamel Red | None | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | N/A | RL | Hong Kong | ||
Enamel Orange | None | Unpainted / Metal | Clear | N/A | RL | Hong Kong |
1976-1978 'Jet Threat II' Versions[]
The Jet Threat has been released in the 1:64 scale following versions:
Year | Series | Color | Tampo | Base Color / Type | Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations | Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | Flying Colors | Enamel Plum | Yellow Flames | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | RL | 8235 | Hong Kong | ||
1977 | Flying Colors | Enamel Plum | Yellow Flames | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | BW | 8235 | Hong Kong | ||
1978 | Flying Colors | Enamel Dark Blue | Orange Stripe with Yellow 'Jet Threat' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | BW | 8235 | Hong Kong | ||
1978 | Drag Strippers | Enamel Dark Blue | Orange Stripe with Yellow 'Jet Threat' | ZAMAC | Tinted (Blue) | Body color | BW | 8235 | Hong Kong |