Description
The Short Order is a Hot Wheels casting which debuted in the 1971 Hot Wheels range of vehicles. It is based on a 1950's Ford F-Series Pickup, cusomized with an elongated front end and blown V8 engine protruding through the hood. It features an plastic orange tailgate which moves in an out.
1971 versions were produced at the Hong Kong production facility and came with blue tinted glass and black interiors. They came painted in various 'Spectraflame' colors of which Purple is the hardest to find. It was packaged with a plastic 'Collectors Button'.
The Short Order is known to have issues with a metal fatigue called 'Crumbling' where the body or chassis develops cracks and literally crumbles into pieces.
The Short Order was also released in 1973 as a Shell Promo, 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.
The Short Order has not been seen since 1973.
1971 Versions
The Short Order has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions:
| Year | Series | Color / Tampo | Base Color / Type | Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Blue | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | 6176 | Hong Kong | Hard to Find | 
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| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Aqua | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | 6176 | Hong Kong | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Green | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | 6176 | Hong Kong |
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Light 'Apple' Green | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | 6176 | Hong Kong | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Yellow | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | 6176 | Hong Kong | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Red | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | 6176 | Hong Kong | 
| |
| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Magenta | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | 6176 | Hong Kong | Hard to Find |
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| 1971 | 1971 Hot Wheels | Spectraflame Purple | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | 6176 | Hong Kong | Rare |
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1973 'Shell Promo' Versions
The Short Order has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions:
| Year | Series | Color / Tampo | Base Color / Type | Window Color | Interior Color | Wheel Type | Toy # | Country | Notes / Variations | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Shell Promo | Enamel Dark Blue | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | Shell01 | Hong Kong |
| |
| 1973 | Shell Promo | Enamel Light Blue | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | Shell01 | Hong Kong |
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| 1973 | Shell Promo | Enamel Green | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | Shell01 | Hong Kong |
| |
| 1973 | Shell Promo | Enamel Pink | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | Shell01 | Hong Kong |
| |
| 1973 | Shell Promo | Enamel Red | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | Shell01 | Hong Kong |
| |
| 1973 | Shell Promo | Enamel Yellow | Unpainted / Metal | Tinted (Blue) | Black | RL | Shell01 | Hong Kong |
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Trivia
Pre-Production artwork by Howard Rees shows its original name to be 'Grocery Getter'. And a design with two engines may have been considered.