Imagine yourself as a twelve-year-old trapped in your adult body. If you can do that, Larry Wood has the coach for you. Wood is the chief designer of Mattel’s Hot Wheels miniature replica cars — he’s a legend in his industry and this summer, he’s celebrating his 35th Anniversary at Mattel by touring the country in a 40-foot Monaco Coach Corporation-built motorhome.
This ain’t your grandpa’s coach
It’s wrapped in flames of yellow, orange, red and blue and tattooed with the famous Hot Wheels logo — an exterior design that Larry created with another Mattel designer. Plus, the cabinets and storage bays house over a hundred clear plastic cases with shiny Hot Wheels inside. Even if your inner child hasn’t piped up for years, you’re bound to think this coach is cool. You might even want to copy the paint job on your own RV if your spouse would let you get away with it.
“The coach has been fantastic,” Wood said. “How could you not be happy driving around the states in a luxury home that looks like this?”
The Larry Wood World Tour began in April and will run through November 10 — and although it’s almost over, Wood said he’s looking forward to spending some more time on the road. After a stop in Detroit for the Justice League NASCAR race and the Woodward Dream Cruise, Wood and his wife will drive the coach back to California.
“That will be a little slower trip and we’ll get to spend some more time in the motorhome, which will be nice,” he said. “It’s definitely comfortable.”
Thus far, the coach has performed admirably, even in nasty weather. “We hit some big weather in Indiana — tornado warnings and that type of stuff,” Wood said. “So we had some high winds, but [the coach] handled with no problems.”
The tour has also included stops at the Hot Wheels Nationals in Dallas, Texas and the Wonderland Market in Yokohama, Japan. That’s right, Japan. It is a “World” Tour after all.
“The motorhome didn’t actually go to Japan, but Larry did,” said Tracey Smith, special events coordinator for the tour. “I think the coach would still be on its way there if we’d have tried that.”
“The motorhome didn’t actually go to Japan, but Larry did,” said Tracey Smith, special events coordinator for the tour. “I think the coach would still be on its way there if we’d have tried that.”
Smith said the idea for the Larry Wood World Tour came about as a way to give Hot Wheels collectors a personal experience with a pioneer in the industry. “It came about because Larry Wood is Mr. Hot Wheels, and the idea of putting him on the road where he would be accessible to collectors was really appealing,” she said. “It’s really for the collector — you have the legendary Larry Wood and we’re putting him in your backyard.”
Those collectors who visit Larry at one of his stops get a special “Shift Kicker” World Tour edition Hot Wheels that he designed, in one of six colors. There is also a special online custom contest where fans can submit their own design ideas, to be judged by Wood himself. Those interested in more information can check out www.hotwheelscollectors.com.
The idea of using a motorhome for the tour was planted after a successful event last year where they wrapped an RV in Hot Wheels graphics, but this year, Smith said they wanted a step up in quality. “The RV we used last year looked cool on the outside, but the inside... well I don’t think Larry would have toured in the RV we used last year,” she said. “It was nothing like what Monaco Coach Corporation is providing us this year.”
When Monaco Coach Corporation Director of Marketing Jim Mac heard about Mattel’s plans for a tour, he said the idea of a partnership seemed like a wonderful opportunity. “Mattel has been great to work with,” he said. “It’s been a fun project for everyone involved.”
Mac said the coach has received a lot of attention just sitting in the parking lot. “We have the rights to keep it wrapped like that for a year,” he said, “and we’re planning to take it to events so our owners can see it.”
As demonstrated by the big crowds that have turned out, the response has been extremely positive. “We’ve really been happy with it,” Smith said. “It’s a huge attention getter. It’s basically like a 40-foot billboard that we can put wherever we want.”
Wood said that’s what he was shooting for when he designed the motorhome’s graphics.
“The whole idea for the motorhome was that someone coming from the other direction on the highway would be able to tell that it’s Hot Wheels without taking their eyes off the road for too long,” he said. “And when you’re driving in the same direction there’s also some good detail to look at.”
“These coaches have everything in the world already, as far as technology,” Wood said. “I’m not a computer guy, so I don’t think I’ll go too far on that stuff, but I’ll probably put a few graphics on it.”
Although he’s used to working on a much smaller scale, Wood had experience designing aircraft interiors at the beginning of his career, which he credits in helping on this project. “It wasn’t a big stretch because my life is drawing flames,” he said. “Although I’ve never flamed one of my own cars, now that I think about it. I’ve got one in the shop, maybe I’ll have to flame it.”
Building and rebuilding his own life size automobiles is one of Wood’s biggest hobbies and he says driving the coach around the country has been a great learning experience for one of his projects. He is refurbishing a towable RV built in the 1950s and now has some great ideas for it.
“Doing a little camping in this coach is the smartest thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “I did some camping as a kid, but this is the first time I’m realizing about hookups and everything. I’m starting to see how I can run the 50-amp and the cable and get a drop down TV.”
So for those wondering what sort of “fantasy RV” Larry might design if he had the chance, the question has already been answered.
“These coaches have everything in the world already, as far as technology,” Wood said. “I’m not a computer guy, so I don’t think I’ll go too far on that stuff, but I’ll probably put a few graphics on it.”
With all the attention the coach has been getting, Wood said the graphics on his personal RV might be a bit more subdued. Still, in his opinion, the people he’s met along the way have been the best part of the tour. “I love getting to meet all these people,” he said. “I’m not the kind of guy to sit in a campsite all by myself with the doors closed. You only do this once in your life so you might as well have some fun.”
Wood and other designers at Mattel have also been kicking around the idea of creating a Hot Wheels RV. “The biggest problem is how big they are — it’s hard to fit something that big in one of our small packages,” he said. “We’ve got an idea, but we’ll see if it’s going to work.”
From Wood’s track record, it’s safe to say that he can make just about anything work, and work well. For those who aren’t Hot Wheels collectors, it may come as a surprise that these tiny “toys” can become quite valuable over time. Collectors regularly pay $100 to $200 for rare early-model Hot Wheels. Last year, a Hot Wheels “Beach Bomb” die-cast — one of the most rare of Wood’s designs — fetched $1,500 at a charity auction.
“When I started in ’69 it was just a way to pay the bills, although it was a fun job,” Wood said. “But it really is amazing to see how far it’s come. You just never know where something’s going to go.”
Safari motorcoach owners will have an opportunity to purchase a replica of the Hot Wheels coach through Monaco Coach Corporation in early 2005. |
