In 1973, there was the Shot Wheels Wacky Packages card, parodying our beloved Hot Wheels toys. Naturally, every kid back then- me included- would have killed for a real Shot Wheels car.

Matchbox fans weren't neglected by Topps, with Mashbox cars appearing soon after Shot Wheels. After nearly two decades of simmering in one artist's cranium, the concept became reality. Here's what this Hot Wheels site has to say:

Started in 1989 by J.P.S, a San Diego artist, who collected Hot Wheels and Matchbox.
The concept being a packaged version of the Wacky Package Sticker.
The first one created was the Lemlin, to match the car pictured on the sticker.

He also made Mashbox, having a similar wacky card with an actual trashed Matchbox car inside of it.

Some of these have been recreated by others over the years.

In 2006, J.P.S. begain re-issuing some of these as well as some new models. All on updated cards.

[HWRedlines]

Product Description

For over half a century Matchbox vehicles have entertained children and collectors of all ages. This book is a celebration of the classic toy car from its inception to today.

Accompanying the informative text are photographs of more than a thousand spectacular vehicles from throughout Matchbox history and its diverse product lines.

I'll make a confession. While I no doubt owned Matchbox and Hot Wheels toys as a kid, I wasn't that into 'em. I loved cars of course, and seeing how we managed to spend so much time in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach when I was young, I could wander the streets with my car geek friend David while our folks finished brunch and look at actual slant-nose 935s, Lambo Jalpas, Ferrari Mondials, Avantis and what ever else the merchants of bad taste deemed necessary that week. We did see an Aston Martin Lagonda parked in front of Nate & Als one Sunday, which was and continues to be one of the happiest moments of my life. What I am trying to say is that I am totally the wrong guy to be asking this question. So, I will let commenter Seth L,

"What is your favorite car toy? Matchbox? Tonka? Micro Machines? An amazingly complicated HotWheels track? Supercity?

[The Jalopnik Question of the Day is better when asked. Do you have a question you want answered? Email it to tips@jalopnik.com with the subject line "QOTD"]

Related:
Where Did You Get Your Automotive Dogma?; The Jalopnik Question of the Day [Internal]

What this country needs is more girls who grow up wrenching on beater hoonmobiles, girls who see the Radiator Hoes as their role models. Mattel feels that it's kinda OK for little girls to play with toy cars, as long as they're, you know, all girly about it. Thus, a new line of toys is born: Polly Wheels! Essentially Matchbox cars merged with the Polly Pockets line of dolls, the whole deal is summed up by Mattel's name for the Polly Wheels track set: Race To The Mall! How about Nitrous-Assisted Donuts In The Mall Parking Lot instead, Mattel? – Murilee Martin

Mattel putting girls in driver's seat [Sun-Sentinal]

Related:
Goddamn Matchbox, Just Because [internal]

We're having one of those melancholic evenings that seem endemic to self-styled pundits who give a care about the latest camshaft developments for the LS7, but could in reality offer up less than a literary a toss regarding any sort of technnincal penning, unless of course, they've got reason to be prefaced with the phrase, "This girl I've been sleeping with..." We might, however change our tune if GM deigns to give us an a 427 smallblock for evaluation purposes. And let's face it the probability of that is roughly equivalent to the likelihood of Dubya constructing a Harvey Milk monument in his Crawford garden.

But still, even if appropriator and suck-inducing toymaker Mattel has long-since bought up and turned out this basition of British replicar-mini awesomeness, we'll never forget our metalflake-blue MR2 with the then-revolutionary/novel compact-disc-type wheels or the night that we seduced a woman who proved to be more than a match for our minimally-developed undoing-defenses to the tune of the late, lamented, under-appreciated Engine 88's "Matchbox". And yes, mofos. We've still got our 1:64-scale Supervan from 1987. We dare you to front.

Matchbox [Wikipedia]

Related:
Most Likely to Become a Hot Wheels Car: Identity i1 [Internal]

When we were just a wee Jalopnik, one of our most favoritest Matchbox cars was the Mini Haha, a traditional Mini Cooper with an oversized, WW1-era radial aircraft engine blooming forth from the tiny engine bay, and an oversized, helmeted flying ace hunkered down behind the wheel. Thanks to Matt, we've found the modern equivalent, in the form of a Honda CRX (minus the radial mill and giant ace). But then again, and this one's for reals. Click through for a burn down memory lane.

Related:
Hot Wheels Mania [internal]