You never know what you find when you start looking into the profound cultural effects of Wacky Packages. Not only did they begat Topps' Weird Wheels, but one card inspired real-life toy cars: Shot Wheels!
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.