Stock# 18988
 

CB's Die Cast Review: April 3, 1998

30th Anniversary 
Twin Mill ^®

Most of the commemorative replicas Mattel has released for the Hot Wheels 30 Anniversary have been disappointing, as evidenced by their great availability in most areas of the country.  Many consumers also have been discouraged by the average $6 retail price.  Some of the replicas, such as the 1996 VW Bus and 1997 Scorchin' Scooter, were popular because they were easier to find than the originals, and less expensive than the secondary market price of the originals.  A notable exception is the Collector's Edition 30th Anniversary Twin Mill.  With an average price of $11, it is more expensive than the other replicas.  But, unlike the other cars, it is worth the price.

Mattel truly went the extra distance on this item.  The car, utilizing the 25th Anniversary/Vintage casting, is painted in a transparent red over nickel-plated metal, perfectly simulating Spectraflame Red paint.  The plastic wheels are outstanding, as Mattel has replicated the 1968-style hubs with today's technology.  The chrome mag wheels are without the cost-cutting center hole originally introduced in 1973, and have bold redwalls tampoed onto the tires.  The wheels are pressed into white nylon bearings that ride on thin steel axles, just as the cars did in 1968 and 1969.  The size of the wheels correspond to the ones of that era -- medium sized up front, larged-sized in back. The twin motors are chromed as usual.  The interior is white plastic.  A 30th Anniversary logo is tampoed in white on the back of the roof.

The car is outstanding, and equally so are the Matching Collector's Button and the blistercard itself.  The button is metal, has the tab bent behind, and utilizes the original artwork.  The color of the car is the same as the original, but the background field is a darker blue, the name is white instead of black, and the copyright print now reads "©1977 Mattel Inc. All Rights Reserved."  The blistercard has the glossy finish of today's made-in-China releases, and is a near duplicate of the original with one exception: the original slogan of "Fastest metal cars in the world" has been replaced with the 25th Anniversary's "Hottest metal cars in the world."  The back of the blistercard contains the list of other commemoratives and a brief history of the car.

The package also contains a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Ira Gilford, the designer of the original Twin Mill.  Also included is a 30th Anniversary pin, plated in gold and printed in red, white, blue and black.

The commemorative box for the Twin Mill is of similar construction to the thirty "regular" replica boxes, the notable difference being the longer length to accommodate the extra items.  The writing on the package is printed in gold instead of silver. As with the blistercard, the rear of the package contains brief information on the history of the car and a list of the other commemoratives.

It should be noted that originally the car was introduced as "Twinmill" in 1969.  Over the years, the name became "Twin Mill."  This particular car was chosen as the 30th Anniversary flagship because it is Mattel's first original Hot Wheels car.  The "World's Coolest Car Company" went the extra mile, yard and inch in recreating this item.  The car is also to be released in additional colors blue and green, although only the red car has been found.  We can only hope that the "regular" commemorative replicas representing 1968 through 1973 will be up to the standards set by this item.  The commemorative Twin Mill is outstanding, and every serious Hot Wheels collector should have one.  Bravo, Mattel!