Stock# 18841
Collector# 658

CB's Die Cast Review:  August 3, 1998

1998 First Editions #25
Tow Jam

Mattel continues it strong run of First Editions with the release of Tow Jam, the first concept Hot Wheels wrecker since 1970’s Heavyweights Tow Truck.

The die cast body is painted in a bright red enamel, and sits on a chromed plastic chassis.  The boom appears to be zinc plated metal, and has a black plastic tow hook attached to it.  The windows are made of opaque black plastic, obscuring any view of the interior.  The bumpers and boom controls are part of the chassis.  Everything rides on six wheels, with the center pair attached to a floating axle and the outer axles firmly mounted to the chassis.

There is surprisingly a lot of detail on this concept truck.  On the nose are three pair of light and a recessed radiator grill, with the grill and lower pair of lights almost totally obscured by the front bumper.  The pre-production prototype had a motor popping out of the hood a la the Spoilers from 1970, but this is absent from the stock release.  In its place, the hood sports "nostril" air intakes.  There are two pair of lights on the front of the roof.  The doors have definition, and there is a diamond tread pattern in the truck bed.  There is intricate detail in the tail area, and in the chassis as well.

As with the Sweet 16 II, this is a concept car that either you like or you don’t.  In any event, Tow Jam is one of the more interesting concepts to appear in the Hot Wheels line this decade, and the kids will probably love it.