Automotive enthusiasts of all ages can appreciate the little cars known as Hot Wheels. Since they first hit stores in 1968, there have been an untold amount of different Hot Wheels created but one stands out as the world’s most valuable. Interestingly enough, it’s the pink Volkswagen Beach Bomb prototype. Yes, it’s a bus. This specific Hot Wheel was created when Volkswagen and Hot Wheels first collaborated. However, this prototype’s narrow body and rear-exiting surfboard made it unstable. A redesigned example of the Volkswagen Beach Bomb made it to production with weight sides and surfboards moved to the sides. Only Hot Wheels employees had access to the original prototypes, so they have become true rarities.
“I already had heard about [the Beach Bomb] in purple, green, red, light blue and gold. I even had heard about an unpainted model,” said Bruce Pascal, the owner of the pink Volkswagen Beach Bomb prototype.. “But pink was extremely hard to find. Most Hot Wheels models were marketed to young boys, who the brand assumed didn’t want to play with pink. They created just a few pink [Beach Bomb] models to market to their female audience.”
Pascal won’t say how much he purchased the Hot Wheel for, but he notes that it’s worth an estimated $150,000. That’s quite the price for a Hot Wheel. However, it’s not the only Hot Wheel he owns. In fact, he has over 4,000 Hot Wheels models and around 3,000 pieces of memorabilia. Still, his pink bus is his most prized piece in his collection.
