Zowees! Little Cars, Big Fun!

 Greetings Atticites! 

Today I'm going to share a little collection I have that highlights how Mattel was cashing in on all things "Hot Wheels" in the late 60s and early 70s. You see, they had several lines of vehicles that weren't actually "Hot Wheels," but shared the branding. Today we will look at the Zowees!

The Zowees were little cars (about half the size of a regular Hot Wheels) that were first offered as premiums at Shell gas stations in 1972. You got one for free with a fill up, or you could plunk down .49 for one without buying gas. 

Here they are!

When I say they were small, I mean small!

Here is the insert that came in the baggie...

The cars were so popular, that they were released for retail sale in 1973. The main difference is that the 1973 cars are taller. I've heard it was to get around toy safety regulations, but I don't know for sure. Here we have two versions of the Good Knight. The 1973 version is on top, and the original Shell version is on the bottom.

Here is another shot of the Shell Good Knight.

The Red Lighter. This is the Shell version.

The Desperado. The Eagles named a song after it. (Not really). I think this is the 73 version with the tall hat.

The Diablo, Shell version.

The Baby Buggy, Shell version.

The Bumble Seat, Shell version.

The Covered Draggin, 1973 version. (You can tell by the long antenna)

The Beddy Bye, Shell version.

There were additional cars released in 1973. These were the Fire Truck, Goin' Fishing, Home Sweet Home, Light My Fire, Numb Skull, and Shifty. I don't have any of them because, first of all, I was originally fascinated by something that was given away at gas stations. That really spoke to my childhood. And secondly, they are stupid expensive. You can get a Beddy Bye for under twenty bucks, but  Shifty can set you back over a hundred. That's because the retail cars were only made one year. I think they're cool...but not that cool!

So there you have it! A bit of Hot Wheels history in an itty-bitty package!

Until next time, keep searching for treasure!