Chevrolet Is the King of the 2020 Hot Wheels Flying Customs

Collectors are eager for two major events this month: the San Diego Comic-Con and the Hot Wheels Malaysia Collectors Convention. Visit either one, and you can buy some cool new items (or old ones if that's what you're looking for). Meeting other like-minded people is always fun, and you're bound to learn something from every one of them.

Oh, I forgot that the Legends Tour stops by Chicago, Illinois, on July 27! By the end of this year's contest, we'll have a new winner whose car will join the 1/64th-scale world of Hot Wheels machines. See what I mean? There's always something going on at any level: Mainline cars, Premium ones, or exclusive models.

I only recently discussed five items in the 2013 Flying Customs line-up. If you read that story, you may know that Mattel used this name in 2006 and 2020. And you'll find it on the Volkswagen Drag Bus casting on more than one occasion. Today, I'd like to quickly analyze how the diecast manufacturer planned the 2020 series until 2022.

We had five mixes spread across three years, four coming out in 2020 and 2021. That adds up to 40 collectibles; only four were unlicensed models. I've selected the top five manufacturers to talk about in this story. The names that didn't make the list are Plymouth (with two castings), Mini, Dodge, and Mercury (one casting for each of the latter). I must say I'm not surprised at how things turned out here.

Chevrolet: 13 Collectibles

We've seen this trend before. Chevrolet is the top manufacturer of the 2020 Flying Customs series. It makes up for 13 out of 40 collectibles released in three years. It was off to a strong start in 2020 with five cars, including the Custom '72 Chevy LUV, the '13 COPO Camaro, the '68 Chevy Nova, the Custom V-8 Vega, and the '67 Chevy C10.

I'm quite fond of the '86 Monte Carlo SS that showed up the following year (there's also a 2022 iteration). I'd like a piece of the '69 Chevelle SS 396 just as much, and it's great to see these are all affordable items.

I have spotted several listings with an asking price of $30 for a set of eight vehicles, although some sellers will try to catch you off guard with higher prices.

Ford: 9 Collectibles

Ford comes second after Chevrolet, a familiar sight in the Hot Wheels series. I have been considering an all-Mustang story for quite some time now, but I might just start documenting it soon.

Nine of the 40 Flying Customs cars are Ford models, and it all started with the '57 T-Bird. Collectors had to wait until Mix 2 of 2020 arrived for the second Ford, the '70 Ford Torino.

Whereas Chevrolet's modern representative was the COPO Camaro, Ford had the 2015 Mustang GT. Six more Mustangs followed suit, and the '70 Mach 1 is arguably the best-looking one. It's also cool that Mattel used it in the 2006 series.

Volkswagen: 3 Collectibles

It's a tie for P3, as three manufacturers have three representatives each in the 2020 Flying Customs line. Volkswagen vehicles have always been popular among Hot Wheels collectors, some of whom are among the all-time most popular castings Mattel has ever developed.

The Custom '69 Volkswagen Squareback came first as part of Mix 1 for 2020. You may remember its ZAMAC Ultra Hots iteration last year, but it has at least two or three more exciting designs to consider. Felix Holst's Caddy has been around for a decade, and the Flying Customs variation is great in green and yellow, running on HO wheels.

I'm ready to bet that the Custom Volkswagen Beetle is the show's star for many collectors, as that Turquoise Blue finish is truly a blast from the past. Someone has a lot of four pieces for sale on eBay for just over $22, but you can still hope to find a cheaper option if you dig hard enough.

Pontiac: 3 Collectibles

If you're a Pontiac fan, search for the 2021 Flying Customs collection. All three cars came out that year, two in Mix 1 and the third in Mix 2. "Firebird" is the game's name here, and the '84 model Brendon Vetuskey designed is one of my all-time favorites.

It's a shame that its entire lineage only contains five variations. The Flying Customs one has an interesting appearance in black and gold, and I almost don't even mind the lack of RR wheels.

Interestingly enough, Vetuskey designed the '73 Pontiac Firebird and the Custom '67 Pontiac Firebird. Both are relatively modern castings, having debuted in the 21st century. But to me, one of the most exciting Flying Customs machines is just around the corner.

Nissan: 3 Collectibles (Datsun included)

Yes, I'm a big JDM enthusiast. Even though I own a Mazda RX-7, I'm quite fond of Silvias, Skylines, Supras, Lancers, and the lot. Flying Customs included two Nissans and a Datsun. The latter was a Bluebird 510, which many consider a genuine treasure.

You'll not likely pay more than $35 for the Flying Customs variation, but some other iterations can easily cost over $1,000. The '82 Skyline R30 is the first Nissan in the series, back with Mix 1 of 2020. If I had to pick one vehicle from the line, I'd go for the 96 Nissan 180SX Type X. It featured a purple finish with green, yellow, and white stripes.

The HO wheels aren't ideal, but it's what you would expect from a '90s vehicle. You can get it for as cheap as $5, a bargain if you think of the Super Treasure Hunt version. I spotted one of those going for $150 on eBay, and it's just the start of the story. I think I need to find a way to buy the complete Flying Customs collection. Then, I can get back to you with a proper review of what it's all about.