Hot wheels are too small compared to their real counters. If you ask me, what would be the easiest way to measure the size of hot wheels vs original cars, then the answer will be the measurement scale. But my question is, do you know what scale are hot wheels?
Standard Hot Wheels cars are 1:64 scale. That means the size of Mattel's Hot Wheels cars is around 1/64th of the original vehicle. Engineers at Hot Wheels craft the cars amazingly to scale down the car to such a small size.
The specific scale allows Hot Wheels to use its tracks alternatively. You also can make a hot wheels track with your own imagination. But what is the scale size of a Hot Wheels car, and what does it mean? Let's find out!
What does Scale Mean in Diecast Cars and How does a scale work?
Diecast cars are expressed in scale measurements—for example, 1:64, 1:32, 1:16, etc. You may be curious to know how the scale works in diecast cars.
Scale in a diecast vehicle refers to the size of the miniature model compared to the original car. That means if the scale of a diecast car is 1:48, it means the car is 1/48th the size of the original vehicle.
To be more precise, let's talk about how big a 1:64 scale car is. Suppose the original car is 12 feet in length. If its diecast vehicle model is of 1:64 scale, its size is 1/64th of 12 feet. Here, the 1/64 scale in inches is 2.25 inches long.
Similarly, if you ask how big the 1:24 scale is? The answer will be 6 inches, following the example above.
How do I Determine the Actual Scale of Hot Wheels Cars?
To determine the actual scale of Hot Wheels cars, you will need to divide the original car size by the Hot Wheels car size.
For example,
The 94 Bugatti EB110 SS, Turbo is 4400mm long. Now, measuring the Hot Wheels 94 Bugatti EB110 SS, Turbo Yellow will be approximately 65mm.
Now let's apply the formula for determining the Hot Wheels scale:
4400mm÷65mm=68
That means the actual scale of the Hot Wheels 94 Bugatti EB110 SS, Turbo is approximately 1:68
Similarly, you can replace the numbers with the number of your Hot Wheels car to determine the original scale.
What scale are hot wheels? Let’s talk about the basic
Hot Wheels is probably one of the most popular and the largest diecast brands today. Mattel Inc. is the owner of Hot Wheels. The company mainly manufactures 1:64 scale cars.
First, Hot Wheels collect the 3D design of the original car. Then they scale down the measurements to decide what size the diecast car will be.
They use formulas similar to the one I have shown above. Then they determine what size the Hot Wheels Car is.
After that, Hot Wheels make prototypes of the original cars. The prototypes also follow the same pattern of making 1:64 scale cars. Then they work on it to craft the final piece.
Are all Hot Wheels 1:64 Scale?
1/64 scale is the standard for Hot Wheels cars. But does the company always follow the same scale?
No, not all Hot Wheels are 1:64 scale. Only a few Hot Wheels cars follow different scales, such as 1:43 or 1:24.
For instance, the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks is a 1:24 scale. This 1/24 scale Hot Wheels is 6 inches or 15 centimeters in size. It is still available in the market and can enrich your Hot Wheels collection.
Do all Hot Wheels Maintain an Accurate Scale Size?
Not all Hot Wheels are true 1:64 scale. Although the company markets its diecast cars as 1:64, the measurements are somewhat different.
The actual scale of Hot Wheels may vary from 1:60 to 1:70, but all of them will be marketed as 1:64. It has been a common scale size for diecast cars in the market. That's why Hot Wheels and other brands prefer to stick to this scale, even if there are some differences.
The Hot Wheels scale is changing to fit them in the package. Most of their diecast cars come in a set. A larger or a smaller diecast car may not fit well inside the box. That's why they compromise with the size a little bit to make the cars a better fit.
Normally, all standard Hot Wheels cars are roughly around 3 inches. Some are a little smaller, and some are a little bit larger.
You also can customize hot wheels to follow a different scale and make a unique Hot Wheels Car.
Hot Wheels Scale Model Size Chart:
Here's a table showing approximate measurements of what scale hot wheels are in inches, cm, and mm:
Hot Wheels Scale | Inch | Centimeter (CM) | Millimeter (MM) |
|---|---|---|---|
1:64 | 2.5-3 | 6-7.5 | 60-75 |
1:43 | 3-5 | 7.5-12.5 | 75-125 |
1:32 | 4-6 | 10-15 | 100-150 |
1:24 | 6-9 | 15-23 | 150-230 |
1:18 | 9-12 | 23-30.5 | 230-305 |
Since hot wheels cars are 1:64 scale, does that mean that you can find the real-life size by multiplying the dimensions by 64?
If you have understood the mathematical formula I explained earlier in the article, and if you are a little bit good at math, you know that you can multiply the dimensions with 64 to measure the size of a real-life car. Theoretically, it's absolutely right.
Even if the Hot Wheels Car is a 1:64 scale, you can not multiply 64 with the dimensions to get the real-life size of the car. That's because though they mention the 1:64 scale, their sizes vary slightly.
I already told you about scale size manipulation in diecast cars. That's why you can not multiply the dimensions with 64.
For example, the length of a Hot Wheels car is 3 inches. If you multiply 3 with 64, then you will get 192 inches. But in reality, the car scale can be 1:63. Which means the car length is 189 (multiplying 63 by 3).
Why do I need to scale hot wheels?
You need to scale Hot Wheels to understand the size of the diecast car about the real-life car. However, this information may not be necessary if you only want to have fun with your diecast cars.
But many people want to know the scale size out of curiosity; that's why today I'm talking about the scale size.
What scale are matchbox cars?
Besides Hot Wheels, Matchbox is another popular diecast car manufacturer today. Therefore you may also be curious about what scale are Matchbox diecast cars.
Matchbox also manufactures 1:64 scale cars. Mattel owns both Matchbox and Hot Wheels, following similar measurements. However, like Hot Wheels, Matchbox manufactures diecast cars other than the 1:64 scale.
Conclusion:
Hot Wheels cars are mainly 1:64 scales, but some models follow other sizes too. Most importantly, they are not true to the scale. If I were you, I would have tried to get at least one Hot Wheels of all different scales to diversify and enrich my Hot Wheels collection.