IT ALL STARTED IN A GARAGE… Elliot Handler was a dreamer. He and his wife Ruth started Mattel in a garage in Southern California and went on to develop some of the most iconic toys in American history. Ruth created Barbie® to inspire little girls to dream big and be all that they could be. Wanting to do the same for boys, Elliot set his sights on revolutionizing the toy car category. Die-cast toy cars already existed, but Elliott wanted to create something that looked cooler and performed better. He challenged toy design convention by enlisting help from a rocket scientist and a car engineer—people who would think differently and help him challenge conventions, push limits and blaze new trails. Through that competitive spirit, Hot Wheels® was born. And when Elliot saw the first die-cast car roll across the floor, he said, “Those are some hot wheels.” The original “sweet 16” were relatable and cool and could perform awesome stunts on what is now known as iconic orange track. Since 1968, Hot Wheels has influenced and been influenced by car culture, which in turn, has ignited the challenger spirit of generations of kids to push the limits of their imagination.