1970 Hot Wheels Super-Charger Speed Test Set

Mattel’s second speed set for 1970 put a Super-Charger behind the thrust to get Hot Wheels cars blazing.  Unlike the other two speed sets, this one let you run a car on an oval and keep upping the power to achieve faster and faster clockings.  Eventually you would record the fastest possible speed for a given car before it reached the limits of it’s stability and crashed.

The 1970 Super-Charger Speed Test Set includes 16 feet of orange track, 8 joiners, 1 Super-Charger, 1 single lane Speedometer, 2 trestles and one bridge.

Here’s the track layout.

And here are my 4 test cars.

L to R: 1968 COPO Camaro, 1986 Monte Carlo SS, Custom V-8 Vega, and 2007 Ford Shelby GT-500.

A lap around the track starts at the Super-Charger.

With no waste of time or speed, the cars blast straight into the Speedometer.

Nearly 120 MPH / 200 KPH and looking for more the next time through.

Up and around the elevated first full curve.

Over the bridge.

Around the second full turn and back into the Super-Charger for another speed shot.

Here’s a link to my YouTube channel showing the speeds these cars recorded as the Super-Charger spun faster and faster.  

There you have it.  The 1970 Hot Wheels Super-Charger Speed Test Set.  “The fastest metal cars in the world” is what it’s all about.

And it’s still fast.  Still fun.

1970 Hot Wheels Collectors’ Catalogue. Copyright Mattel, Inc.

Box art – front. Courtesy eBay.

Box art – back. Courtesy eBay.

Box art – side. Courtesy eBay.

Box art – side. Courtesy eBay.

Box art – other side in red, black and white. Courtesy eBay.

A nice example of complete contents. Courtesy eBay.

The set with instructions. Courtesy eBay.

The set with instructions. Courtesy eBay.

1970 Hot Wheels Speed Test Set

“The Fastest Metal Cars in the World!”  That was Mattel’s claim during the inaugural years of Hot Wheels.  Kids realized it was true but began wondering, “Just how fast is fast?” To answer that question Mattel produced 3 single-lane speedometer sets in 1970.

The first speedometer set is the gravity powered Speed Test Set.  Track components consist of 20 feet of orange track, 10 joiners, 1 speedometer, and 1 U-turn.  All contents are boxed individually and sold in a plain red, white and black package.

The original package for the Speed Test Set. Courtesy http://www.redlineprotos.com.

Speed Test Set track contents.

I am not sure how this set was distributed but it may have been tied into Hot Wheels’ national Speed Test Day of June 13, 1970.  Speaking of which, Speed Test Day sounds like a great time.  Newspaper archives mention the event throughout North America.  Kids went to their local toy stores that Saturday with their own Hot Wheels cars and put them on a track that ran through a single lane Speedometer.

Speed Test Day display. Courtesy http://www.redlineprotos.com.

Each child received a certificate showing their name, the car they tested, and the speed the car achieved.

Speed Test Day official certificate of entry. A blazing 138 mph! Courtesy http://www.redlineprotos.com.

Various giveaways were on hand including Hot Wheels Racing Patches.  Some stores gave out a grand prize, presumably for the fastest speed of the day, of a single lane Speedometer.

Speed Test Day flyer. Courtesy eBay.

Here are my Speed Test Set contestants.

L to R: 2011 Corvette Grand Sport, 1970 Pontiac GTO, Aston Martin DBS, 1969 Camaro Convertible, 1970 Plymouth Superbird.

At the start.

Picking up speed.

Heading to the Speedometer.

A hard right tilt makes sure the car hits the long, white automatic reset arm before it contacts the small black foam piece of the trigger arm.

Flying into the Speedometer.

Hitting the trigger arm full on.

Recording the speed.

Blasting out of the Speedometer.

Into the U-turn…and stop.

What kind of speeds did my 5 cars produce?  Watch this video from my YouTube Channel to find out.  

The 1970 Hot Wheels Speed Test Set.

It’s still fast.  Still fun.

Single lane Speedometer box art – front.

Single lane Speedometer box art – side.

Single lane Speedometer box art – back.

Single lane Speedometer box art – top.