One of the most celebrated Hot Wheels® designers around, Phil Riehlman is responsible for some of the biggest hit castings with collectors. Among his credits are the Volkswagen Drag Bus and the Dairy Delivery®. Though it is a rare treat, collectors in the HWC™ Chat Room recently got a little face time with Phil.
Following is the Q&A transcript for those of you who may have missed the session.
HWC Phil: Hello!
dustinmu88: Phil, we going to see any castings like the Drag Bus? Big, and all metal?
HWC Phil: It is getting harder all the time to get one in the basic line, but you never know around here.
dustinmu88: I ask this to everyone in the celebrity chats but have not gotten a clear answer. Any chance Gov'ner will show up this year or next in either the mainline or off mainline?
HWC Phil: That is a good car, and there is always a chance. It is a good track car so the track and play sets tend to use it a lot. It will probably show up in mainline again soon.
HabsFan1988: Great work on the Dairy; keep them coming please!
HWC Phil: I'll keep trying.
BismrkBear: Is there any casting that you'd like to "do over?"
HWC Phil: Probably a lot of them if I looked at them too long. Better to move forward.
t_hunter: With Larry retiring, does your role in the department change?
HWC Phil: We all just have more work to do. I am still working on the basic mainline and some random adult line projects for 2010.
HabsFan1988: Any future plans for a Dairy in 10 or later? I know we have four this year.
HWC Phil: I believe there are, but not in my lines.
Excel_aratorin Speed: You did a great job on the ‘70 AAR Cuda.
HWC Phil: Thanks, there are some compromises that had to be made to the front and rear that I hated to make, but that is a very difficult car to make into a basic car.
Excel_aratorin Speed: Any plans to do a ‘66-‘67 Olds 442?
HWC Phil: I'm sure we will get around to everything worth doing eventually. Don't think there are right now, though.
dustinmu88: Cool idea on adding the light bar to the Drag Bus -- looks cool!
HWC Phil: Thanks!
HabsFan1988: What Hot Wheels would you like to see as 1:1?
HWC Phil: I would really like to see the Drag Bus full size. Maybe the Overbored 454.
fsasatticus: Where do you get inspiration from on New Models?
HWC Phil: Magazines, car shows, TV shows, brainstorms (sketching), all around.
Excel_aratorin Speed: You are awesome at rendering your artwork. I am a big fan of your renders and castings.
HWC Phil: Thanks! I don't get to do as much as I would like, but I still love to draw and render.
dustinmu88: Haven't seen the Escort Rally in a while… Is that coming out anytime soon?
HWC Phil: It is a little old, but you never know where it might just fit into the line. Do you want to see it in the line?
Excel_aratorin Speed: Any plans for more Orange County Chopper bikes like OCC Splitback?
HWC Phil: Not on the current list for basics, but we may in the future.
vingsthing: What was your inspiration behind my favorite casting, the Drag Bus?
HWC Phil: That is a very long story, and I can't keyboard fast enough. (Editor’s Note: Red Line Club™ members can read the story of the Volkswagen Drag Bus here.)
dustinmu88: So what's your daily driver?
HWC Phil: Cheapest car known to man... a Hyundai. What, you think they pay us to do this job? Plus, I would not park any car I liked in our parking lot.
HabsFan1988: Do you own any 1:1 scale hot rods/customs?
HWC Phil: I have a ’68 Barracuda "someday" car I will work on... someday.
BismrkBear: There have been some great graphics done on your castings… Can you think of one that brought your work to a whole new level?
HWC Phil: The graphics guys do consistently great graphics, and I think they have taken our graphics to a whole new level… but it is always fun to do my own graphics, too. I can't think of one specifically that stands out.
t_hunter: What's your favorite casting you've designed so far?
HWC Phil: Usually the next one.
dustinmu88: Do you have any plans for another Volkswagen to add to the ones you designed?
HWC Phil: I have a few things I would like to do, but not sure when they might happen.
Excel_aratorin Speed: How do you render your cars? Are half done by hand and half by computer? You do an awesome job on your chrome shading.
HWC Phil: I sketch on paper and render (do the color work) on the computer.
HabsFan1988: With the popularity on the boards of the Chevelle Wagon, can we expect any others?
HWC Phil: How popular is it? Maybe...
dustinmu88: Did you design any of the new tools in Classics Series 5? If so, which ones?
HWC Phil: I believe all the new tools in that line are Larry's.
blackcaddy: Any cool castings you have come up with but never got the green light?
HWC Phil: Yup, but not too many. I self edit a lot.
dustinmu88: Why did you decide to remold the Shredster?
HWC Phil: I had a lot of collectors say they would like to see the Shredster without the side panels as more of a hot rod roadster. So I did it as Shredded.
fsasatticus: When you do come up with a new casting, how does it get approved for production?
HWC Phil: Pretty much a discussion with my boss and marketing. As long as everyone is on the same page.. good to go.
Excel_aratorin Speed: Is the ’67 Ford Fairlane going to have realistic height?
HWC Phil: Not sure what you would consider realistic at 1:64, but it looks like a realistic height to me.
t_hunter: Any hints on the 2010 T-Hunts?
HWC Phil: Not yet...
HabsFan1988: Any plans for a vintage car hauler like what Don Prudhomme used in the ‘70s?
HWC Phil: Not to my knowledge.
dustinmu88: Why did you decide to do a Semi Fast ll?
HWC Phil: I wanted to do a one-part change to the Ford truck, hence the engine. We wanted to keep the Semi Fast name and thought it fit.
Excel_aratorin Speed: Are any of the new Dragstrip Demons castings going to be used in the 2010 mainline?
HWC Phil: The tooling is made to be used for adult line and would require completely new tooling. Very unlikely.
vingsthing: Phil, how does it feel to know that one of your designs -- the Drag Bus -- is one of the most highly sought after and customized castings made to date?
HWC Phil: I am glad the customizers are having fun with it. It is always great to see what the customizers are doing with our cars.
Excel_aratorin Speed: Does Mark Jones still work at Hot Wheels?
HWC Phil: Mark Jones is currently working in Matchbox.
dustinmu88: Why did the Wastelander get a name change to HW450F?
HWC Phil: An inexperienced copywriter.
dustinmu88: Dune It Up -- from the e-sheet and card photo -- looks a lot wider than it is as at 1:64. Is there a limit to how wide a Hot Wheels can be?
HWC Phil: It needs to fit on the track. There are a few off-roaders that don't, but we try to make everything fit on the track.
Excel_aratorin Speed: Will rubber tires ever be used in mainline besides T-Hunts?
HWC Phil: They are very expensive, and I doubt you will see them on anything other than T-Hunts in the basic line.
HabsFan1988: What was the hardest design for you to get the green light on?
HWC Phil: Definitely the Bus.
dustinmu88: Do you enjoy your job?
HWC Phil: Very much.
HWC Phil: Thank you for your continued passion for Hot Wheels! Great talking to you all!
Keep an eye out for more special guest appearances in the Chat Room! Just check in here at HWC™ for updates on who to look for, and when. Until then, see ya in chat!