Redline Grand Prix - Stickers & Buttons

From 1968 through 1971, Hot Wheels cars were packaged with a metal or plastic
collector button. Not only were the buttons collectibles themselves, but also
served to identify the car in the blister pack. For the first three years, the buttons
were metal and were manufactured at both the US and HK sites. Metal buttons
had a tab that could be folded over a pocket or shirt collar. Most HK blister packs
had buttons with pre-folded tabs, while US buttons had unfolded tabs. In 1971,
Mattel changed to plastic collectors buttons presumably for safety reasons.

Grand Prix cars also were packaged with sticker or decal sheets so that the young
car owner could add racing numbers and sponsor logos and make the cars look
more realistic. The four Indy cars each came with a waterslide decal sheet. The
seven Le Mans and CanAm cars each came with a sheet of adhesive-backed
stickers or labels. For all of these, both US and HK versions exist, some of
which have interesting variations.

Ford J-Car (1968)

Notes: clean, useable Ford J-Car stickers (especially HK sheets) are relatively hard
to find. For some reason, the adhesive on these sheets is often dried up, and the
stickers fall off the paper backing while still in the blister pack.

Brabham Repco F1 (1969)

Chaparral 2G (1969)

Notes: as shown above, the US and HK Chaparral sticker sheets used different fonts
for the racing numbers. On the US sheets, the oval Chaparral sticker can be found on
either the left or right side. Chaparral buttons were made in both HK and the US.

Ford Mk IV (1969)

Notes: as shown above, the US and HK Ford Mk IV sticker sheets had different racing
numbers. The HK sheets with the #5 stickers are hard to find. Quite a few HK Mk IVs
were packaged with US sheets. Mk IV buttons were made in both HK and the US.

Indy Eagle (1969)

Lola GT70 (1969)

Notes: as shown above, the US and HK Lola sticker sheets used different fonts
for the racing numbers. There are three variations of the HK sheet, each of which
used a slightly different label material. Lola buttons were made in both HK and the US.

Lotus Turbine (1969)

Notes: Interestingly, the Lotus Turbine button shows a car with #60 numbers, but
the decal sheet provided #70 numbers!

McLaren M6A (1969)

Notes: as shown above, the US and HK sticker sheets used different
font styles for the racing numbers.

Shelby Turbine (1969)

Notes: Another example where the car on the button doesn't match the decal sheet!

Ferrari 312P (1970)

Notes: plastic Ferrari 312P buttons are very rare! Only a few have been seen.
US and HK sticker sheets differ in that the material used for the HK sheets is very
thin and relatively glossy.

Porsche 917 (1970)

Notes: metal 917 buttons are much more common than plastic buttons.
However, unlike the plastic 312P button, plastic 917 buttons are not rare.
US and HK sticker sheets exhibit the same physical differences as described for
the Ferrari 312P.