Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Mattel Hot Wheels That Won The Mille Miglia In 1955

There are plenty of “investment gurus” out there that will try to sell you a “bulletproof recipe” for getting rich quickly. But those are just fairy tales. Any investment choices you’ll ever make will also involve a certain degree of risk. But you can lower that risk by educating yourself beforehand and by becoming more experienced in a certain field.
 

If you’re just about to start collecting Hot Wheels cars, you’re bound to make a lot of hasty, uninspired decisions. It can take a few years to get up to speed with the world of 1/64th-scale cars. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll know what kind of collectibles are a must-have and which ones it’s best to stay away from. While Super Treasure Hunt and Red Line Club items will usually be a good investment, we’re not quite sure how to label the Elite Series cars just yet.
 
Mattel launched the 1996 Toyota Chaser JZX100 about two months ago. Undoubtedly, it looks pretty good, and you have to acknowledge the effort of producing a high-quality diecast for adult collectors. You could have bought this for $20 when it was released, and for now, most eBay sellers are asking at least $40 for one. Naturally, some are asking as much as $700, as they’re trying to capitalize on the lack of experience and knowledge that you’ll notice in people that are just starting a collection.
 
We’ve known for some time now about the second and also the third casting that Mattel was preparing to launch under the new Elite Series name. One is a replica of a European car, while the other will take us across the Atlantic Ocean to North America. But more on the latter vehicle in a future story. For now, let’s focus on the 300 SL, which happens to be one of less than 40 Hot Wheels Mercedes-Benz castings released so far. Seven of these are replicas of various SL models.
 

There are two RLC-exclusive variations you might like, which were released in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Of course, these are considerably more expensive to get than the regular Premium models. But then again, they also have opening gullwing doors to lure you in.
 
And you will get that feature on the Elite Series 300 SL too. This Graphite Grey collectible is meant to commemorate the success of the no. 417 SL that raced at the 1955 edition of the Mille Miglia. John Fitch drove that car for almost 11 hours and 30 minutes before reaching the finish line, outrunning several Ferraris, Maseratis, and Porsches in the process.
 
The 1/64th-scale Elite Series 300 SL is rolling on Real Riders Steelie wheels, which seems to be Mattel’s favorite option for this car. We do like the stance of this tiny machine, as the ride height is just what you’d expect from a race car. Overall, the 300 SL is probably not going to appeal to the same crowd as the Toyota Chaser JZX100 did, but it’s still a pretty interesting machine either way. If you want one, it will set you back $20, but you’d best be ready to hit buy on February 7th at 9 am PT. You know, that would help in case the demand for it is through the roof, as we’ve seen with other special releases in the past.