Colin's Toybox: Hot Wheels Peugeot 405

It seems like my Hot Wheels collection is never-ending; and you may be right as I keep adding new pieces on a semi-weekly basis. This 405 holds a special place in my heart. I had one of these when I was about eight or nine, but unfortunately crushed it during my rampant destructive phase. This one I received in a huge collection of cars given to me at Christmas one year. A family friend had connections, and my car collection grew by about five hundred cars. Most of them were doubles, but what did I care? Diecast of any scale make me a happy camper.
Finished off an a very realistic--and quite good looking green and silver/white two tone scheme, this little Peugeot certainly makes the case for itself--if not only for the type of car it is, but the amazing lack of tacky paint/tampo schemes that plagued Hot Wheels during the late 1990s (and today that relentless tackiness runs rampant). While not quite a favorite of the Hot Wheels staff (this car has been seldom used over the years, and to my knowledge, this issue is the most recent one.), the 405 definitely grabs car enthusiasts into the Hot Wheels fold. For me, the more obscure cars a toymaker turns out, the better-- and that's what I like about Hot Wheels. They don't stick to cliche muscle and sports cars, nor do they overdo the presence of exotics in their lineup.
Hot Wheels has always been about doing cars for car people, and making millions of little kids develop an interest in cars at a fairly young age. However, unlike most children, I didn't flock to the made-up cars like many kids did. I used Hot Wheels' wide library of cars to develop my own taste in cars--what I liked, what I didn't, what cars I thought were lame, and what cars I thought were downright cool in their own way. I had a bunch of Hot Wheels over the years, but as I've grown older, I must say that this particular 405 is quite possibly my favorite Hot Wheels car I currently own-- aside from the recent 1980s purchases to bring back my childhood.
As a kid, I destroyed this one, and now I regret it deeply. This Peugeot 405 serves as a reminder that one should not destroy childhood possessions, for they may come back to bite you. Fortunately, this one has been damage-free for a record 10 years now-- and I hope it stays that way.