Discovering a real, honest-to-goodness, FULL-SIZED Hot Wheels car! (AND--- it's kinda CONFUSING history!)

 

The above 1/64 scale little hunk of metal and plastic, just so happens to be one of my most FAVORITE Hot Wheels of ALL TIME!--- The Twin Mill, of course! Needless to say, I have SEVERAL versions of it in my (somewhat modest, I confess) collection of tiny hot rods! 

This includes an original 'Red Line' version, that I've had since WAY back in the dark ages (when I was a 'little Loydster'!)! Mine isn't NEARLY as nice as the example above! Like I've said before here, my Hot Wheels were TOYS, so--- being a KID, I played with them! Sometimes---'GASP', horror-of-horrors-- even OUTSIDE! But, still, it's a treasured little item. As are the other versions I have of it!  

This was easily the most 'WAY-OUT' example of a hot rod that Mattel ever produced! I guess that's why I've always loved it SO much! Like some kind of UFO / 'Martian attack vehicle', mashed together with the most OVER-THE-TOP drag-racer EVER! Every school kid's car-related-doodling-around-on-the back-of-their-math-assignment, brought to LIFE! 

That's why I'm somewhat ASHAMED to admit, that I had NO idea that something SO WICKED-AWESOME-COOL had been  developed, relating to this life-long, ever-smile-inducing favorite of the 'ol Loydster! Not just developed.... built----- LIFE-SIZED! As a FULLY FUNCTIONAL, RUNNING CAR! Then refined and constantly evolved and tweaked over the DECADES, before I knew ANYTHING about it! Until just a matter of  DAYS AGO!!

That, my friends, is where this little chunk of Hot Wheels history gets a bit murky! At least, it did for me at first! If, like myself, you were to stumble across JUST the images and brief captions about this beast on Google--- you'd almost think there had been 3 or 4 versions of it over the years! In other words, a whole series of cars! Just check out the 'costume-changes' it's underwent, over the past nearly 20 years!----

  

That's right, folks! Despite appearances... it's..... the.... SAME.... car! The pic at the upper left in fact, is pretty much how it appeared, when making it's debut. Now, I could go and on about all the WAY-COOL stuff relating to the car that I've discovered! But, instead, I'll just slap up some links, to a couple of SUPER-NEAT-O / interesting articles, that REALLY helped clear things up for me! (Like, for instance---it's JUST ONE CAR!---Oh well, I NEVER was the 'brightest bulb in the box'!)---

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/0307sr-milestone-twin-mill/

 

https://www.delmartimes.net/sddmt-automatters-hot-wheels-life-sized-twin-mill-2014sep12-story.html

Now, before I sign-off on this post..... here's an extra little FUN video, that had also been around.... for  a DECADE, before I found it! (yes, more evidence of my 'LIGHTNING-FAST' mental abilities!) Imagine seeing this MONSTER.... at a USED CAR LOT!----

 

Yes indeedy! Probably one of the BEST pranks / April-fools jokes EVER! I gotta admit, I kind of envy the kid, who actually got to SIT in it!

As much FUN as being able to take the 'full-sized' Twin Mill for a spin around the block would be---- I guess I'll just settle for the FUN of  holding on to those teeny-tiny versions of  it, that have brought PLENTY of smiles to my face over the years! Besides, I'd NEVER be able to put the 'life-sized' version on  ANY  kind of shelf!