Many of the most iconic cars ever produced in 1:64 scale by Hot Wheels are works of fiction, custom machines like the Twin Mill or Deora which, if they become legendary enough, might just get a full-scale, one-off recreation.
Recently, though, the storied toy manufacturer has started doing things the other way around, finding wild real-world custom builds and recreating them in miniature. The Hot Wheels Legends Tour is an annual competition to crown a modified car worthy of getting a Hot Wheels model, and this is the UK leg’s winner this year: the ‘Mentley’.
‘Mentley’ – front detail
Starting life as a 1983 Austin Mini, it’s been almost entirely re-engineered and clothed in a chopped-down body designed to evoke Bentley’s Le Mans racers of the 1920s. The engine, meanwhile, is a 320bhp V8 from TVR, sending its power through a Range Rover gearbox.
This mashup of British automotive history is owned by three musicians – Dominic Whittle, Gary Selby and Mike Williams – who apparently use it to tour Europe with their gear strapped to the luggage rack (we assume not all at the same time, otherwise things might be a bit tight).
‘Mentley’ – interior
“It’s a huge privilege for us to win the UK round of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour with ‘Mentley’, justifying the hard work (and fun) we had creating it,” said Whittle. “Our interest in cars began when we were six years old, and it’s great to be here 53 years later with a vehicle that reflects those childhood memories.”
The UK leg of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour was held this weekend at the Gravity modified car show in Birmingham. The Mentley beat out an E36 BMW 3-series that’s been transformed into a pickup truck, and a heavily modified Ford P100 pickup from 1992.
‘Mentley’ – rear
It’ll now be entered in a semi-final in November, before an eventual winner is crowned later that month. The winning car will be recreated in 1:64 scale, joining the ranks of famous models produced by Hot Wheels since 1968.
