The 2021 Hot Wheels Legends Tour goes virtual in North America on April 29 | Source: Mattel

Following a pair of international kick-off events in New Zealand and Australia earlier this month, the 2021 Hot Wheels Legends Tour resumes in North America this Thursday.

The first stop for custom car builders in the U.S. and Canada is a virtual event that will stream live on the Hot Wheels Facebook page and the throtl YouTube channel beginning at 5 p.m. PT.

The fourth annual Hot Wheels Legends Tour continues the tradition of seeking real-life vehicles that have been “built not bought” in an effort to identify unique rides that can be inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends and be immortalized as a 1:64-scale mainline Hot Wheels die-cast toy.

“While we look forward to the Hot Wheels Legends Tour returning to in-person events, the virtual contest format has created opportunities for more fans across the United States and Canada to share their passion projects,” says Ted Wu, global head of Hot Wheels Design at Mattel. “With so many submissions already in North America and immensely popular events in Australia and New Zealand earlier this month, we’re confident this year’s competition will be fierce.”

The winners of the first three Hot Wheels Legends Tours | Source: Mattel

Related: Hot Wheels Introduces the Mattel Games Mini Collection

The first two Hot Wheels Legends Tours made their way across the U.S. in 2018 and 2019, bringing a traveling car show to Walmart parking lots. Ultimately, 2Jetz and The Nash crowned as winners, and both have since rolled into toy departments everywhere. Last year’s winner — a custom 1970 Pontiac Trans Am — was chosen during a live stream from Jay Leno’s Garage and is in development as a toy for later release.

Later this year, Mattel plans to bring the Tour back to U.S.-based Walmart stores.

In the meantime, future virtual and in-person stops are being planned for what is shaping up to be the biggest tour yet. The 2021 Hot Wheels Legends Tour — presented by Mobil 1 and sponsored by Dynacraft and Milestone SRL — will have stops spanning 13 countries across five continents.

Current information can be found at hotwheels.com/legends.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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