1988 was Hot Wheels' 20th Anniversary, and Mattel celebrated by issuing several chrome or gold chrome models in multi-packs. The "Speedshift 500" set came with a blue Porsche 959 and a yellow Ferrari Testarossa. Also released was the short-run "Dinosaur Mud Pit" set that came with a green Blazer 4x4. The Blazer isn't rare, but it's fairly collectible. All cars from both sets were never issued in blisterpack. Quoted values are for LOOSE, NM examples. Cars less than NM will obviously command a lesser value than listed, depending on overall condition. Unless otherwise stated, the country of origin for all listed models is Hong Kong. Different countries will be listed second, and bolded. Note that the NCHWA utilizes a pricing method called "Star Value©." Instead of specific dollar values, each car will be assigned a Star Value© to indicate rarity and potential price range. There are simply too many variables to place a "set" value on any model, so a range will be used instead to indicate where that particular model may fall on the secondary price scale. A +/- indicates where on that scale the value is approximated, while a number by itself would indicate the value falls in the middle of the Star Value. This is also an easy quick-glance method to determine rarity; the higher the number, the rarer the car. The value chart will be placed at the bottom of each page.

Option: Click the button to the left to download a printable copy of the Star Chart for easy reference (Microsoft Word or equivalent program required for viewing or download). It beats scrolling up and down when you're pricing your cars!

#	Name	Description	Wheels	Value
1473	3-Window '34	a) Red body with yellow, black and white "ZZ-Top"-like tampo on the sides. Lg. rear wheels b) Same as "a", sm. rear wheels. Malaysia	BW BW	2 1	.
1538	'57 Chevy	Metalflake blue body with no tampos. Found in 20-Pack only	UH	3	.
3992	'57 T-Bird	a) Turquoise body with red and magenta stripe tampo on hood and roof. Hong Kong b) White body with red and blue stripe tampo on hood and roof. Hong Kong	BW BW	1+ 1+	.
5128	80's Firebird	a) Black body with yellow stripe tampo on sides and "Formula" b) Same as "a", gold Blackwall tires c) Metalflake blue body with silver Firebird tampo on hood d) Same as "c", with Gold Hot Ones wheels e) Black body with yellow Firebird tampo on hood	BW BWG BW GHO BW	1 1 1 1 1	.
5026	Alien	a) Metalflake grey body with blue top b) Same as "a", red top	UH UH	2 1	.
3338	Assault Crawler	Tan body with white, green and black camo tampo.	N/A	2	.
9372	Big Bertha	Tan body with green and white camo tampo	N/A	1	.
N/A	Blazer 4x4	Olive body with yellow windows and yellow tampo on doors. Dinosaur Mud Pit set ONLY	OR	3-	.
5901	Blown Camaro Z-28	Turqoise body with magenta, white and yellow stripe tampo and "Camaro Z-28" on sides	GHO	1	.
2355	Classic Cobra	Red body with yellow, black and white stripe tampo and "Cobra" on hood	BW	1	.
4606	Combat Medic	a) Tan body with white, green and brown camo tampo b) Gold chrome body with "20th Anniversary" and lines engraved on sides. 3-pack only c) Same as "b", lines on sides are missing	BW BW BW	1 2+ 3	.
3973	Corvette Stingray	a) White body with "Corvette", number "35" and racing tampos on hood and sides b) Metalflake grey body with orange/magenta/yellow stripe tampo on hood and sides with "Stingray" c) Yellow body with orange/magenta/blue stripe tampo on hood and sides with "Stingray"	GHO BW BW	1 2- 2-	.
2062	Eevil Weevil	a) Blue body with yellow and green tampo on top, and pink eyes b) Yellow body with orange and purple tampo on top, and red eyes	BW UH	2- 1	.
2059	Fangster	Light green body with red eyes. Malaysia chassis	BW	2-	.
N/A	Ferrari Testarossa	a) Yellow body with racing tampos and number "75" on hood. Speedshift 500 set/Mattel Toy Club only b) Chrome body with "20th Anniversary" egraved on roof. 3-Pack only	UH UH	1 2	.
3250	Firebird Funny Car	a) Yellow body with orange, blue and magenta stripe tampo with number "2" b) Chrome body with "20th Anniversary" engraved on top. 3-Pack only c) Gold chrome body with "20th Anniversary egraved on top. 3-Pack only	BW BW BW	1 2 2	.
4000	Fire Eater	a) Red body with yellow, white and black fire tampos on sides. Malaysia b) Yellow body with black and red fire tampos on sides. Malaysia	BW BW	1 1	.
5027	Flame Stopper	Red body with yellow and white "Unit 31" and "Fire Dept" tampo on sides. Malaysia	CTS	1	.
5904	Good Humor Truck	White body with red as the main color in tampo	BW	1+	.
5144	Hiway Hauler	White cab with white cargo box and red/blue "NASA" tampo on sides	BW	2	.
3953	Jeep CJ-7	a) White body with orange, red and black bird on hood, no white windshield frame b) Yellow body with purple, orange and red tampo on hood	BW BW	1 1	.
5146	Jeep Scrambler	a) Metalflake dark red body with orange, yellow and blue "Jeep" tampo on sides b) Same as "a", CTS	BW CTS	1 1	.
4384	Lamborghini Countach	White body with no tampos and white metal chassis. Malaysia	UH	1	.
3911	Mercedes 540K	a) Black body with yellow plastic roof. Malaysia b) Same as "a", with Whitewall tires c) Chrome body with "20th Anniversary" engraved on hood. 3-Pack only d) Gold chrome body with "20th Anniversary" egraved on hood. 3-Pack only	BW WW WW WW	1 1 2 2	.
4604	Monster Vette	a) Chrome body with "20th Anniversary" egraved on roof. 3-Pack only b) Same as "a", but with 8-spoke CTS c) Gold Chrome body with "20th Anniversary" engraved on roof. 3-Pack only	CTS CT8 CT	2 2+ 2	.
4392	Nissan Hardbody	a) White and red body with black "Nissan" tampo on the sides b) Same as "a", but with 8-spoke CTS	CTS CT8	1 1	.
3968	P-911 Turbo	a) Black body with no tampos b) White body with red, black and yellow number "95" tampo on sides and gold hubs	GHO BWG	1+	.
4631	Porsche 959	a) Metalflake red body with yellow and orange "Porsche 959" tampo on hood and sides b) Blue body with white/black number "7"/"Porsche on hood/sides. Speedshift 500/Mattel Toy Club only c) Light blue body with white "7" on sides and Blackwall wheels (Leo/India Premium)	UH UH BW	1 2- 2	.
5022	Radar Ranger	a) Silver body with red and blue stripe tampo on sides with "Danger" b) Same as "a", with 8-spoke CT c) Same as "a", with black hub CT	CT CT8 CTB	1 1 1	.
3256	Rapid Transit	Yellow body with "School Bus" tampo and smoked windows. Pop 'n Play set only	BW	1	.
5028	Ratmobile	White body with black nose and red eyes (Speed Demons)	UH	1	.
5145	Rescue Ranger	Red body with yellow, black and white "Hot Wheels Rescue Unit" on sides	BW	1	.
9380	Rocketank	a) Olive body with no tampos b) Tan body with no tampos	N/A N/A	1 1	.
4389	Rodzilla	a) Purple body with white teeth and yellow eyes, and a purple metal base b) Same as "a", with a red base c) Same as "b", with red eyes	UH UH UH	1 1 3	.
9375	Roll Patrol Jeep CJ-7	a) Tan body with white, green and brown camo tampo. Tan base and seats b) Same as "a", with brown base and seats c) Same as "a", with black interior	BW OR BW	2- 2- 1	.
4699	Shadow Jet	a) Yellow body with red and magenta "InterCooled" tampo on wing b) Same as "a", with blue replacing the magenta in tampo	BW BW	1 1	.
4004	Sheriff Patrol	Black body with white front doors and yellow/black "Sheriff" tampo on sides	BW	1	.
5902	Sol-Aire CX7	a) Red body with yellow, purple and orange tampo on hood and roof	UH	1	.
3983	Split Window '63	a) Black body with yellow, red and blue flame tampo on sides. Hong Kong b) Grey body with magenta stripe tampo on hood and roof. Hong Kong c) Same as "b", Malaysia chassis	BW BW BW	1+ 1+ 1+	.
5025	Sting Rod	a) Olive body with green, tan and brown camo tampo. CT with black hubs b) Same as "a", with black 8-spoke CT c) Tan body with green, brown and white camo tampo. CT with black hubs d) Same as "c", with black 8-spoke CT	CTB CT8 CTB CT8	2 2 2 2	.
3975	Street Beast	a) Red body with yellow, black and blue "308" tampo on the sides. Gold hubs b) Metalflake silver body with red, blue and yellow "308" tampo on the sides. Gold hubs	BWG BWG	1 1	.
4741	Talbot Lago	a) Burgandy body with smoked windows and Whitewalls b) White body with smoked windows and Whitewalls	WW WW	2- 1+	.
N/A	Tall Ryder	Chrome body with "20th Anniversary" engraved on roof. 3-Pack only	CT	2	.
3998	Thunderstreak	a) Maroon body with yellow and white number "8" tampo on nose and sides b) Blue body with yellow sides and Number "18" and "Kraco" tampos	BW BW	1 1	.
5112	Tricar X8	a) Yellow body with red metal base. Malaysia b) Same as "a", with yellow metal base. Malaysia	BW BW	1 2	.
3914	Turbo Streak	a) White body with red and blue "20th Anniversary" tampo on sides. 3 or 20-Pack only b) White body with yellow and red "Indy 500" tampo on sides. 1988 Mall Tour only c) Same as "b", lines on sides are missing	BW BW BW	1 7	.

1 = $1-5 2 = $6-15 3 = $16-25 4 = $26-35 5 = $36-50 6 = $51-70 7 = $71-90 8 = $91-110 9 = $111-130 10 = $131-160 11 = $161-180 12 = $181-200 13 = $201-220 14 = $221-240 15 = $241-270 16 = $271-300 17 = $301-330 18 = $331-350

Tires Issued in 1988

BW (Blackwall Tire)	WW (Whitewall Tire)	CHO or GHO (Chrome or Gold Hot Ones)	UH (Ultra Hots Tire)	CTC (Const. Tire/ chrome hub)	CTB (Const. Tire/ black hub)

What Events Defined 1988? After 8 years and 1.5 million dead, the Iran-Iraq war ends The USS Vincennes mistakenly shoots down Iranian passenger jet Flight 655 Libyan terrorist bomb destroys Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 on board Australia celebrates its bicentennial Crack, (a derivative of Cocaine) first appears and is increasingly found in US Cities The Summer Olympic Games are held in Seoul, South Korea The Winter Olympic Games are held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Soviet Red Army withdraws from Afghanistan after enduring many losses U.S. Space Shuttle program resumes 2 1/2 years after Challenger disaster The Hubble Space Telescope is put into operation Using carbon dating, it is established that the Shroud of Turin cannot be the burial cloth of Christ Top Movies of 1988 included: "Rain Man", "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", "Coming to America", "Twins", "Die Hard" and "Beetlejuice" Top Songs of 1988 included: "Need You Tonight" (INXS), "The Way You Make Me Feel" (Michael Jackson), "Seasons Change" (Expose), "The Flame" (Cheap Trick), "Sweet Child o' Mine" (Guns 'n Roses), "Don't Worry-Be Happy" (Bobby McFerrin), "Love Bites" (Def Leppard), "Red, Red Wine" (UB40), "Bad Medicine" (Bon Jovi) and "Every Rose Has its Thorn" (Poison)

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