Lee Johnstone’s Volvo P1800 From the UK Crowned Winner of 2021 Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour Global Grand Finale at Jay Leno’s Garage
14.11.2021 01:41:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
The winner of the 2021 Hot Wheels™ Legends Tour was selected today during a global livestream event at Jay Leno’s Garage. Hailing from Somerset, England, the 1969 Volvo P1800 built by Lee Johnstone will join a prestigious group of custom cars in the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends™ and will be forever immortalized as a 1:64 Hot Wheels® die-cast toy.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211113005258/en/
2021 Hot Wheels Legends Tour Winner - 1969 Volvo P1800 Gasser (Photo: Business Wire)
This Volvo P1800 "Aint No Saint" Gasser was originally registered as new in 1969. Its owner, 71-year-old English motor mechanic Lee Johnstone, acquired the vehicle as a rusty rolling shell before thoroughly restoring, modifying, and transforming it into the quarter-mile monster it is today. Sporting a Chevrolet 454 big block, its new power plant is capped with a 671 GMC supercharger and dual four-barrel carburetors. Finished in a fitting shade of Volvo green, it is a true culmination of more than 50 years of ‘race it, break it, build it better’ experience. Perhaps most importantly – and in true challenger spirit – "Aint No Saint" is also a family affair, with Lee's three daughters, Eleanor, Sarah and Victoria, sharing in the driving duties, and his wife, Sue, on standby to help crew.
Finishing its fourth year, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour is a worldwide competition spanning 11 countries and five continents, making it the world’s largest international traveling car show. Thousands of builds were submitted to compete in a series of in-person and virtual stops, which began in April 2021. Over the past seven months, some of the most unique and inspiring custom creations went head-to-head, all for a chance to become the next Hot Wheels die-cast toy sold – and played with by fans of all ages – across the globe.
This year’s global Grand Finale was co-hosted by celebrity car enthusiast Jay Leno and motorsports ambassador Jarod DeAnda during a virtual livestream event, where they were joined by an array of automotive and design experts from around the world to complete the task of choosing the 2021 winner. Joining them on stage were Ted Wu, Global Head of Design for Vehicles, Mattel; Bryan Benedict, Director of Vehicles Design, Mattel; Brendon Vetuskey, Vehicles Designer, Mattel; Henrik Fisker, automotive design icon; Elana Scherr, senior editor of Car and Driver; car customizer and automotive electronics guru Mad Mike; and automotive content creator and drifting enthusiast Sara Choi.
“The Hot Wheels Legends Tour has truly become a global celebration of custom car creations,” said Ted Wu, Vice President, Global Head of Design for Vehicles, Mattel. “With the addition of five new countries in the Tour, we have been able to reach and interact with millions of new fans and builders from around the world. The Volvo Gasser is a wonderful expression of authenticity, creativity and, most importantly, garage spirit. We look forward to welcoming Lee Johnstone and his 1969 Volvo P1800 into the Hot Wheels family and presenting the world with our newest Hot Wheels Legends Tour die-cast toy.”
“Having my family here with me for this moment was so special,” said Lee Johnstone. “I am excited to have my car become a Hot Wheels die-cast toy and to be able to share my passion project in 1:64 scale with the world. It’s amazing to be the first U.K. winner.”
The 2021 Hot Wheels Legends Tour was made possible in collaboration with Walmart and Mobil 1.
To learn more about the Hot Wheels Legends Tour, visit https://hotwheels.mattel.com/explore/en/legends-tour.
ABOUT HOT WHEELS
As a 53-year old brand more relevant today than ever before, Hot Wheels is the world’s leading vehicle franchise which represents and unites all segments of car culture. For decades Hot Wheels has proven its influence in automotive and pop culture with legendary design and epic performance. Through unparalleled collaborations with global leaders in streetwear, fashion, luxury, entertainment, action sports and motorsports, Hot Wheels is the #1 selling toy in the world* with over 8 billion vehicles sold. The brand engages fans of every generation through immersive live events, global competitions, theme park attractions, world-class digital gaming, consumer products and film and television content.
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends™, UNO® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and e-commerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.
About Mobil 1
Mobil 1™ motor oil is the world's leading brand of synthetic motor oil. Our advanced technology allows Mobil 1 motor oils to meet or exceed some of the industry’s toughest standards and to provide exceptional protection under even extreme driving conditions. Mobil 1 motor oil is designed to help protect critical engine parts, maximize engine performance, and extend engine life. For more information, visit us online at www.mobil1.us or and follow @Mobil1 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
*Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service
MAT-W
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211113005258/en/
Contact information
Scott Shaffstall
Mattel Global Communications
scott.shaffstall@mattel.com
310-252-3610
Michael Haas
Extension PR
mhaas@extensionpr.com
949-838-4116
Taylor Vande Beek
Extension PR
tvandebeek@extensionpr.com
310-982-0242
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
IDDI Reveals New Brand & Celebrates 35 Years of Clinical Data Science Excellence29.1.2026 14:00:00 EET | Press release
IDDI, a global clinical data science partner with more than 35 years of proven quality, today announced the launch of its refreshed brand. The new brand highlights the company’s continued focus on patients and commitment to innovation while honoring its legacy of scientific rigor. The launch coincides with IDDI’s 35-year anniversary and will debut publicly at the SCOPE Summit on Feb. 2, 2026. Biomedical research is shifting toward more complex trials and advanced analytics. But, as one survey revealed, only 46% of life science leaders are fully confident their organization’s data are consistently available and accurate. IDDI’s new brand reinforces that their services are the solution, explaining how they deliver high-quality data and mitigate risk from design to registration and beyond. “Reaching 35 years is an important milestone, not only because of our longevity, but because of the impact we’ve had,” said Marc Buyse, ScD, founder and CEO of IDDI. “Our new brand reflects the heart of
NIQ Launches Breakthrough Framework That Exposes Billions Lost to the Say–Do Gap29.1.2026 14:00:00 EET | Press release
NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) today announced the launch of its Say–Do Gap Measurement Framework, an innovative behavioral metric set to transform how brands and retailers understand modern consumers and navigate a pressing challenge: consumers who say one thing but buy another. With economic uncertainty, shifting priorities, and increasingly value‑driven decision-making changing consumer habits, this growing disconnect has cost the industry more than 13 billion unit sales over the past five years—losses many companies can no longer afford to overlook. By unifying deep attitudinal insights with verified purchase data across 25+ global markets, the Say–Do Framework bridges this gap and exposes where brands are losing momentum, where unmet demand is hiding, and where opportunity is silently compounding. Brands and retailers can now quantify the gap between what consumers believe and what they buy, and market or create products that deliver value with the correct consumer, maximize price retentio
Dreamstime Adds Ten More Language Versions, Reaching 23 in Total29.1.2026 14:00:00 EET | Press release
Dreamstime, the world’s largest stock photography community, announced today the addition of new language versions—Czech, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Turkish, Indonesian, Danish, and Norwegian—to expand its global reach and provide a more comprehensive digital experience worldwide. Hebrew and Arabic will be launched next. Key Takeaways: Dreamstime expands into 23 languages, increasing global reach and accessibility. AI-powered translation improves search relevance, onboarding, and cultural discovery. With billions of new pages and coverage in almost every country worldwide in native, official, or very popular languages, this is Dreamstime’s most prolific launch in its 25-year history. The platform already operates in 13 languages: English, French, Polish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Greek, Chinese, Swedish, German, and Romanian. With a stock photography collection of over 350 million files and millions of new items added monthly, Dreamstime manages a constantly growing d
Media Release: Jannik Sinner and Allianz Announce Multi-Year Global Partnership29.1.2026 12:04:00 EET | Press release
Tennis star Jannik Sinner and Allianz Group announced a multi-year global partnership today, with the leading insurer and asset manager becoming an official partner of the four-time Grand Slam champion. Boasting approximately 300 million fans worldwide and a billion-strong ATP global fan base, tennis is the second-most popular sport behind football across Allianz key markets. A cornerstone of the collaboration is empowering children and youth through education and sport, providing them with enhanced opportunities for growth, health, and future success. This partnership also expands Allianz's involvement in sports, fostering awareness and emotional connections with people and customers in key Allianz markets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260129184263/en/ Allianz Global Brand Ambassador, Jannik Sinner At the heart of the partnership between the world’s most valuable insurance brand and the current No. 2 ATP t
How Aker Security Builds Control Rooms for Real-Time Decision-Making29.1.2026 11:00:00 EET | Press release
In today’s security landscape, the challenge lies in aggregating, visualizing, and using large volumes of data effectively in situations where time, precision, and coordination are critical. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260129578139/en/ GSOC Aker Security oversees security and preparedness for large parts of the Group, covering several thousand employees. Its services include travel security, global event and incident monitoring, crisis management, and security advisory services. "We approached Cyviz because we needed a solution that could bring everything together on a single platform, while at the same time supporting the way we actually work operationally," says Tonje Evensen Bråthen, Head of the Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) at Aker Security. Real-Time Overview in Aker Security’s GSOC The control room is designed for continuous operational use and supports the work carried out in the GSOC. Th
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom