I was talking with a Japanese friend who was in Los Angeles as a stopping point on his way to Wonderfest in Kentucky and we got talking about collecting Hot Wheels.

I was telling him how I used to make belts and swords out of the yellow tracks that the cars drove on. He told me how huge they were and are in Japan. I told him of a Texas friend that just collected the Hot Wheels TV commercials, not the cars.

I wish my Japanese friend was still in LA because this morning watching the News, I found out about The Hot Wheels� Hall of Fame.

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the landmark Hot Wheels� cars, Mattel, Inc. will unveil the first-ever, permanent museum exhibition of Hot Wheels� full-size and die-cast cars at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, one of the nation's largest and preeminent automotive museums. The Hot Wheels� Hall of Fame includes interactive displays, a selection of Hot Wheels� die-cast vehicles and full-size cars which embody the brand's signature speed, power, performance and attitude. The exhibit will open to the public tomorrow.

"By creating a Hot Wheels� Hall of Fame at the country's preeminent automotive museum, the brand is underlining the significance of Hot Wheels� cars within automotive culture," said Amy Boylan, senior vice president, Mattel. "For 35 years, Hot Wheels� die-cast cars have sparked a passion for automobiles in millions of kids and adults, and this exhibit expands upon that passion with an extensive array of some of the coolest cars in the world, in any scale."

The Hot Wheels� Hall of Fame will host a rotating series of exhibits, including full-size versions of some of the most famous Hot Wheels� models ever created. Upon its opening, the exhibit will include the Deora� concept car from the 1960s; the Twin Mill�, an original Hot Wheels� design that was introduced as a full-size, functional car in 2001; Don "The Snake" Prudhomme's Hot Wheels� Funny Car; Petty Enterprises's NASCAR� Craftsman Series race truck; the Hot Wheels� Ford Focus; and the "0032" hot rod from the Petersen Automotive Museum's permanent collection.

Spanning 35 years, an array of the most significant 1:64-scale to 1:18-scale die-cast Hot Wheels� cars will also be on display, including the world's most valuable Hot Wheels� car, a 1969 pink Volkswagen Beach Bomb purchased for more than $70,000. The exhibit will provide visitors with a look inside the highly prolific Hot Wheels� design center, via original models, wooden patterns, injection molds and drawings of original vehicle designs.

"With the opening of this exhibit, the Petersen Automotive Museum will become the world capital for Hot Wheels� fans and collectors," says Museum Director Dick Messer. "Our gift shop has been reconfigured to house a vast selection of Hot Wheels� merchandise to satisfy fans, and the popular Twin Mill� car will be displayed at the entry to our exhibit halls."

In September 2003, the Hot Wheels� Hall of Fame will announce its inaugural honorees of significant people, vehicles and moments from automotive history, which will be selected by a blue-ribbon panel of auto journalists, manufacturers, designers, racers and Mattel executives. Reflecting the power, attitude, speed and performance for which Hot Wheels� cars are known, the Hall of Fame members will be honored in a new installation in the exhibit. Hot Wheels� aficionados and collectors can vote online for their choices in the Hall by participating in the Hot Wheels People's Choice� awards at www.hotwheels.com until September, 2003.

These first Hot Wheels� Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at a special gala reception at the Petersen in November 2003. In the spirit of the Hall of Fame program, Mattel is creating a line of 42 1:64-scale Hall Of Fame vehicles, representing cars that have had a significant impact on car culture, racing or design. Each car comes complete with a collectible trading card that elaborates on the history of the person, vehicle or event it represents. The die-cast Hall Of Fame cars are available now at an approximate retail price of $4.99.

But please... No "Jackass: The Movie" stunts. You know. Putting a car in a condom and shoving up your butt and then getting an X-Ray. It's already been done. Try Action Figures this time.