Just in case you somehow forgot about Brubaker Boxes (maybe you took a 2×4 to the head or accidentally mixed pills into your M&M satchel, I don’t know what you crazy people do) I’ve written about them multiple times at The Old Site. At its simplest, the Brubaker Box is a 1970s-era Volkswagen-based kit car. The Brubaker Box was one of the first to have a sort of sporty, low one-box van approach to a kit car, creating something that felt futuristic, strange, yet also undeniably practical and desirable.
These have been one of my favorite of the VW kit cars since, well, ever. It’s such a clever re-packaging of the old Beetle chassis and mechanicals, and feels very different than VW’s own Type 2 Microbus. Only about 28 Boxes were every actually made, but for something with such low production numbers, it’s been remarkably visible in automotive culture. I helped our Autopian partner Beau Boeckmann research the Box for an episode of his old show on Discovery:
Also, I even did a little video of my own a while back about some amazing Brubaker Box promo materials sent to me by Curtis Brubaker himself:
So, you get it, right? It’s odd and cool and if any car seems to embody the ideal Hot Wheels design, I think the Brubaker Box absolutely does. It already feels like a giant Hot Wheels car, so why hasn’t Hot Wheels made one, already? I am by no means the only one asking this. Currently, the loudest and most persuasive voice is that of Randy Carlson, the Carchaeologist, one of the world’s most respected vintage Volkswagen experts, among other things, and a car restorer and historian. Randy is a great guy, and also appreciates the Brubaker Box, to the point where he has found one and is currently in the process of restoring. Randy makes his plea for a Hot Wheels Brubaker Box with real passion, and you can see it right here:
If you understand the gravity and importance of the need for a Hot Wheels Brubaker Box, I suggest you sign this petition, right away. Now! Pull over, beach the boat, stop extracting that bicuspid, let the fire burn out on its own, whatever you have to do: just sign it! I reached out to Curtis Brubaker about the push to get his Box immortalized as a Hot Wheels, and this was his response:
In my mind, the Hot Wheels Brubaker Box needs period-correct ‘redline‘ wheels. But never mind that, I’m just sitting here trying to figure out how someone could feasibly resurrect the production and sale of Brubaker Boxes today. A modern reimagining would be something to see, but I would settle for a reproduction kit that could fit to an old Beetle, same as the old one. A quick Google search reveals someone ran a crowdfunded campaign a few years ago, but it looks like they only raised about $30k. But I’d build/drive one. Or don’t ignore it. Whatever, I’m not your father. going this article——————»> https://netcareer54.blogspot.com/ I’m all for the Brubaker box edition to hit the shelves, HOWEVER, if Mattel wants to make a bazillion dollars, they need to figure out how to bring back Spectraflame paint without the lead content. Spectraflame is what made the old Redlines sell and largely why the party was over in 1972 when they had to switch to boring non-lead enamel colors to keep us from not being capable of passing Algebra II. If they could duplicate what they did between 1967-71, a crap load of 60 somethings would be hanging out at the Target store waiting for shipments and buying them all out in minutes.. Note: The lead in the Spectraflame paint probably cost me a few I.Q. points considering how much I played with my Hot Wheels. Totally worth it. via GIPHY via GIPHY
