Hot Wheels Die Cast K&N 1970 Plymouth Barracuda and 2009 Dodge Challenger Shine at SEMA
- 12 Nov 2008
2009 K&N Dodge Challenger in K&N booth at SEMA in Las Vegas, Nevada
Hot Wheels designer Jerry Thienprasiddhi autograph session for K&N 1970 Plymouth Barracuda
Mattel Hot Wheels designer said K&N 2009 Dodge Challenger was one of the signature cars at SEMA
K&N air intake system 63-1114 on 2009 Dodge Challenger in K&N SEMA booth at Las Vegas Convention Center
More than 120,000 enthusiasts from around the globe attended SEMA in Las Vegas, Nevada for a chance to see the best of the automotive world
Die Cast car collectors waited in line at SEMA to get a K&N Hot Wheels 1970 Plymouth Barracuda by Mattel designer Jerry Thienprasiddhi
K&N had several pieces of eye candy in its booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center. One of them was a modified 2009 Dodge Challenger. People took pictures with it, and asked questions about it, but almost everyone noticed something interesting on the dash. Just out of reach, to be seen but not touched was a limited edition K&N 1970 Plymouth Barracuda collector car from Hot Wheels, a mirror image of the Challenger.
The tease turned into a dream come true for die cast collectors. A group of attendees stood in line over the course of two days to get an original K&N collectable from Hot Wheels and K&N. Hands down, said collectors, of all the classic muscle cars, some of the most valuable are the Dodge Challengers and Plymouth Barracudas from the 1970s.
Hot Wheels designer Jerry Thienprasiddhi used K&N graphics on the side and top of the Barracuda. He also kept the clean lines from the original Plymouth Barracuda to create the K&N 1970 Plymouth Barracuda collector car. K&N also hosted Thienprasiddhi for an autograph session.
“I was surprised at the long line,” said Thienprasiddhi. “It’s definitely a testament to the popularity of Hot Wheels. Everyone who came through had collections from hundreds of cars to thousands upon thousands.” Thienprasiddhi can relate because his own collection stands in the thousands.
He was often asked about his favorite designs from the enthusiasts who stood in line. “Of course, the K&N Challenger was number one, but a close second would be any car with flames,” said Thienprasiddhi. “Flames on hot rods, muscle cars, motorcycles and planes are great too.”
From the autograph booth to the real deal, the crowd migrated to the K&N 2009 Dodge Challenger. Under the hood was a K&N air intake system 57-1542, to give this muscle car additional horsepower.
Other modifications included:
Magnaflow Cat Back Exhaust
Eiback Springs
360 Forged Wheels
Nitto Tires
Modern Image Decals
“Originally, the design was meant for a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, so I did not know what to expect at the K&N booth,” said Thienprasiddhi. “It turned out great though. K&N did a great job. The Challenger was a great choice and definitely one of the signature cars of this year’s SEMA show. Most of the ones I saw there had the usual stripes going down the side or top. The K&N version definitely stood out.”
Check out the Hot Wheels K&N Plymouth Barracuda 40th Anniversary Celebration at SEMA 2008 video.
Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.
