Hot Wheels has confirmed that the Proton Saga Special Edition will be released in stores soon. While this particular release still features the same 1985 Proton Saga that was rolled out last October, the Special Edition version will carry a different blister card.
Hot Wheels Proton Saga Special Edition packaging comes with custom artwork
Aside from featuring the first-ever model by the national automaker, the blister card for Hot Wheels Proton Saga Special Edition also carries a different artwork. Made by Saw Jane Harn from Penang, the hand-drawn design featured plenty of Malaysian elements such as the Petronas Twin Towers, the National Monument, the Malayan tiger, the hornbill, and even our national flower, the hibiscus rosa-sinesis.
Saw’s design won the Hot Wheels x Proton Design Competition which was held in conjunction with the Art of Speed Malaysia expo last year. As part of the prize, she received the honour as the first kid in the world to have her hand-drawn artwork featured on Hot Wheels packaging.
In the teaser, Hot Wheels did not mention the price tag for the Proton Saga Special Edition. Nevertheless, we do expect it will be priced just like a standard 1:64 Hot Wheels model which currently stands at RM9.90, depending on where you purchase it.
Manage your expectations
That being said, the limited edition nature of this release combined with Proton Saga being a highly sought-after model (at least in Malaysia) means that you most probably will not be able to get it easily at stores. This is despite the teaser attempt to say that you can generally purchase the Proton Saga Special Edition at Hot Wheels retailers.
Expect it to be scooped by scalpers and sold off at e-commerce platforms at exorbitant prices right out of the door. Just take the Mainline version of the Proton Saga: it is currently being sold by scalpers at least 3 to 4 times its retail price.
If the standard Hot Wheels Proton Saga release has already been traded at that level, expect the upcoming Proton Saga Special Edition to be pushed out by scalpers at an even higher price.