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To give this story some back ground, Mattel produced the VW Drag Bus first back in 1996. It was a First Edition car that retailed at the time at about $1.15 AUD. There would have been at very least somewhere between 50 and 100 thousand pieces of these Hot Wheels F.E. VW Dragbuses produced back in 96/97.
Like many other people, I have been collecting these Dragbuses since then, along with any other scale Kombi available. But none have become as collectable as the Hot Wheels VW Drag Bus. There have been some big named US Based companies lining up to share in the popularity of this Drag Bus, like Automotive spare parts giant J.C. Whitney, All Tune and Lube, Jiffy Lube and Motor Racing Legend Roger Penske, to mention only a few. Since 1996 there has been at least 60 maybe as many as 80 Variations of this Hot Wheels VW Drag Bus produced, some for the public, some for Hot Wheels Conventions, and some for Mattel Employees Only, and not since 1996/97 have these Dragbuses been available in shops or supermarkets. They all been marketed and sold directly, making them harder to collect, and inflating the value.
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To put a value on these VW Drag Buses now days, as we head towards the later end of 2005, the 1996 First Edition VW Drag Bus rarely changes hands in Australia in mint condition under one hundred dollars. Keeping in mind this same bus cost only $1.15 Australian back then and a mere 69 cents US.
Production runs are usually limited to ten thousands pieces and in the rarer cases as few as five hundred pieces. The less produced the more collectable
 (This was the first kruizinwagon prototype, gloss black light grey wing)
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In November 2003 we were contacted by Liberty Promotions of Dallas Texas, and asked if we were interested in having our Business Name Plastered all over a Hot Wheels VW Dragbus. Being a collector of this H.W’s VW Dragbus, I had to consider carefully if my ego was large enough to handle this extremely honorable offer, to be the first Australian Business to be used on Mattel’s most collectable Hot Wheels car Not to mention the First actual Volkswagen Shop to be used. The decision took less than 3 seconds and the deal was set and the art work was started.
 (First prototype in Aluminum)
We did our own Art Work, keeping Dean Groom up several nights in a row, with many changes and several ideas. Liberty’s had their own Ideas, as well, and came up with the ghost flames, and the Kangaroo Variation in the production run.
Liberty’s asked the color we preferred but Flat Black didn’t make sense to them at all. It took several days to explain what I meant by Flat Black. The First Prototype that was sent down here to Australia was actually finished in Gloss Black. It’s similar to the photo on the Liberty Promotions web site.
We were asked what color would suit us for the second car, another shade of Flat Black or Flat Red came up a few times, but Aluminum (pronouned Aloominum) turned out to be a winner. Liberty’s were very happy, as it was the first Aussie Drag Bus, the first Flat Black Drag Bus and the First time the Aluminum finished was used and strangely enough, the very first time a VW Business was used on this VW Drag Bus. They produced one thousand of each color variation, two thousand pieces in all. The kangaroo Variation was Liberty’s Idea, and with only ten percent of the full production run carry this variation.
 (production run Flat Black Roo Bus number 701)
By late November 2003 we had a pair of Prototypes on hand for approval, one gloss black and one silver. A few weeks later we had a second set of Prototypes, this time sporting a Flat Black Drag Bus and an Aluminum Kangaroo Drag bus for approval.
Now the hard part is, at this point I am being asked to criticize these buses, tell them what I don’t like about them. But a few phone calls back and forth to Texas sorted minor alterations and full production was underway.
 (Production Run Roo Bus)
The Kruizinwagon Drag Bus was first shown on Liberty’s Web Site December 1st 2003 and sold out two thousand pieces within twenty minutes.
This is actually the first flat black prototype with a light grey wing, a darker wing is used on the production run.
Keep an eye on Liberty Promotions web site for the latest Hot Wheels Drag Buses Available.
I am an extreme collector of VW Buses, but I must say, that these little beautys would have to be considered an extreme high light in my collecting life.
Just as a point of inertest though, did you know the most collectable hot wheels car ever is/was a bay window bus called the beach bomb. A Hot Wheels version of a 1968 baywindow bus, came with surfboards. First made in 1968, first year of the hot wheels production.
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