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Click the thumbnails below for enlarged photo and detailed description of each:
Model of a Champion
On June 28th, 1997, Solar Eagle III (SEIII) completed the 10 day, 1240 mile cross-country Sunrayce '97. The solar powered electric race car, designed and built by the faculty, staff and students of California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) crossed the finish line in Colorado Springs, Colorado with a record setting total elapsed time of 28 hours, 41 minutes and 34 seconds, proudly winning the national competition. These unlikely heroes beat out many top engineering schools including M.I.T., Stanford U., and U.C. Berkley. Coincidentally, there was a CSULA Alumni working for Mattel at the time and Mattel was gracious enough to honor the accomplishment by commissioning the 1997 First Edition Solar Eagle III Hot Wheel. This is Mattel's first commemoration of a student built vehicle.▼
Going, Going, Gone!
I had the distinct privilege of being a member of this team serving as team weatherman. As team members, we all got dibs on the first available production run and as soon as the Hot Wheels were handed out we all went around and had eachother sign them. Below is an image of my autographed copy along with images of several variations I've collected (mostly off of auction websites) through the years that have followed. If anyone reading this also has a unique variation of the Solar Eagle III Hot Wheel or any other Hot Wheel memorabilia (calendars, posters, etc.) that includes the Solar Eagle III Hot Wheel and is not featured on this web page I'd love to hear from you. Please e-mail me at mark@vandalm.com.▼▲
Learn More
For more information about this amazing accomplishment, the real Solar Eagle III or its Hot Wheels likeness please visit these other great sites:
[Cal State L.A.'s SEIII Website]
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[Cal State L.A.'s SEIII Prospectus]
[A Fellow Teamate's SEIII Website]
[Professor Felszeghy's SEIII Website]
[Sunrayce '97 Info]
Sunrayce has since become the [North American Solar Challenge] [Official Hot Wheels Wiki] [World Automotive Achievements Web Site]
[SEIII E-card compliments of ClassicCar.com]▼▲
Prototype
This supposedly is the prototype to the Solar Eagle III Hot Wheel. As I understand it, one of these is made for each unique Hot Wheel. It serves as a
proof-of-concept to the actual production version. Note that the solar panel is flush to the top of the car, unlike the actual First Edition car.
Another distinction is that this prototype is missing the band that runs across the top of the canopy. Finally, this is not a die-cast vehicle. It is
instead made out of resin and is much lighter in weight than the die-cast version. This can account for the slight curvature at the back of the solar
panel that is not present in the production die-cast version.▼▲ [Back to top]
1997
This is the toy inspired by Cal State LA's victory in the '97 Sunrayce. It's an amazingly acurate reproduction of the actual race car that won the
national competition. Since its initial release in 1997 there have been at least 3 graphics variations, including one released in
1998, one in 1999, and one in 2000. There have also been numerous packaging variations,
most of which are featured here on this web page.▼▲ [Back to top]
650
This is how the first available version of the Solar Eagle III Hot Wheel appeared in 1997. It is a 1998 First Edition, "Collector #650," and is #23 out of a total of 40 1998 First Editions. Click here to see how this toy first appeared in Europe.▼▲ [Back to top]
Autographed
Having been a member of the Solar Eagle III team I was in the fortunate position to be able to get the autographs of several of my fellow teammates on the front of a 1998 First Edition. This collectable is particularly special to me and is the only one of my collection that I keep under glass
(it's actually kept under acrylic).▼▲ [Back to top]
Backside
This is what the back of the package looks like. Yes, I am in the picture at the upper right-hand corner! Click here for an enlarged view. Pictured from left to right are Faculty Advisor and Structural Analyst Professor Stephen Felszeghy, Student Team Member and Relief Driver Dylan Wakasa, Student Team Member and Solar Panel Technician Stan Palmer, Student Team Member and Computer Programmer Sal Fallorino, Student Team Member and driver of the lead (navigational) vehicle Rick Aguilera, Student Team Member and Mechanic Roland Cerna, Faculty Advisor and Principal Designer Professor Richard Roberto, Student Team Captain and Primary Driver Roman Vasquez, Student Team Member and Weatherman Mark van Dalm (me!), Student Team Member and Navigator Dane Atol, Student Team Member and Support Vehicle Driver Ivan Bejar, Student Team Member and Mechanic Ricardo Solares, and Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology and Team Strategist Ray Landis. Not pictured but certainly worthy of mention here are Staff Team Members Dan Roberto, Mechanical Designer and Fabricator, and Mike Obermeyer, Electrical Systems Designer and Fabricator. Click here to see the backside of the Canadian packaging variation on which the team photo is larger.▼▲ [Back to top]
Action Pack
Soon after the First Editions were released, this Action Pack was made available. Featured in this diarama are (from left to right) University President James Rosser, Faculty Advisor and Principal Designer Professor Richard Roberto, and Student Team Captain and Primary Driver Roman Vasquez. The silver van is a replica of the lead (navigational) vehicle that accompanied the Solar Eagle III during the race. This Dodge Caravan is also available with a different color scheme and with different wheels as #4 of 40 of the 1998 First Editions.▼▲ [Back to top]
Canadian
This is a packaging variation from Canada. Notice that the words "1998 First Editions" in the white bar are replaced by the words "Solar Eagle III," and there is no wording in the red bar below the white bar. Also in the white bar is the description "No. 23 of/de 40," "de" being the French translation of the word "of." Roll the mouse pointer over this picture for a view of the backside of the package. A noteworthy difference between this package's backside and the backside of the original First Edition's backside is the fact that the team photo is almost twice as large making it almost possible to see the faces of the team members. Additionally, all of the wording is repeated in three different languages; English, Spanish, and French.▼▲ [Back to top]
European
This version is apparently how the toy appears in stores in Europe. The package is the same width but a little more than half the height of
those found here in the states. Also of interest is that the package identifies the toy as no. 23 of 40 but does not identify it as
a First Edition. The collector number is also missing from the back of the packaging.▼▲ [Back to top]
Radical Ride
Check out this assortment of 1998 First Editions! This set claims to be "an F.A.O. Schwarz Exclusive." The bottom of this package still has an F.A.O.
Schwarz price tag on it. Believe it or not they were asking $30 for this set (I paid much less) which might help to explain why this company is now out
of business! Included First Editions are Dairy Delivery, #10 of 40, Sweet 16 II, #30 of 40, Tow Jam, #25 of 40, Hot Seat, #13 of 40, Go Kart, #21 of 40,
and of course Solar Eagle III, #23 of 40. It's fitting that the Solar Eagle III be included in a collection of "Radical Rides." The back of the package
describes the Sunrayce '97 champion as "a real sun-bathed beauty." I couldn't agree more.▼▲ [Back to top]
1998
This version of Solar Eagle III is found in the World Racers Gift Pack. I suspect this was the first variant to the original toy because the copyright date on the back of the package is 1998. This variation dawns a brown color, sheds its eagle graphics and takes the number "03" in place of the original's number "8." Yes, it is a suitable characterization of the car since it is a racer. But will someone please tell me who Brad Lee is and why his name is on the side of Cal State LA's solar car?▼▲ [Back to top]
World Racer
This is the Hot Wheels World Racers Gift Pack. As far as I can tell, this is the only way the Brad Lee version of Solar Eagle III was made available. I don't know the names of any of the cars in this set, except for Solar Eagle III of course, but they all seem to have adopted a
"World of Racing Federation (WRF)" motif. If anyone reading this can better explain the histories of the other cars in this set please e-mail me at
mark@vandalm.com.▼▲ [Back to top]
1999
This is the second variation to the evolution of the Solar Eagle III Hot Wheel as evidenced by the copyright date on the back of its package. In this
version, the car dawns a red color and a chrome solar panel, loses its side number 8, and also loses the "III" at the end of its name. The truncation
of the car's name actually constitutes a historical inaccuracy. Solar Eagle III is named so because it is the third generation of solar powered race
cars designed and built at Cal State LA. The second car was given the name Solar Eagle II and the first solar powered car built there was named, you
guessed it, Solar Eagle. Solar Eagle is drastically different in size and shape than Solar Eagle III. It should also be noted that a solar panel can
never be chrome plated. But, despite all of the technical inaccuracies, this is still a very tasteful variation to the original 1998
First Edition.▼▲ [Back to top]
Star Explorer
This is how the second variation of Solar Eagle III first appeared in 1998. This Hot Wheels Star Explorers Gift Pack includes an "EZROJ," a "Radar Ranger," a "Solar Eagle," a "Space Invasion 2000," and an "Inter Galactic Rider." The Solar Eagle is also available individually as year 1999
Collector #176. If anyone reading this can explain the histories of the other cars in this set please e-mail me at
mark@vandalm.com.▼▲ [Back to top]
176a
This is how the second variation's availability as a single car first appeared in 1999. It is Collector #176, and the copyright year on the back of the package is 1999. Notice that the graphics on the packaging are very similar to those found on the original 1998 First Edition. As you will see below, not only did the car itself evolve but so did the graphics on the package. This variation is also available as part of the Star Explorers Gift Pack.▼▲ [Back to top]
176b
This variation is an example of how package graphics can change but the toy itself remains the same. The card on the first release of
this variation matches the card used on the original First Edition that was released in 1997. The card pictured here matches the
card that is eventually used on the next variation released later this same year. This is still Collector #176 but the copyright year
on the back of the package is 2000.▼▲ [Back to top]
2000
This is the third variation to the original 1998 First Edition although many more packaging variations took place. Really the only
difference between this variation and the previous variation is the primary color. This one's orange.▼▲ [Back to top]
170
This is how the third variation of Solar Eagle III appeared in 2000. Yes, its copyright year is identical to that of the previous
version's but, in addition to the color change, it's also been given its own collector number, #170. Click here to see an
error card of this variation.▼▲ [Back to top]
No Number
At first glance, this variation could easily be mistaken as an error card. Notice that the printed "Collector No. 170" badge is
missing from the front of the card. This is actually a fairly common card variation for international versions of popular Hot Wheels. Another distinguishing feature of international cards is the repetition of phrases in several different languages on the back of the card. See the next image below for an example of an actual error card.▼▲ [Back to top]
Chaparral?
Here's an example of what is commonly referred to as an "error card." Notice that the name of the car that appears below the series description is
"Chaparral 2." The car in the package is obviously Solar Eagle III, not Chaparral 2. See the image above for an example of what
could easily be mistaken as an error card but isn't.▼▲ [Back to top]
Upside Down
This is an example of what is best described as an assembly line error. What makes this anomoly appealing is when a similar such anomoly is found of an actual toy variation. See the images below.▼▲ [Back to top]
Upside Down
This is an example of what is best described as an assembly line error. What makes this anomoly appealing is when a similar such anomoly is found of an actual toy variation. See the images above and below.▼▲ [Back to top
Upside Down and Backwards
This is an example of what is best described as an assembly line error. This variation is especially interesting because the car is both upside down
and backwards in its package. What makes this anomoly appealing is when a similar such anomoly is found of an actual toy variation. See the images
above and below.▼▲ [Back to top]
Upside Down
This is an example of what is best described as an assembly line error. What makes this anomoly appealing is when a similar such anomoly is found of an actual toy variation. See the images above.▼▲ [Back to top]
Custom
This is a picture of a custom variation of the Solar Eagle III Hot Wheel that I picked up off of Ebay. The smudge at the center of the solar panel is a touch-up I did to the picture for reasons of keeping this web site decent and doesn't actually exist on the toy. Just let your imagination fill in the
blanks!▼▲ [Back to top]
Wanted
This supposedly is the prototype to the 1998 First Edition Dodge Caravan Hot Wheel. As I understand it, one of these is made for each unique Hot Wheel.
It serves as a proof-of-concept to the actual production version. Click here to see the prototype of the 1998 First Edition
Solar Eagle III Hot Wheel.▼▲ [Back to top]
Poster
Here is a poster that pictures, among other things, the entire 1998 First Editions. It's featured here simply because it shows the Solar Eagle III Hot Wheel. Click the image of the poster for an enlarged view of the Solar Eagle III photo. My question is, is this the "Special Collector Poster" offered for sale by Mattel on the back of the original Solar Eagle III packaging? If anyone reading this knows, please don't hesitate to drop me an e-mail. Thanks.▼▲ [Back to top]
Calendar
Pictured here is a page from the Hot Wheels 2003 Car-A-Day calendar. This calendar includes photos from both Mattel and Mac Ragan, author of the book Hot Wheels Cars, and comes boxed together with a brand new Hot Wheel. Click here to see how the calendar comes packaged. According to the packaging, this calendar "reveals a new and exciting Hot Wheels vehicle with each day of the year." The original Solar Eagle III is pictured as days March 22nd and 23rd. Other 1998 First Editions chosen to grace the pages of this calendar include Hot Seat (March 17), Go-Kart (April 19/20), '65 Impala Lowrider (June 19), Customized C3500 (October 20), Sweet 16 II (November 19), Slideout (December 2), and Jaguar D-Type (December 26).▲ [Back to top]
