| For a long time the iconic Jeepney has become the face of Philippine Transport System, which would also considered ‘The King of the Road” and just like the Tuk Tuk it has finally received an interpretation into diecast form for Hot Wheels. But this is not the first time it was made into this 1:64 there were several versions.
It so happens that the Hot Wheels brand is popular among Filipino diecast collectors they’ve been wondering when this will ever happen? Before the turn of the new decade it was revealed in April 2019 and the rest as they say is history… |
But for the collectors who only knew a brief history the jeepney (dypni) has quite a heritage and A LOT of stories taking back to WWII as the leftovers of the war namely the military jeeps that the US Army has left and became surplus, which were repurposed into becoming the Philippine transport vehicle that still runs in the country today that is slowly trying to be phased out by the government due to outdated safety features that doesn’t pass up to standards of today’s vehicles.
The name “Jeepney” has so many origins to its name, but unconfirmed though there was one saying that since passengers are seated very close to each other due to narrow space hence the word “jeep knee,” which is a portmanteau and the slang “jitney” also the word “jeep” both words are a common slang in the popular vernacular of the era.
Transport versions of the Jeepney became a common thing in Philippine roads and it was based on the design by Leonardo Sarao, who pioneered as the first company to mass produced the vehicle with other local builders following suit. Though keeping the basic design the Jeepney never truly evolved only the aesthetics varies from the era it was built due to the ‘trends’ of the times.
These days you can see ordinary jeepneys travel everywhere usually the engine used are from Isuzu and Mitsubishi type variations. Most of these are 4, 5, or 6 speed manual transmission and they are considered a minibus or minivan-type vehicles.
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Bandits of Rarity
Revealed by Hot Wheels in April 2019 the Road Bandit is entirely a new casting based on the Jeepney designed by Dmitriy Shakhmatov. It is obviously a transport vehicle based from the Philippines’ popular road vehicle described at the back of the US card as you can see below:
Born: 2020 El Segundo, CA
Designer: Hot Wheels
Grab your crew and jump aboard! Road Bandit is a colorful jeepney bus designed to steal hearts with a supercharged V8 engine that gets everyone where they want to go. FAST!
The card art in the front is hardly missed to its iconic appearance. This has started appearing on retail sometime in the end of November 2019. But in the Philippines it is rarely you’ll ever spot one as they are immediately sold out due to its popularity that you’ll find it only through secondary market with a premium price already.
Jeepney Taxi
Hot Wheels has produced their interpretation of a Jeepney taking inspiration and there have been several versions that you’ll still find on the road. The basic design can be found on its iconic front aesthetics while the middle and back part is taken from the bigger Jeepney, which are the air-conditioned type version as the passenger front seat does not exist as this where the passengers entrance and exit to be seated at the back.
The translucent blue windows on the roof give you a view of how wide the seats are on both sides while the rear is covered just like the larger ones that don’t have back entrance or exit as most common jeepneys has.
Of course this one has to be a little bit exaggerated when it comes to the engine where you can find a V8 sticking out of its hood/bonnet doesn’t seem too practical covering the front window part of the driver’s side. But since Hot Wheels is more known for its extravagance and bright colors taking real and dull vehicles into their concept makes for good reason why it was presented here with a bigger engine.
Kings of Jeepney Castings
Prior to the release of Hot Wheel’s version of the “Jeepney” a lot of collectors thought that Tomica’s Jamboree Cruiser is the closest to being to being the first diecast version of the iconic Filipino transport vehicle, but turns out it just looks like one though the Japanese toy manufacturer didn’t deliberately say it was based from.
But comparisons on both casting can clearly say that Hot Wheels’ intention was there as collectors clamour for it even hoping if there’s a Matchbox version in the works given that they produced the Tuk Tuk in 2016 and have a follow-up version in 2017 that both have become instant favorites.
You can find three iconic vehicles side by side can be a theme for either Hot Wheels or Matchbox featuring well known vehicles from around the world like the Tuk Tuk (Malaysia), Holden Ute (Australia), and a version of the Jeepney (Philippines) namely the Road Bandit or another future version by Matchbox can an interesting range.
There hasn’t been any theme produced by any of these brands as Majorette was also interested in making their version given that they have produced a Tuk Tuk and Malaysian Taxis using the Toyota Corolla Altis casting. But like any fan or collector’s pipe dream would be something right?
Overall the Road Bandit is an instant favorite among collectors not only in the Philippines but all over the world. There has been a red version sighted already in other countries by some.
Though not rare it is difficult to find one on local retail in the country of its origin. It is considered rare just like how the Tuk Tuk has become when it was released. The only thing that’s stopping Hot Wheels is if they would ever produce a ZAMAC version as most Jeepneys are in this color in real life.
Road Bandit is part of the HW Metro sub-series designated 2 of 10 in the overall mainline for Hot Wheels in 2020, which was retailed in the Philippines for ₱119.75 Pesos [ $ 3.56 AUD | $ 2.35 USD ] and it is distributed by Richprime Global Inc. aka Richwell Club!
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