Ford J-Car, one of the original 16 Hot Wheels cars introduced in 1968, debuted in the regular blister pack before transitioning to the specially designed Grand Prix Series packaging. The real 1:1 Ford J-Cars were the precursors to the Ford GT40 Mk IV, finalized in 1966. The Hot Wheels rendition featured an opening rear hatch, racing number (#1), rocker panel stripes, and came in diverse Spectraflame colors, along with a white enamel option like the actual car. It was produced in both U.S. and Hong Kong facilities. Among the U.S. versions, you can spot various casting variations, notably a stop peg added in later production runs, which prevented the rear hatch from fully opening. This change likely took place around mid-1969. U.S. cars typically had black interiors but occasionally appeared with brown or champagne interiors, rarer choices. A couple of prototype J-Cars with white interiors were also found.
All U.S. J-Cars had clear windows and unpainted metal bases. There were two variations for Hong Kong Ford J-Cars. The first was an early run with top vents ("louvers") on the rear hatch and a "hidden hinge" mechanism. The initial hatch design proved fragile, leading to a redesign with a more robust hinge and the omission of rear vents. Unlike the U.S. version, Hong Kong J-Cars consisted of top and bottom halves, allowing the "base" to be painted the same as the car's color. All Hong Kong cars featured blue-tinted windows and black interiors. Similar to the U.S. model, most Hong Kong J-Cars had four medium-sized bearing wheels. The initial production runs of Hong Kong Ford J-Cars had larger steering wheels and deep-dish wheels.
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