Gas Monkey Garage and Hot Wheels: The '68 Corvette Story
How Richard Rawlings' Gas Monkey Garage built the real Midas Monkey Corvette for Hot Wheels — and the 1:64 releases to collect.
Written by
Rarewaalt Team
Reading time
2 min
Updated
5 Oct 2026
Gas Monkey Garage is one of the most famous custom car shops in the world, thanks to years of television. It also gave Hot Wheels one of its most popular modern castings: the '68 Corvette – Gas Monkey Garage.
The garage behind the TV show
Gas Monkey Garage was founded by Richard Rawlings in Dallas, Texas, in 2002. It builds and restores classic cars and hot rods for customers around the world. The shop became a household name through Fast N' Loud, which ran on the Discovery Channel from 2012 to 2020 and followed Rawlings and his team as they hunted down old cars, rebuilt them and sold them on.
The brand grew far beyond the garage, with the Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill in Dallas, merchandise and motorsport sponsorship.
The real "Midas Monkey" Corvette
When Mattel approached Gas Monkey Garage about a Hot Wheels car, Rawlings pictured a 1968 Corvette with a radical, supercharged big-block engine. The team started with a solid '68 coupe and rebuilt it completely:
- 1A full restoration of suspension, brakes, steering and interior.
- 2A blown big-block with a Weiand 871 supercharger and twin Holley carburettors.
- 3L88-style rear flares for a wider, meaner stance.
- 4Custom House of Kolor metal-flake gold paint and bespoke wheels.
The finished car, nicknamed the "Midas Monkey", was built on camera for Fast N' Loud — a full-size car made specifically to become a Hot Wheels.
The Hot Wheels '68 Corvette – Gas Monkey Garage
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| First release | 2017, HW Screen Time series |
| Designer | Ryu Asada, Hot Wheels |
| Debut colour | Metal-flake gold with chrome wheels |
| Notable later releases | Nightburnerz (2018, metal-flake blue with flames), Replica Entertainment premium versions, and a 2023 Super Treasure Hunt |
The casting captures the real car's supercharger sticking through the bonnet, the flared rear arches and the deep-dish wheels. The 2023 Super Treasure Hunt version, with Spectraflame paint and Real Riders rubber tyres, is the one collectors chase hardest — learn how to identify it in our Treasure Hunt and STH guide.
Why it matters to collectors
- It is one of the few Hot Wheels whose real car was built specifically for the toy.
- It connects diecast with a TV show many collectors grew up watching.
- Multiple colours and an STH make it a satisfying casting to complete.
Browse Hot Wheels on Rarewaalt.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Gas Monkey Garage?
Gas Monkey Garage was founded by Richard Rawlings in Dallas, Texas, in 2002.
Is the Hot Wheels Gas Monkey Corvette based on a real car?
Yes. Gas Monkey Garage built a real supercharged 1968 Corvette, nicknamed the Midas Monkey, for Hot Wheels, and the build was shown on Fast N' Loud.
When did the Gas Monkey '68 Corvette come out?
The casting first appeared in 2017 in the HW Screen Time series and has been re-released several times since, including as a 2023 Super Treasure Hunt.
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