Hot Wheels Designer Mario Godoy shows The Motor Miss that creating iconic toy cars is a labor of love
SUMMARY
- Hot Wheels are more than just toys-they are childhood icons that captivate both kids and adults alike
- Working as a Hot Wheels Designer is a dream job for Mario Godoy, who finds inspiration in the creative process and enjoys the challenges it presents.
- The process of designing a Hot Wheels car from concept to store can take 12-16 months, involving designers, engineers, manufacturers, and packaging.
“California dreaming,” what does that mean to you? For me, it was a visit to Mattel Headquarters in El Segundo, California. Sure, Barbie was on hand, but I had come for the cars, specifically, Hot Wheels. Since that first dark blue custom Camaro rolled off the line in 1968, these sleek miniature toy cars with their vibrant colors, detailed designs and innovative features have set the toy world on fire. And it isn’t just kids who were captivated with the miniature marvels, collecting them became a craze that adults relished as well.
Hot Wheels Are Childhood Icons
Upon entering the building, I was greeted with three life-size Hot Wheels and immediately thought that I would feel like a kid coming to work everyday surrounded by such childhood icons.
Introducing new models has been a constant for Hot Wheels. Early designs like the Twin Mill, the Red Baron, and the Snake and Mongoose drag racing duo not only look incredible, but perform exceptionally well on Hot Wheels tracks, adding an extra element of racing to the playtime experience.
Oh, and speaking of Hot Wheel tracks, upon entering the building, check in with security, walk straight, and choose a Hot Wheel car from a bucket. I chose a Datsun 280Z from the early ’80s to race against Instagram’s ‘Itslifeofannie’. We took our cars and climbed a ladder to where the second story track would allow us to let our cars plunge down a life-size orange-colored track, complete with four loops (two larger and two smaller). And while you probably do not race your co-worker each morning, could work be any entertaining?
The brand’s success has led to countless special editions, the “Sweet 16 Red Line” series, collaborations with automotive companies and a dedicated collector’s community. To create such masterpieces, Hot Wheels has to have some masterminds at work. Mario Godoy is one of those gifted individuals, a graphic designer, who has been working with Mattel since 2015. We were able to chat recently in El Segundo, and I had all the questions you have long since wondered about.
Working On Hot Wheels Is A Dream Job
When asked how he landed such a dream job, Mario replied that “This was a long time in the making and a long story indeed.” He graduated from college in 2001 with his Bachelor’s degree in Animation. He spent the next 15 years doing odd jobs, freelance gigs and very few stints actually working in a creative environment with other professionals. It was through a friend who was working for Mattel and who invited him to apply for a temporary job, “to help catalog the collection for our database.” Since this initial contract was only for three months, Mario showed up with “a full portfolio of images, sketches, logos, illustrations, and 3D sculpts.”
That portfolio earned him the opportunity to work on a few projects to help support the collections. Mario says, “I took every opportunity to do my best and hopefully earn the team’s trust for more assignments.” Hard work pays off. Eight years later, Mario is still around. He adds, “It’s been eight years and I still feel the need to prove to myself that I do belong here, even though the team has always made me feel at home.”
The dream part of the job? Mario exclaims, “It was my sincere hope that I would work with people far more talented than I, so I could always remain inspired, as well as contribute to the team’s success. I cannot imagine working anywhere else.” What makes a person enjoy their job so much that they can utter the phrase, “I cannot imagine working anywhere else”? The answer is, they truly live for the challenges the job presents, and they have fun working through them.
A Day in the Life of a Designer
So what does a day in the life of Mario look like? “The fun part for me is the creative process. Even when I hit the wall and am desperately trying to find that inspiration for a new graphic or illustration, I just live for that,” he remarked. “That’s the challenge.” Speaking of inspiration, where does a graphic designer find such creativity and originality? “There are so many,” Mario notes.
At Mattel alone, I have been blessed to be surrounded by some of the most amazing automotive and graphic designers. My constant goal was always to be at their level (and maybe I am, maybe I’m still not). However, I see them pitch, design and execute; then I see the fan’s reactions online, it is a unique experience to see that success, and this team constantly inspires me to drive for the same.
I personally find it fascinating that Mario designs as both a fan, and a collector. He says, “I’m constantly visualizing the fan discovering something new and yet also “geeking out” upon discovery of something new,” He professes, “If I am responsible for delivering that, then I could pat myself on the back and feel like another Hot Wheels has earned its flames.”
Mario says he chats with the creative geniuses that surround him daily. Walking throughout the building, everyone knew Mario and did not hesitate to stop and say “Hello.” He says, “I love these people and their stories and the creativity in all they do. I take that with me. Each project we work on is unique.”
He notes that while one may envision Santa’s Workshop when imagining cars rolling off the line, he says it’s a close second. Mario admits, “My cubicle is cluttered with toys I have worked on, along with toys I’m a fan of and collect.” As we strolled through what is common in many traditional office settings, rows of interconnected workspaces, it was easy to see that these engineers, graphic designers, product managers, marketing managers and photographers find pleasure in the everyday tasks at hand.
Hot Wheels Designer Mario Godoy Is A Man With Many Hats
Mario notes, that at his busiest time, he has worked simultaneously creating graphics for Mario Kart, Monster Trucks, Character Cars, Super Rigs, Haulers, and Skate, adding that, “It’s a blast of constantly switching gears and styles for graphics and illustrations.” He spends the majority of his time, however, on the Monster Truck Series. This is his wheelhouse.
Nonetheless, when he isn’t imagining new graphics for Monster Trucks, he has remained on the Skate team, tasked with creating original illustrations for a few Fingerboards. One of these ended up being an actual board for Tony Hawk. Mario says that when he saw a photo of Hawk with his board he was really, “Blown away,” adding, “I never imagined that my art would be paired with a living legend.”
How A Hot Wheels Goes From Concept to Store
How long does it take for a car or truck to go from concept to store? “It can take 12–16 months, so we are currently working on Hot Wheels for 2025,” These miniature wonders go from designers, to engineers, to manufacturing, to packaging, proving that indeed, it takes a village. And as you can imagine, from an idea, to a drawing, to a reveal in a meeting, Mario says, “The final product is always exciting, seeing them for the ‘first time’ complete. Mission accomplished!”
Hot Wheels Cars Are Prized Possessions For A Hot Wheels Designer
When you design cars, you naturally collect them. What does a graphic designer collect? Mario replied, “I think that the 1989 Batmobile was the first ‘Wow’ moment I had, so that Batmobile has a special place in my heart.” The sci-fi and fantasy aspects of design are elements that Mario has always gravitated towards. Likewise, he is fond of the Back to the Future time machine Delorean, the Ghostbusters mobile, and of course, the A-Team van. These, Mario exclaims, “Are my most prized possessions.”
How Hot Wheels Combined Old School Vans and Mermaids
“Old school Dodge Vans are a great canvas for fantasy art,” remarks Mario, “I just love that airbrushed dragon, wizard, or mermaid.” It’s no wonder then that Mario helped design “Mermadness.” Mermadness looks driven, with her hot pink hair flowing behind her like a cape, her clinched fists, like she is ready to take on the world, and that gleam in her eye says she is fearless, and focused. Oh, and she’s a lovely mermaid.
The Hot Wheels Legends Tour
Mario was recently on a several-city tour just months ago, judging cars. These cars were all customized by their owners in hopes of being made into THE next potential Hot Wheels toy car. Mario enjoyed this role and reassured, “The best part is seeing some amazing cars. I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to participate as a judge a few times, and it’s always the same surprise. That unexpected build. Some builds look familiar and gorgeous, while others truly stand out as a first-time discovery for me. Every car can honestly look like a museum piece, true works of art and I leave inspired.”
Mario concludes, “Meeting the builders and getting to know the stories behind the build is awesome. I love that we can connect with people and talk and laugh. We can talk Hot Wheels and life in the same conversation, and it’s amazing. Connecting around a Hot Wheels experience is just the best opportunity to make new friends.” And I, for one, would have to agree, this, after all, is how I met Mario.
