Custom 1979 Chevrolet El Camino Wins 2026 Hot Wheels Legends Tour, Will Become 1:64 Die-Cast
A heavily customized 1979 Chevrolet El Camino built by Tampa-area car builder Matt McEntegart has won the 2026 Hot Wheels Legends Tour, earning the ultimate prize for a Hot Wheels fan build: a place in the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends and a transformation into an official 1:64-scale Hot Wheels die-cast collectible that will be sold around the world.
McEntegart’s creation, nicknamed the “SS Monte Mino,” was crowned global champion during the November 14 Hot Wheels Legends Tour Global Grand Finale after beginning its run by winning the Tampa stop. The victory brings the worldwide title back to the United States for the first time since 2022 following a competition that traveled through 19 countries and included thousands of custom vehicles.
The SS Monte Mino combines elements from three Chevrolet vehicles into a single custom build. McEntegart started with a 1979 Chevrolet El Camino body, mounted it onto a modified 2008 sixth-generation Corvette chassis and incorporated styling inspired by the Monte Carlo SS. The wheelbase was stretched by 12 inches as part of a build that Mattel says required thousands of hours of work. McEntegart designed and fabricated nearly every aspect of the car himself. The process included shaping foam prototypes and creating molds for a custom Monte Carlo-inspired widebody before finishing the vehicle in a rich maroon paint. Red-tinted forged carbon-fiber panels add another distinctive visual element and helped give the finished vehicle the exaggerated proportions and styling that Hot Wheels looks for when selecting a full-size vehicle to reproduce as a miniature.
Under the custom hood is a modified Chevrolet V8 engine with exposed velocity stacks and several performance upgrades. A custom air suspension allows the El Camino to sit extremely low over 22-inch wheels, while the interior combines retro 1980s styling with technology from the Corvette. McEntegart also handcrafted custom upholstery and other interior components as part of the build.
Ted Wu, General Manager and Global Head of Vehicles and Building Sets at Mattel, said: “What makes Hot Wheels Legends Tour so special is its ability to bring automotive communities together and celebrate the incredible talent of builders around the world. Matt’s El Camino stood out for its bold design and craftsmanship, and we’re honored to turn his passion project into an official Hot Wheels die-cast car for fans to play and collect around the world.”
That conversion into a production Hot Wheels car is what separates the Legends Tour from a typical custom-car competition. The Hot Wheels design team will translate the proportions and distinctive features of the full-size SS Monte Mino into a 1:64-scale model, allowing a one-of-a-kind fan-built vehicle to ultimately become part of the Hot Wheels lineup.
The 2026 Legends Tour included 12 stops across North America as well as events around the world. Hot Wheels designers and local automotive experts judged vehicles using three main criteria: authenticity, creativity and what the company calls “garage spirit.” Local winners advanced through regional competition, with champions from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region ultimately competing for the global title.
McEntegart faced three other finalists in the final round. Indonesia’s Sandranto Hertanu, also known as Achun Owen, transformed a 1961 Morris Mini Van into a custom pickup. Italy’s Andrea Cionco entered a reworked 1990 Mazda MX-5 NA featuring Japanese-inspired widebody styling, while Chile’s Andres Romero Maureira competed with a purpose-built 1992 Chevrolet Salaya SP race car powered by a 450-horsepower V8.
Hot Wheels launched the Legends Tour in 2018 as part of the brand’s 50th anniversary celebration, initially holding a series of local Walmart events in the United States. The competition has since expanded internationally and now gives custom builders around the world a path toward having their own creation reproduced as an official Hot Wheels collectible.
Past winners have included the 2JetZ in 2018, THE NASH in 2019, a 1970 Pontiac Firebird in 2020, a 1969 Volvo P1800 Gasser in 2021 and the “Texas Toot” 1992 Autozam Scrum micro truck in 2022. Later winners included the “Chimera” 1990 Mazda MX-5 in 2023, the “La Liebre” custom 1968 Ford Falcon in 2024 and a rally-inspired Fiat 126P Bis from Poland in 2025.
The SS Monte Mino will now join those previous champions in the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends before making the transition from McEntegart’s full-size custom build to a mass-produced 1:64-scale collectible. Mattel says the eventual Hot Wheels version will be sold worldwide, although additional product and release information has not yet been announced.