1971 Hot Wheels
Rocket-Bye-Baby Hot Wheels: Original and Shell Guide
Rocket-Bye-Baby’s ramjet is hard to miss, but the smaller black parts behind it tell you which version you are holding. On the early car, the rear pipes operate the side vents. The later Shell car dispenses with that mechanism.
Original Rocket-Bye-Baby photograph: On Line Redline Guide.
The 1971 moving-vent car
Bob Lovejoy’s design was made in Hong Kong, with blue glazing and champagne or white interiors. The Spectraflame body carries the long ramjet above a pointed nose. Pulling the black tailpipes moves the side vents a short distance.
Inspect the pipe ends and side openings before trying the action. A stiff or repaired assembly is worth documenting as found. More force will not tell you whether the parts are original.
Shell changed the body
The 1973 Shell version has cast-shut side vents, a redesigned rear, through-hole wheels and rear crush protectors. Missing operating pipes are normal for this version. Most interiors are black; silver and light interiors are documented among blue cars.
Read those details together with the finish. A reflective Shell green is not enough to identify an earlier Spectraflame car, and a remembered 1972 purchase does not establish a separate tooling version.
Look along the nose and engine
A head-on view will show whether the point of the nose has been chipped or repaired. Check the ramjet’s mounting and surface from both sides; do not lift the car by it. Photograph the underside and all wheel faces before settling an originality question.
The side openings are especially useful in a loose-car listing. If they are hidden, request another angle instead of guessing from paint color.
Keep the package with the record
Shell promotional bags and a standard blister example are documented. Inspect the actual closure and keep any package history with the car. An old bag beside a loose model does not establish an unopened combination.
Compare Bugeye for a different Shell conversion. Use the loose-car checklist to record repairs separately from release identification.
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