1:64 Scale Outlaws

By Glenn Oyoung

Three years ago I stumbled across a YouTube video about a rocker with dreadlocks and an unrivaled obsession with vintage Porsche 911s. That was before the name Magnus Walker or the nickname Urban Outlaw really meant anything to me. All it took was one viewing of that mesmerizing documentary to be in awe of Walker’s passion, artistry, and his sincerity.

In the modern era of bolt-on performance, there was definitely a romance to his work. The fact that Walker didn’t constrain himself to restoring his cars to period correct and instead worked tirelessly shape them into his own hot rod-flavored vision only made his story and his cars more appealing. I couldn’t help but say to myself, “I want one of those someday.” (The vintage 911. Not the dreads and beard, they are badass – but I could never pull that off.)

Clearly, I wasn’t alone. Today Walker’s builds regularly fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars, his fans around the world swarm him for autographs, and his hobby has become a full-fledged business that includes Urban Outlaw apparel and performance parts. Since the skyrocketing prices of air-cooled Porsches make owning my very own Suburban Outlaw out of the question, it appeared the only piece of Walker’s genius I would ever own would be a sticker I got from him at SEMA.

That’s where Mattel comes in. I’ve said this pretty much since I was five years old: “Thank God for Hot Wheels.” For those of us who cannot afford to purchase, maintain, or store every car we’d ever want to have in a 1:1 scale, since 1968 Mattel has kindly produced 1:64 models that we can more easily afford (and explain to our spouses.) Their Premium Car Culture Assortment is aimed at adult collectors and enthusiasts and includes Japan Historics, Euro Style, Trucks, and Track Day vehicles. The Euro Style set includes a Porsche collection designed by Magnus Walker and the Hot Wheels design team, modeled after Walker’s very own Porsche collection. It includes a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Porsche 964, 1978 Porsche 935, and my personal favorite, two 1956 Porsche 365As.

It’s a very cool set for fans of Hot Wheels fans, Porsche, and Magnus Walker. Like their 1:1 scale brethren, these die-casts are bound to increase in value. But like Walker’s creations, one gets the sense that the money isn’t the point. It’s about the passion.

Image above: Urban Outlaw's Magnus Walker and Hot Wheels Design Manager Jun Imai (photograph by David Chickering). Glenn Oyoung is a Contributing Editor to LA Car. To view more photographs, see the video that started it all for Glenn, and read an interview with Hot Wheels Design Manager Jun Imai, go to LACar.com or Facebook.com/lacarcom.