Hot Wheels x MoMA Jaguar E-Type Model
Mattel and MoMA have released a $45, 1:64 scale die-cast replica of the museum's 1963 Jaguar E-Type Roadster. The detailed model features a metal body and chassis, opening hood, and custom wheels.
Mattel and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) have released a collaborative 1:64 scale die-cast model of a 1963 Jaguar E-Type Roadster. The $45 replica is based on the Series 1 car that entered MoMA's permanent collection in 1996.
The museum's car is an Opalescent Dark Blue roadster donated by Jaguar. Terence Riley, then MoMA's Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, stated the E-Type led the museum's wish-list because of its "beauty and sculptural quality, its functionality, and its seminal impact on overall car design." It carries object number 113.1996 and is formally credited to Sir William Lyons, William M. Heynes, and aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer.
The Designer's Secret Formula
Malcolm Sayer came to Jaguar from the Bristol Aeroplane Company. He described himself as an aerodynamicist, not a stylist. Tom Jones of Jaguar's styling department told MoMA curator Christopher Mount that Sayer "kept his mathematical formula for design a secret and in fact died before anyone else learned it."
Sayer applied complex formulas to calculate the ellipses governing the car's outline. He started from four fixed engineering parameters: height, length, width, and ground clearance. Scale models were tested in a wind tunnel from multiple directions, which was unusually thorough for the period.
The engineering drew on Jaguar's C-Type and D-Type racing programs. The front suspension, disc brakes, and rack-and-pinion steering were carried over. The independent rear suspension was developed by Bob Knight through the E1A and E2A prototypes.
MoMA's catalogue gives the 3.8 liter E-Type Roadster a top speed of 149.1 mph. The twin-cam inline-six produced 265 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 260 lb ft of torque. Period testing showed a 0 to 60 mph time of 7.1 seconds.
The Die-Cast Replica
The Hot Wheels x MoMA model is a direct replica of the museum's 1963 car. It specifically references the car's appearance in MoMA's 2021 to 2022 Automania exhibition.
The model's body is made from ZAMAC, a metal alloy, rather than plastic. It is finished in opalescent dark blue to match the original and has a full-metal chassis in the same color. The hood opens to reveal a molded straight-six engine.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Scale | 1:64 |
| Body Material | ZAMAC (metal alloy) |
| Chassis | Full-metal |
| Color | Opalescent Dark Blue |
| Retail Price | $45 |
It features custom Real Riders wheels, a smoke-tinted windscreen, and a black interior. The base is marked "1963 Jaguar E-Type Roadster."
Each model comes in an acrylic display case referencing MoMA's gallery presentation. A slide-out drawer holds a booklet about the vehicle. The case ships inside a slipcover and decorative outer box. The model is available for purchase directly from Mattel.
MoMA first exhibited the acquired E-Type in April 1996 with a show titled "Refining the Sports Car: Jaguar's E-Type." The display included a separate E-Type engine, original engineering drawings, and photo panels from the C- and D-Type programs.
