Always vroom for more

As a child, Doug Woods became obsessed with Hot Wheels. But what drives a man to collect nearly 25,000 toy cars?

- BRIONY SMITH

Doug Woods was four years old when he found the one tiny item at a yard sale that would change his life: a 1969 Hot Wheels VW Beach Bomb, made by the Mattel toy company.

The cost of the die-cast metal car that filled the palm of his hand? Ten cents. "From there, that one car led to another," Woods says, "and my collection began to grow quickly."

That collection now numbers close to 25,000 cars. "Hot Wheels bring a calming effect and escape from the rigours of daily life," Woods says. "There is also a feeling of excitement finding a special car in the store."

Today, Woods, who lives an hour northeast of Toronto and works in the automotive wholesale industry, is one of the most prolific Hot Wheels collectors in the country and has run his own club, Northern Lights Hot Wheels, for 25 years.

Hot Wheels will be hosting a meet-up at the Canadian International AutoShow on Monday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, where Woods is curating a display of cars spanning 50-plus years, including highly sought-after holy grails, as well as track sets, accessories, carrying cases and other rarities. He'll also bring Barbie Hot Wheels to complement the show's full-size pink 1957 Barbie Corvette, a version of the one used in the recent movie, which is coming to Canada for the first time.