Showcase Broker Associate Robert Harden | Hot Wheels

When Robert Harden drove his custom-built 1974 Porsche 914 to Tampa last April, he was excited to be headed for the Hot Wheels Legends Tour’s kickoff of the 8th annual tournament.  A fan of cars and car shows in general, Robert was looking forward to a day spent with fellow gearheads – trading stories, swapping design ideas, and appreciating the array of cars that were competing.  It was his first time at the globally-renowned event, and he planned to enjoy himself.

The Hot Wheels Legends Tour is an international competition of custom-build cars that kicked off its 8th year in April on an 11-city circuit, starting in Tampa. Mattel partnered with Walmart in a global search for the winning car to be made in die-cast miniature. Designers and local celebrities evaluated the entries – limited to 300 “Built Not Bought” cars – for “creativity, authenticity, and garage spirit”.

Winning that top prize wasn’t really a factor for Robert; the fun part was just being there and showing people what he had made. But as the day rolled along, it became apparent that he was a definite consideration when the judges kept coming back to his spot to ask more questions about the Lamborghini Pearl Orange two-seater with an original 550 Spyder logo design.  The competitor next to Robert – a veteran of the tournament – nudged him and told him he had won, even before the announcement had been made. Confused, Robert asked what he meant. 

“He said, ‘When they come back to ask more questions, that means you’re in the top 10 cars, and if they come back AGAIN, you’re in the top five.” He chuckles. “They came back three  times.” 

The Porsche will be inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends, and after the tour wraps up in Las Vegas this November, the miniature collectible replica will be available in 2026 for sale in more than 150 countries worldwide. Harden will also advance to the semi-final later in the year for an opportunity to represent the US in the Global Finale. 

Although Robert doesn’t get a monetary prize from the sale of the Hot Wheels miniature, he doesn’t mind that. “I get bragging rights,” he chuckles. “The fun of it is personalizing and making it my own.” 

He’s earned those bragging rights. When he was a kid, he pulled an old bicycle out of a neighbor’s discard pile and set about fixing it up to ride. From there, he graduated to four-wheel vehicles; his first car was his own restoration built piece, and today he’s built several more, including the Porsche. He even restored the vintage Ford his wife drives.  

Like his fellow competitors, Robert loves digging around for the obscure part that manufacturers don’t make anymore, or matching the exact paint shade that’s authentic to the original design. These builders take their time, working their way carefully through contacts and fellow builders, old auto makers’ specifications, and innumerable parts yards and collector shops to craft faithful, pristine restorations of the cars – some of them specialty designs, some that literally aren’t made anymore. To use the cliche, it’s a labor of love, and it takes time and patience to identify, locate, and install the different components until it’s a complete, finished piece. 

For the Porsche, he wanted the classic Spyder logo emblem for the dashboard— the same one that was on James Dean’s famous racer in 1955. The body is handmade and all one piece of composite and carbon fiber – which makes it extremely light and durable. It has a down draft eight stack fuel injection, and the gear box is from a Porsche 911 turbo 4-speed limited slip. So it’s fast – like, really fast. He’s not sure what its top speed capability is, because he’s never pushed it to the limit – but he knows it can get to 130 mph plus. That’s how fast he drove it on the Daytona test track before throttling back to where most mortals can feel their faces again. The Lamborghini Pearl Orange color was later added over a previously yellow shade. Overall, he’s been working on the car – modifying, rebuilding, and updating it over the past five decades until it was exactly as he wanted it.

“I’ve always had something I’ve been building,” he says. “I like the challenge. It’s really satisfying to me.”

He’s a regular at car shows and is a big fan of Festival of Speed in Ocala. The shows are an opportunity to compete, and he often wins,  but even more interesting is the chance to appreciate the craftsmanship of other builders like him. And the Porsche doesn’t sit idle in his garage, either.  He drives it regularly, just like any other car.

 “What’s the point of building it if you don’t use it and enjoy it?” he asks. “That’s kind of the whole point.”

All Photos Courtesy of Robert Harden

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