History of Leo Cars



To overcome tight foreign trade regulations in India, Mattel partnered with an Indian marketing company Blow Plast Inc. in a joint venture to create 'Leo Mattel'. With Blow Plast Inc. having a majority ownership, it allowed Mattel to conduct business in India with the same permissions as an Indian company.

Hot Wheels were made in India for their local market by 'Leo Mattel' starting in the mid-late 1980's and going through until the end of the 1990's. 'Leo' Hot Wheels are typically found with numerous paint and tampo variations per casting and often feature tampo designs borrowed from other castings. There are several different card designs on which they have been found, with series names including "Trail Busters", "Speed Fleet", "Premium" and "Regular Collection". There were also some promotional vehicles done for Maggi Noodles, and some cars that were found on cards similar to the 1998 style.

Due to the amount of undocumented variations, it is unlikely that a 100% complete list of all Leo Hot Wheels made will ever be achieved.

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