Michael Kollins, Larry Wood
Background
Michael Kollins — Michael Lewis Kollins was a Hot Wheels designer at Mattel from 1985 to 2004. His last known position was manager of the Collector and Racing lines, responsible for the Pro Circuit and Pro Racing series and for the new castings of the latter. He has worked at the Otis College of Art and Design since 2005, now as assistant chair.
Larry Wood — Larry Wood, known as 'Mr. Hot Wheels', studied at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. He was recruited by Ford in 1965 and joined Hot Wheels in 1969, building a career of about 50 years with the brand: he was full-time chief designer until 2009, then a consultant and ambassador, and officially retired in 2019. His projects include Bone Shaker, Rodger Dodger, Tri-Baby and Purple Passion.
He has received the Hot Wheels Hall of Fame (2003), the Model Car Hall of Fame (2009 and 2014), the West Coast Kustoms Hall of Fame (2019), the Pop Culture Hall of Fame (2021) and the Automotive Hall of Fame (2023). Today he works as a freelancer, at Larry Wood Design LLC.
