Rob Matthes, Jun Imai
Background
Rob Matthes — Robert William Matthes worked at Hot Wheels from 2002 to 2017 and returned in 2023. He was a design manager from 2008 to 2017, managing the US$1 line from 2008 to 2012, leading the design of the Hot Wheels Elite and 1:50 lines and, later, the playset team until he left in 2017. He runs the company SpeedShift Art, which specializes in automotive illustration.
Since returning in 2023, he has worked mainly on Premium products; today he is Lead Designer, Premium, and manages the Formula One Collection and Racing Culture lines.
Jun Imai — Jun Imai is a Design Manager at Hot Wheels, at Mattel. In a 2016 interview, he described leading a team of six designers and taking part in automotive partnerships and licensing, such as the collaboration with Porsche customizer Magnus Walker. He grew up collecting Hot Wheels and, according to the interviewer, brought a strong JDM (Japanese domestic market) influence to the brand's models. The sources consulted do not state his education or year of entry.
