Volkswagen Beach Bomb
The Volkswagen Beach Bomb was designed by Ira Gilford. It is based on a VW Type 2 bus, customized for surf culture. This is one of the most famous and rarest Hot Wheels cars ever made.
It was planned for a 1969 release. The model number 6274 with Redline (RL) wheels is from this period. However, the initial design proved to be too narrow and top-heavy for the Hot Wheels track and had to be redesigned.
The original prototypes, known as "Rear-Loader Beach Bombs" (RLBB), are the "Holy Grail" for collectors. They are extremely narrow and have two surfboards loaded through the rear window. Only a handful are known to exist. The production version was redesigned to be wider, with the surfboards moved to side pods.
This is the first VW bus from Hot Wheels and the predecessor to many others.
The Rear-Loader prototype is the ultimate variation. The production "Side-Loader" version was made in various Spectraflame colors, with pink being exceptionally rare.