On the occasion of the 78th Goodwood Members' Meeting (16 and 17 October 2021 at the Goodwood circuit in England), IWC Schaffhausen and Hot Wheels celebrated the return of the event by presenting the "IWC x Hot Wheels Racing Works" collector's set. IWC Racing, the brand's racing team, took its place on the starting grid of the Stirling Moss Trophy and at the wheel of the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'Gullwing' was Austrian racing driver Laura Kraihamer. The IWC x Hot Wheels "Racing Works" collector's set, produced in a limited edition of only 50 pieces, comprises the Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition "IWC x Hot Wheels Racing Works" and the Hot Wheels Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Racing Works Edition", contained in a metal toolbox. The first set will be auctioned online by the international auction house Bonhams and the proceeds will be donated to the Two Bit Circus Foundation, a non-profit organisation that creates learning experiences for children, aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, encouraging young inventors and conveying the concept of environmental stewardship. Today risen to legendary status in the model car industry (the world's best-selling toy, with 20,000 designs and over 8 billion cars sold), Hot Wheels was born from a dream. When Elliot Handler, co-founder of Mattel, created the first generation of Hot Wheels in 1968, he wanted to make a toy car that looked more appealing and performed better than the model cars of the time. For IWC, collaboration with the world of car design and racing has always been essential. From collaborations with Mercedes-AMG and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team, to sponsoring GT and classic car racing, IWC is involved in many aspects of motorsport. Then, in 2018, the Swiss watchmaker founded its own racing team, IWC Racing, which has since competed in various classic car races with the legendary Mercedes- Benz 300 SL "Gullwing" from 1955. The Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition "IWC x Hot Wheels Racing Works" (Ref. IW377904) has a 43-mm case made of grade 5 titanium. The matt dark grey colour is the result of a sophisticated surface treatment involving first polishing and then sandblasting the components. The case features an engraving of the famous Hot Wheels logo on the left side and the chronograph counters are surrounded by a motif reminiscent of the chequered flag. The watch is completed by a one-piece, silver and black textile strap in the colours of the IWC Racing Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. The set also includes the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'Racing Works Edition' from Hot Wheels. This exclusive model was created by the Hot Wheels project team and detailed by Manson Cheung, with graphics by Steve Vandervate and IWC designer Nicholas Schmidt. It is Hot Wheels' most detailed 1:64 scale model ever and only 50 examples were made. Finally, the Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition 'IWC x Hot Wheels Racing Works' and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 'Racing Works Edition' by Hot Wheels both display the number 68 - a nod to 1868 and 1968, the founding years of IWC and Hot Wheels respectively. As mentioned earlier, set number 1 (the proceeds of which will be donated to the Two Bit Circus Foundation) will be auctioned off by Bonhams, and until 22 October it will be possible to bid online at this link: www.bonhams.com/auction/27446.
