I’ve seen some very creative hidden symbolism in company logos before. There are several lists of them, by which we can have our minds blown that we see these logos so often and still somehow miss the gems hidden within. Today, while staring at my favorite Hot Wheels toy, an A-Team Van still in its package, I noticed something new. I’ve seen this package for a hundred days or more. Something always ‘bothered’ me about it, and today it finally hit me. There is a tire hidden in the Hot Wheels logo.

Where I first discovered the Hot Wheels “tire”

It’s right there, in the negative space between the H and the W. It is viewed as an isometric object. The “o” makes up the sidewall, and the “t” is written on the tread. Here is a little graphic to isolate the relevant parts if you are struggling to see it, as I first did.

Looking at the history of the Hot Wheels Logo, you can begin to see a tire starting in the 2005-2010 era, but not before. And in 2010, the tire began to really take shape.

The tire’s first appearance in 2005

In 2010, the tire became more defined

I looked around for mention of this hidden tire and found nothing. I don’t know if I’m the first to discover it, but I feel like I found buried treasure. Not a king’s ransom or anything, more like $2.50 in quarters, but still…treasure!