Toy Model of Mars Pathfinder

Mattel, Inc. has produced a nice "Hot Wheels" version of the Mars Pathfinder Lander (Sagan Memorial Station) and Sojourner Rover. It's Mattel Product number 016145, retail price approximately $6 from Mattel's retailers. They have exclusive rights to the Pathfinder designs, so SCI won't be making any. Mattel toys are sold at toy stores everywhere, but Mattel says the Rover model is hard to keep in stock due to high demand.

Mattel also offers a gold-plated Rover which is handsome, but has none of the coloring that details the plain version. It is immobile. Mattel's Product Number for the gold-plated version is 017987. Retail price is approximately $38 from Mattel.

SCI has been unsuccessful in attempting to obtain the rover Hotwheels toys to offer customers.

The image, by the way, shows the Mattel Rover with its APXS (Alpha-proton X-ray spectrometer) sniffing a "Mars" rock (the rock came from the summit of Mauna Kea... it's not included in the Mattel package, you have to supply your own!). The colors in this photo aren't very good. The rover model has a bright metallic blue solar panel on top, and the rock is really much redder!

Mattel also produced a Galileo Hot Wheels toy. SCI has been unable to obtain them to offer.

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