Make room, Hot Wheels fans—Micro Machines are on their way back to the market next year, giving adult gearheads everywhere another toy to obsess over.
Anyone that grew up in the 1980s and ’90s will remember the tiny toys, which were massively successful over their relatively short run on the market. Everything from motorcycles and sports cars to construction equipment and aircraft got the Micro Machines treatment, and the playsets were often elaborate featuring detailed pieces with “obstacles” and hiding spots for the shrunken vehicles.
Of course, the only way this comeback can be truly legitimate is if the “Micro Machines Man” makes an appearance as well. Now 65 years old, John Moschitta Jr. was at one time credited as the World’s Fastest Talker by The Guinness Book of World Records, with the ability to fully articulate 586 words per minute. His work on the Micro Machines commercials is what most of us remember best about the toys, as his super-fast talking made them so much cooler. His tagline, “Remember, if it doesn’t say Micro Machines, it’s not the real thing,” was as much a part of the brand as the mini vehicles themselves.
We don’t have any details on whether or not he’ll be a part of the new release, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed.
The original Micro Machines were made by Galoob, a company that was later purchased by Hasbro. To produce the new line of Micro Machines, the company has licensed the toy brand to Wicked Cool Toys, which also makes Pokémon and Cabbage Patch Kids. We don’t know exactly when the new Micro Machines will hit the market, other than that it’ll happen sometime in the fall of 2020.
Until then, I’m going to break out the aircraft carrier and load it up with what remains of my Micro Machine collection from 30 years ago.