Hot wheels heaven! (Holiday Gifts Galore).

• Position: Brief Article

* Ever want something so bad that it became painful to even think about? That's the way we were with classic cars. We couldn't afford one and, even if we could, we didn't have any place to store it. The pains of desire got so bad we eventually had to stop attending those myriad classic car shows that seem to sprout up everywhere once the weather turns warm.

Well, we finally grew up, got married, had kids, and actually got over it. A shelf full of die-cast models sates our automotive appetite today. That's why our hearts started racing when we heard Mattel, Inc., El Segundo, Calif., was reissuing a special 100% Hot Wheels line of six of its most popular 1:18 die-cast vehicles ($19.99 each) that have appeared in stores over the years.

The models are the same, but the paint jobs are new, adding pizzazz to these instant classics: a 1957 purple Chevy Belaire, 1949 turquoise Mercury Woodie, 1965 white Chevrolet Impala lowrider, 1969 yellow de Tomaso Pantera, Harley-Davidson Softail...