The Hot Wheels Cop Rods Series 2 Wichita Police Department Phaeton.

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Police get 'hot' new wheels
The Wichita Eagle 2/16/00
Deb Gruver - The Wichita Eagle

A new line of die-cast cars features the Wichita Polce Department's logo.

   Capt. Randy Landen has been letting other officers take his new police car for a spin.
   The tiny car atop Landen's credenza at the Wichita Police Department's west substation is part of Mattel Hot Wheels' new "Cop Rods" line.
   It's part toy, part publicity ploy.
   Mattel chose the Wichita Police Department as one of 16 across the country to be featured in the line.
   Landen helped get Wichita involved when Mattel put out the invitation.
   "First, we thought it would be great exposure for the police department," Landen said Tuesday. "And second, we thought it would tie in with our 'Beat the Heat' program."
   The car features the Wichita police badge and says "City of Wichita."  Police provided Mattel with scans of their badge and patch, patrol car decals and photographs of their cars.
   The car, a phaeton-style touring car reminiscent of the 1930's, is painted white and blue.
   Mattel made 2,500 of each car in the series.  Landen said the line soon will be available at KB Toys, but because Mattel is distributing them nationally, the Wichita model could be hard to find.
   "They're a collector's item," said Kristin Peck, public information coordinator for the city.
   Peck has her own model, as does Landen
   "They sent some prototypes," Landen said.  "I told them I needed to have some for my officers."
   The custom cars are Mattel's second series of Cop Rods.