The World Record for Collecting Hot Wheels May Be Held by a Burkburnett Man

How many Hot Wheels does it take to break a world record? For Burkburnett resident Ted Kwas, the answer is around 100,000—nearly double the current record.

Now, Burkburnett city officials are working to make it official by securing a Guinness World Record for the largest Hot Wheels collection and turning it into a museum that will help revitalize downtown.

The Story Behind the Collection

Kwas’ love for toy cars began when he was just 7 years old in the 1940s, while spending time at his father’s car shop.

“I was always getting in the grease, trying to help him work on the cars. So, he decided he’d go ahead and just buy me a little toy car to play with while he was working so I’d get out of his hair,” Kwas said.

That first car—a Model T Ford—sparked a lifelong passion. Decades later, that passion has grown into a record-setting collection.

Breaking the Guinness World Record

Current Record vs. Kwas’ Collection

Guinness World Record for largest Hot Wheels collection: 52,000-54,000 cars
Ted Kwas’ collection: Nearly 100,000 cars

With twice the number needed to break the record, Kwas and Burkburnett city officials are working through the Guinness verification process, which requires:

Cataloging each car
Official documentation
Final review by Guinness World Records

City leaders are confident Kwas’ collection will set a new world record.

Burkburnett’s Hot Wheels Museum Plans

The Burkburnett Development Corporation is turning Kwas’ collection into a downtown museum, which will serve as the cornerstone of a revitalization project.

“We’ve come up with this world record-breaking collection, one man’s collection that we plan on using to build a museum for it in downtown Burk as the cornerstone to downtown revitalization,” said Travis Haggard, Executive Director of Burkburnett Development Corp.

This museum is expected to: