Hot Wheels phased out the original Redline wheels in 1977.
Redline wheels were named for the thin red stripe molded or printed around the tire’s sidewall. They were used throughout Hot Wheels’ first major era, beginning with the 1968 launch and continuing into the 1970s. Collectors commonly call this period the Redline era.
In 1977, Mattel began removing the red stripe from the wheels. The change reduced production costs and reflected a broader shift in automotive styling: red-line tires were becoming less fashionable, while Hot Wheels was moving toward more realistic cars and trucks rather than exclusively wild custom hot rods.
Some references describe the transition as continuing into 1978, which can cause confusion. The standard historical answer is 1977 because that is the year the Redline wheel was phased out. “Redline” can also refer broadly to early Hot Wheels cars, so not every car from the era had identical wheel details.