Operating out of the northern Hartford suburb of Windsor, Connecticut, Thomas DeFranzo’s company Tommy’s Twin Mill Garage creates life-size, drivable versions of Hot Wheel brand toy cars. Thomas DeFranzo was inspired to undertake his first Hot Wheel’s project by a household interaction with his son.
During a discussion about show car design, the young boy showed his father a Twin Mill Hot Wheels car. Thomas DeFranzo decided to challenge himself by building a hot rod that recreated the iconic design of this toy.
Mr. DeFranzo dedicated his completed Twin Mill vehicle to the memory of his brother Al. This vehicle went on to turn heads at a number of large car shows and garner an official endorsement from Ira Gilford, the Hot Wheels designer who created the Twin Mill toy in 1967.
Building on this success, Tommy’s Twin Mill Garage in Connecticut has gone on to make several more Hot Wheels-inspired vehicles. In 2017, the garage produced a quad four Hot Wheel car to support the fundraising efforts of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
