Matchbox Monday can't "Dodge" this batch

Another week, and another batch of Matchbox models for me to go through.  This is only the 4th batch of Walmart exclusive models in the USA, out of 6 for 2022.  I still have the other 2 to go, although I am wondering if I should combine them into a larger block to try and catch up again.  As I said before, I do appear to be drifting behind again.  These are actually not only available in the USA.  For the USA, Walmart was the sole distributor, but other countries do sell them too.  Mine were actually sent over from Australia by Luke McKenna, who goes by @matchboxluke on Instagram.  Many thanks Luke for the assist with these, as I live in the UK, which is one of the poorest places for selling this traditionally British brand. But Something I would dearly hope to see reversed at some point.  

But I am not going to get too into that.  I am here for the models.  And what a way to start.  A brand-new casting.  This was going to be in batch A, but as is often the case, if the casting isn't ready in time, it gets nudged.  So this is why batch A was only 5 models, and batch B is 7.  The MB1340 '40 Dodge Pickup. It is in the number 3 slot in the set of 12.  

Matchbox have recently been adding a lot of classic Pickup trucks to their ranks, and I am amazed at how much they all appear different to each other.  They really do stand out, and this is no exception.  Dodge had unveiled a brand-new truck style in 1939, known as the T-series, and further advanced it in 1940 as the V-Series, which later moved to W-series for 1941 (through 1947).  But more often, these are all known as the Dodge "Job Rated" trucks.  Basically, Dodge were able to offer people exactly what they wanted.  6 different payloads, multiple styles, and many wheelbase lengths were available.  You could pretty much custom build your truck from the ground up.  Plus, for the first time, they offered a diesel engine as an option too.  Until that time, no manufacturer had a diesel option for a pickup truck.  So this is a very significant truck.

Being the late 1930s, Dodge offered this with a streamlined art-deco look, which was popular at the time.  And Matchbox have really given this art-deco look the full works, by making sure that the front end of the model is given the tampo treatment, enhancing the art-deco look.  It looks absolutey amazing.

The attention to detail that we now come to expect from the Matchbox brand is evident here.  The side detailing to the model, both in the metal body part and the plastic wheel arches area, are stunning.  They really put in the effort.  

I love how the wheel arches on this one extend inside the rear bed.  Often they are a part of the body section, but being the interior part helps to break up the bed even more.  

I can see a premium release of this, with the bed detailed, and the rear enhanced too.  I love it.

Was this worth the extra wait?  Yes, most definitely.  I was not too fussy about the model when it was announced, but as is often the case, the finished article has really changed my mind. Such an iconic and important vehicle.  I am surprised they hadn't done this one already.  This is definitely one of the biggest, and most delightful surprises of the year.  

A shot of the base, clarifying that this is the V-series of 1940.  Unlike the Ford Custom that I was blogging about last week, it looks like this one was really spot on.  They did their homework with this. I am impressed. Very impressed.  

The MB1266 '18 Dodge Durango has only just appeared, but this is also in the series.  Taking the number 7 slot in the set, this is now white, after debuting in black in the basic range.  

The Dodge Durango is officially the last remaining SUV sold by Dodge.  Although, if you lived in Mexico, you may still see Dodge Journeys in dealerships.  But these are just rebadged Chinese made Trumpchi vehicles.  There is a Hornet scheduled to arrive soon, but this is officially classified as a CUV, and is simply a rebadged Alfa Romeo Tonale. The Durango first appeared back in 1998, and ran for 2 generations before being dropped in 2009.  12 years later.  But the stoppage was short-lived, as a third generation debuted in 2011, and this 1 generation is now on its 12 year itself.  It is on schedule to outlast the other 2 put together.  Another little piece of Dodge trivia.  I am full of useless facts.  It is about time Matchbox made this.  They went with the updated 2018 look for the model they recreated in miniature, and after a simple black look for the basic range, they went with the absolute opposite, and turned it white here.

As we know, there is no interior.  So the windows do stay dark.  It has the tow hook, as there is a Hitch & Haul release now out too.  Something I will also be getting to shortly.  I told you, I am behind.  Currently working on ways of combining things for future blogs.  Expect January to be a little more hectic!  Ha ha! This white looks really nice, as again, they can do no wrong by applying a simple front and rear tampo to it.  

The only different between the 2 tampos are that this has a simple "Dodge" licence plate, and the black one had "30782" instead.30782 is to do with the internal codes for the brand, and appear in basic range assortment branding on the outer boxes.

Usually I am a big fan of a black vehicle.  They do always look good in black, but in this case, with the blacked out windows, I think the white is a better choice.  It definitely looks nicer like this.  

Carry forward time.  Number 8 in the set is the MB759 Dodge Challenger.  Or, as the packaging is stating here, 2008 Custom Dodge Challenger SRT8.  Where did that come from?  

This is a repeat from 2010, when they simply marketed it as a Dodge Challenger.  That was during its second year in the basic range, and is repeated here in a lovely dark grey.  

2010 was during the last "golden age" of the Matchbox brand, as I do believe we are basically in one again.  Yes, they did go a little over-route in the mid 2010s, but they course corrected again.  So repeating a look from 2010 also means that we are getting the simple front and rear detailing as we come to expect these days.  And it looks great.

It is about time for a dive back.  I am on my 3rd model here.  This one has a decent history, as it did start in 2009.  In fact, I always like to show these off when I can, I do own a prototype in blue with a plain chrome base, lace wheels and red windows, which was an early draft before it started production.  

It then arrived as MB12 in the 2009 basic range in a lovely solid orange look.  But that wasn't actually correct.

So a running change was made to switch it to a metallic orange.  These appeared shortly after.  Although there was quite a run of solid, so they are not rare.  

And me being me, I do love metallic orange.  It is so good for shade variations, and this did not disappoint.  So many of the debut look.  

They also added it to the end of year all-exclusive 1st Editions 10-pack too in a metallic dark blue.  

And then, as I already noted, we get to the 2010 MB4.  Looking very familiar.

But what does a 12-year gap in production yield?  Shade?  Oh yes.  The new one is much darker than the original was.  But you may also note a few other little bits.  Where did the little Dodge logo on the front go?

And when you look at the rear, it is almost like they looked at it and thought "oh dear".  They just tidied all the detailing up at the back.  Remarkably, the red lights are pretty much the same shade again.  Quite a lot of carry forwards are giving us rear light brightness variations.  But not this time.  

This casting has not really had the need for any modifications as such.  It was created in the exact same way they still make them now, but there are always a few tiny tweaks.  One of the most noticeable is that the base has been re-engraved with additional details they needed to apply in the interim.  

So, time to move on to 2011.  It was still MB4, as that was a year they kept models under the same number they were before, in the US range.  This was in yellow, and again I was spotting severe shading to the production runs.

Red was also good for a bit of shading.  As this year, the model was also added to the Modern Rides 5-pack too.  

Then it was 2012.  It was scheduled to be released as MB27 in the basic range.  They created a green model, and it actually arrived slightly early as a 9-pack/10-pack addition in a non-exclusive pack, as the US market had reduced to a 9-pack, but ROW markets were still selling them as 10-packs, with an extra pulled from elsewhere.  But then, due to a small blip with the Dodge licence, all Dodges from Mattel were temporarily halted.  So it never transferred over to the basic range.  Therefore, it became a second exclusive in a batch C pack that was only going to have a black International Pumper as the exclusive.  This also meant that the basic range was going to be capped at 117 models out of 120.  This was never added, and a new Dodge Charger Pursuit casting and a Dodge Magnum with surfboards were also dropped.

However, in a strange turn of events, with the blip being swiftly resolved and Dodges back in the Mattel production facilities, we moved into 2013.  The Charger Pursuit was halted during late pre-production stages, resuming and being moved to being a new for 2013 casting.  The Magnum was sadly dropped entirely, and we never saw this surfboard related issue at all.  Sadly a consequence of the new direction, and the beginning of cost reductions affecting this "extra piece" added to the roof.  But the Challenger?  Well, they can still sneak it in.  And they did.  Just!  The end of 2013, the 2012 MB27 finally arrived.  Except it was now purple. They decided to give it a new look, rather than redo the green that was originally scheduled.  Are you following? Yes, it was a little confusing when it happened.  So the green was officially classified as a 9/10-pack exclusive, with the extremely late purple being the 2012 release.

After that, the model went a little quiet.  Too much to get people's heads around, they gave it 1 few years off to let the dust settle, before returning it in 2017 as MB21.  This again was purple, but a totally different purple.  Plus, it had a black hood design for the first time.  This purple was also good for a shade or 2.

It then went quiet again, before exploding in 2020.  So, we had a highway Speeders 5-pack release in metallic darker green.  

And a Top Gun Maverick licenced 5-pack also gave us a Challenger.  This time in a gunmetal grey, with the same hood design as seen on the 2017 basic.

Plus, it was added to a Mission Force set too.  The Rescue Squad set saw the actual 2012 release in purple brought back for another run.  Only now it was a little lighter in shade.  

And at the start of 2021, after all that fuss, and the fact that the Top Gun issue is still in production, they gave us a metallic gold release as a 9-pack exclusive too. That was quite a little flurry.  Now it appears to be getting a little quieter again.  But with the Challenger still going strong, as one of only 2 cars still in the line-up, along with the Charger, there is still time for more.  

Whoa!  Now this is a throwback. The MB517 dodge Viper GTSR makes a welcome return as a carry forward.  But what a carry forward.  

Taking the number 9 slot in the series, this model is a repeat of the 2003 Sizzlin' Style 5-pack release.  Yes, a carry forward from the previous era of Mattel, when they were based out of Mount Laurel, and production was at a factory in China.  So, being almost 20 years old, this is literally going to throw up a ton of variations.  This is the ultimate in carry forwards.  And to think, when this first appeared, we were in the midst of a Hero City era.  But, hidden among some of those very child-like vehicles, were a few little gems.  The Viper, well the whole Sizzlin' Style pack, were a really nice set of 5 models. My favourite Ford Explorer Sport Trac came from that pack.  And one of my favourite Lotus Elise. It was a real gem hidden in the Hero City items.

So the model was in black, and had the Viper GTSR logo on the side, plus a larger viper head logo at the rear. Out of that entire 5-pack, this was the most outlandish.  And that was not outlandish.  In comparison to other items.  So seeing this again, well this is giving me some really warm feelings.

So, I am going to do a dive back, but I think I will start with the 2003 Sizzlin' Style release.  

So how different are they?  Well, originally it was a sold black.  Now it is a metallic black.  The dodge logo going across the bottom of the door is now omitted.  The lace wheels have been replaced by double 10-spokes.  The clear windows now have a light tint to them.  Phew!

You might also notice a little addition to the recent one.  On the far side, they added a little Matchbox logo over the rear wheel.  

Which replaced the old oval logo that was originally applied in 2003.  At that time, they were putting that logo on pretty much everything.  So it was switched up for a new one.  A neat little touch.  

When you check the base of the new one, you might notice a re-copyright of 2022 on there. This means it has received a little tinkering since we last saw it.  

But I have to admit, there is not a lot of difference.  A small nip and tuck here and there.  A little tidying up of details in places.  A few sharper lines.  The main elements are all pretty much as they were.  

The biggest difference is with the lower front end.  The spoiler is a little thinner, and the grille more defined. But seriously, I am not sure why it had to be re-copyrighted.  But there is obviously something there that we do not know.  

However, with the fact that they have gone to the trouble of re-copyrighting this, I am thinking this could mean we will start seeing more of this one again.  Just like with the RT-10.  I still wish they would revisit the MB276 GTS.  It was my favourite of the 3 Viper castings, but has still not been seen since 2007.  

Oh yea, I did say I was going to do a dive back.  I almost moved on there.  So, 2001.  The model arrived as MB56 in the basic range in red with silver stripes.  

For 2002, it moved to the MB10 slot in the basic range in blue.  The first 10,000 produced had a 50 logo on the roof.

After that, it was dropped from the basic range.  The Sizzlin' Style 5-pack release was all we saw for 2003.  We should have seen another.  This white Coca-Cola themed model was a part of batch B of a Coca-Cola set of 12 models scheduled for the year.  However, the licence was expiring at the end of the year.  Batch A, the first set of 6 models, slightly over-ran.  By the time they were ready to produce batch B, the timeframe to get them made, and shipped out, and sold through distribution chains was too close for comfort.  Had they gone beyond this timeframe, Mattel were likely to have been fined for it.  So they took the decision not to make them.  All 6 were only available in pre-production form, and I was lucky to be able to get the set.  

In 2004, it was in another 5-pack. VIP Parking.  And yes, this was full-blown Hero City.  Each of the models in the pack had some sort of insect on the side of them.  

It also saw its one and only premium with rubber wheels release as a part of the Showcase Collectibles set.  This was quite a similar look to the debut, but obviously sported a lot more detailing being a premium release.

And then it arrived in the Superfast series later in 2004 too.  Taking the number 33 slot in the series, it was yellow with the bling wheels that debuted for that series.  

For 2005, a new team had taken over, and as part of the rebranding, the model was back in the basic range again.  It was red again, although with no stripes.  Just more simple detailing to the model.  It was sold as MB64.  This was sold in 2 noticeable shades.  But there is a reason.

As part of the revamp from the new team, it was decided to move production from the China factory to the Thailand one.  That occurred while this model was in the midst of its run.  

The model was not seen in 2006, but this is a fact not everyone may remember.  This was the model that debuted the new double 10-spoke wheels that are still in use now.  However, the wheel was not quite ready when the 2007 MB17 started production.  As such, it began with the old lace wheels, and saw a running change to the new wheels later on.  However, that was not all, as they needed to tweak the paint too.  The metal flake in the early run was too rough, and Dodge requested a smoother look to it.  So they switched that at the same time as the new wheels were added.  I don't believe there is a crossover.  Both changes were made together.  But this gives us a unique early vs late for that, in line with the new release.  How cool is that?

For 2008, it was sold as MB24 in the basic range, and came in a dark yellow with dual black stripes.  I never found a shade to that one.  I thought I would.  

It was also a part of the Best of Muscle release that year too.  After Best of British had debuted, the "Best of" series expanded out a little with a few other ranges too.  This was an off-white model with dual blue stripes.  

In 2009, the model was given a 2-version run in the basic range.  At first, MB22 was in black and had dual green stripes.

It then turned lime gold later on with dual black stripes.  That one was very good for shades.  

We also saw this random red model in a Little Einsteins licenced 5-pack that year as well.  The model featured "Rocket" on the side, which, although being the mode of transportation for the other characters, he was able to transform into other modes of transport, and would have pretty much any tool the other characters needed on board.  His voice would actually be a marimba sound.  

In 2010, it was MB10.  The bronze look was another I found that was good for shades.  

The model took 2011 off, but returned in 2012 as MB94.  As you can tell, this was the point at which the brand was drifting away from what we were loving.  

Although, when it turned up in 2013's range as MB29, we were all really shocked with how cool that yellow one was.

After that, though, the model went into hibernation.  Only briefly popping out in 2017 for a 1-off basic range return in blue as MB27.  This is the next release since that time.  And as I said, I think with the time taken to upgrade it, I think we may see a few more random issues in the next few years too.  

Now we move on to the MB1168 '18 Dodge Charger.  This is the one model that has been duplicated in this set of 12 models.  Which is a bit of a shame, as there are a couple of Dodge castings they could have slipped in instead.  The MB862 '66 Dodge A100 Pickup being the most obvious.  Even as a carry forward.  Just imagine getting the debut version again?  The MB680 Dodge Magnum could have been brought out of retirement.  I would have loved to have seen that again.  Maybe even the older Charger?  The MB676 one.  Or, one that I have been championing getting back.  The MB5558 '61 Dodge Dart Phoenix.  They could have used one of its Superfast releases, and just left a few bits of tampo off, as some other Superfast issues have been done this way.  

Taking the number 10 slot in the series, this one is a carry forward of the 2020 MB15.  It was blue with front and rear detailing.  

Which is a look you cannot go wrong with.  But with only 21 years between production runs, was there anything worth noting in the new one?

Well, let's bring it in, shall we?  

The shade of blue is very similar.  Perhaps a hair lighter.

But if you were to check out the rear, well, that is a different story.  The rear lights are considerably brighter on the new run than they were in 2020.  That is very noticeable.  So, I am definitely keeping this one.  

And just in case you had already forgotten, this is what else has been released.  It debuted in 2019 in green as MB2.

After the 2020 blue came a 2021 grey as MB55.  

And this year saw a purple as MB52.  Something I found a nice shade on.  

Plus, as I pointed out, this was also a part of batch A.  That one was an exclusive though.  It was in metallic red that time.  I do really like this model.  But I would have liked to have seen a 12th Dodge in the set, rather than 2 of this one.  As I said, there were a few they could have gone with instead.  

Now this one is a really cool carry forward.  The MB933 Dodge Charger Pursuit.  It takes the number 11 slot in the set, and this one is a repeat of the debut look.

Which was a plain white, with blue and black striping and a simple City Police side design.  

As I had mentioned earlier in the blog report, though, this was originally scheduled to debut in the 2012 basic range.  But due to a delay, it got pushed to the 2013 range as MB64.

But that delay actually gave it a chance to debut with a separate light bar.  It was MB846 upon debut, but at this time, all models were being cost reduced to get rid of these light bars, and turn the roof light into a part of the window piece.  But that delay helped this to last just a little longer before being switched in 2014.  

So that is an immediate change.  

I do also notice that the white is much brighter on this new release, too.  The older one was a little creamier in shade.  

When the 2014 MB84 arrived in black with a Boone County real livery, the casting had been altered.  Although there was a blip.

They forgot to update the base at first.  Initial runs saw the old MAN number on the base, altered for later ones.  

We also saw a really cool dealer model at the Albuquerque convention that year.  This was in a terrific black and white design.  

2015 saw the basic range release this twice as MB64.  After first arriving in black, it switched to blue later on.  

And one that I really like.  Mission Force saw this in silver with a rhino logo'ed Urban tactical Police livery.  It was a part of the Police Response set.

For 2016, the model moved to MB86 in dark grey.  But just how dark?  Well, it depended on which production run you picked it up in.  

And of course, who could forget the Police 5-pack issue?  That was all NYPD themed.  So cool!

It took 2017 off before getting another real licence in the 2018 Texas Rangers 5-pack.  I think it was for Texas, if memory serves me right.  Ha ha!  And me being me, I noticed the white hood could vary.

For 2019, it was back in the basic range as MB49.  This was in a Canadian Royal Canadian Mounted Police livery.  Another cool one.  This has had a number of really cool liveries.  It never got used in 2020 or 2021, but this is just the beginning of a real influx of 2022 models.  

Last, but not least, is the MB1228 '57 Dodge Sweptside.  It takes the final slot in the set, number 12.

This one is all-new, in a very bright blue with black side design, accentuated with silver trim.  It looks really nice.  

This is another that, so far, has been in very realistic looks.  I hope that continues for this casting.  I like this one a lot.  A perfect way to end the batch, don't you think.

This is technically the second issue after the 2021 MB2 debut.  That was in cream with red design.  Something I found a nice shade to.  Expect more of this very soon, as the third issue was another basic, and appeared shortly after this did.  I will be covering that in a few weeks.  

And I believe that is it for another batch.  Do I have time for a little dive back?  Sure, why not.  Just 2 models again, as my spare time is much more limited than before.  

I will begin with one of those castings that I absolutely loved as a kid, but saw basically no love from Matchbox.  This was the MB38-D Ford Camper. It was only marketed as "Camper", but the front grille had "Ford" written on it.  And with "COU 113" as the licence plate, they really were giving us a lot of clues as to what the vehicle was.  It was a 2nd generation Ford Courier.  A really cool vehicle that, as far as Matchbox were concerned, was created as a pickup truck, but not sold as one.  It was immediately given this camper unit on the rear.  I thought, as an 8-year-old at the time, this was so cool.  I was really looking forward to getting many of them over the coming years.  Sadly, it ran for 2 and was modified into the 4x4 Open Back Truck for 1982, and then completely forgotten about. Doh!  

During pre-production times, they were going to add a window element to the rear camper unit.  However, they decided against it at the last minute.  But as they had done a small test run, and that was the only alteration, they threw them out anyway.  Well, I say the only alteration, it was going to be MB35, but they switched it to the MB38 slot at the last second, due to a hasty withdrawal of any military vehicles in the range.  They had begun production of bases stating MB35, so used them up in the first batch.  So this has an MB35 base, and you might find a regular non-windowed camper unit with an MB35 base too.  

The model was then run with no windows in the rear camper unit for the rest of the 2 years.  It was still in the same basic colour, and yes, I have one with a glob of extra paint on the side.  

But this was Lesney.  This was manufacturing in England.  What shade was the model?  Red?  Orange?  It varied over those 2 years of production.  The camper unit's shade of tan did also vary too.

Plus, there was a run in 1981, where they made the camper unit in a bone colour.  That was a completely different look to the tan.  But is not easy to spot until you put them side by side.  

As I said, this only lasted for 2 years.  Which, to me, was a huge shame.  One day I hope to get a proper pre-production sample of this. I have seen the odd one pop up for sale/auction, but have not been successful so far.  But I will finish it off with this cool error.  They forgot to affix the camper to the roof on this one, so it pops on and off.  It gives you an idea of what went on to get the camper unit attached.  A huge cone on the roof to rivet the camper unit into, and 2 large slots sticking out of the back to hook it into as well.  

The other model is the MB213 '21 Ford Model T Van.  That's 1921, not 2021.  This is a vehicle that is now over 100 years old.  I wasn't too sure whether to do it or not.  The reason is, I am still to amass a lot of the variations for it.  But I decided, what the heck.  I will just show what I have.  As I write, another is winding its way over to me.  Still a way to go, though.  This model had a 4-year run in the basic range.  It debuted in 1990 as MB44 worldwide, and ran until 1993.  For 3 of those years, it was in this yellow Bird's Custard livery.  

Production began in the Macau factory in 1990, before they closed up shop there and shipped it out to China.  By 1991, it was stuck in China, where it stayed until the end.  

Mind you, even though Macau production was short, it was still able to give me a shade to the blue tampo.  

As such, this model then went heavy on the promotional items.  The first 2 were on behalf of MICA.  They did a pair of promos for the 5th UK and 3rd North American conventions.  I am showing the North American one here, because most times you would see that facing the other way.  However, that had a US flag on it.  The alternate side has a Canadian flag.  Something that people often don't realize.  

As I said, I could go nuts with promos.  But then I don't have all of them yet.  Swarfega?  A UK promotion from 1990.

Mars did a Christmas promotion in 1990, with a tin of Mars sweets (these are known as Milky Way in the USA), and a Ford Model T sitting on the top.  It was in black, matching the wrappers.  When they redid the Christmas promo for 1991, they changed it to a red one.  

Talking of 1991, PG Tips were doing a promotion with a set of 4 vehicles, of which one was the Model T. I told you, this was given about a million promos.  I swear they created this casting, just to give a little more variety to the endless supply of Model A Vans.  

I am still missing a bunch of promotional models.  This was a Royal Mail promotion in the UK in 1991.  I am still missing Para 90, Chester Toy Hospital and MICA NA 1991.

All the while they were happening, the model was seeing this Bird's Custard basic range run.  Now made in China.  With a very dark blue tampo.  

Base shot of the Macau and China.  

Although this might be a better shot.  You can see how the base is a different blue too.

Where did I get up to? 1992?  Lloyds.  This was a pharmaceutical chain in the UK, and they sold this in a twin pack along with a body spray as a Christmas promotion.  

As I mentioned, in 1993, the basic range finally saw a new look for a final year.  A blue Goodyear logo'ed model.  

Now, by this time, there is something I should point out.  All promotional models had been for the UK market, except the MICA NA models, which were from the UK, but for their North American events.  

Dale Farm and William Lusty were 1993 promos for the UK market.  

But these 2?  Kellogg's Corn Flakes and PMG were Australian!  Kellogg's was a late 1993 and PMG early 1994.  It was finally moving to other areas.  

1994 saw the model dropped from the basic range, but there was a White Rose designed smaller run for the Collectors Choice series in 1994.  I always liked this look in red. It was my favourite of the bunch.  

Guess what?  1994 still had more British issues.  This wasn't a promotion. It was in a special pack for the UK market, available in stores.  It was in a set called Britain in Miniature, and was matched up with a London Bus, a British taxi and the Coronation Coach (pulled from the Yesteryear series).

It was strange.  Promotionals on this casting were either for the UK or Australian market.  These 2, for Craig's and Chesdale were for the Australian market.  

And this very short run model was made by Tyco, exclusively for a small group of people who attended the UK R&D offices in 1994, as a part of that year's MICA convention.  MICA had deliberately set the convention locally to allow attendees to be allowed access by special invitation by Matchbox.  We all headed in and had a tour of the facilities, seeing what they were planning for the future and seeing some of their offices. It was a fun day out.  

What's this?  An American promo?  Finally, a third country. 1996 saw USA get in on the act with this Continental Aero release.  Part of a yearly release from the company at the time.  

Which led to more USA promos too.  These were a part of a Kellogg's promotion there.  There is a 4th country now.  Ireland.  An orange Jacobs model was made for there, but I am still to find it.  Along with a few more Australian ones (although a Vegemite one is coming).  

After 1996, Matchbox decided to create a bunch of blanks for promotions.  It seemed easier.  These were given to a company called AdTrucks in the UK.  There was a red, white, dark blue, cream and yellow blank.  I am yet to find any of them.  So things got a little easier to follow.  1997 saw an Australian exclusive MB56. Although that had a metal base.  This actually gave it a new MAN number.  MB293. That opens up another can of worms. MB293 was mainly used for premium issues, although did get a few promotional issues too.  But with a basic popping up, I decided to pop that in this rundown.  

MB213 would go a little quiet after 1996. Apart from a random Collectibles Coke issue in 1999, it didn't actually get used again until 2002.  At this time, it was added to the Across America series for Michigan.  

This gave it a new lease of life.  It was added to 2 different licenced 5-packs that year.  A Clifford set, and a SpongeBob SquarePants set.

And another premium offering was this Ford 100 Years Collectibles issue that year.  Unlike the others in the set, this did not have premium wheels.  

In 2003, it was added to another SpongeBob SquarePants 5-pack.  This was simply the white model from 2002 now turned yellow.  

In 2004, it was a part of the Around the World series.  It was advertising Bodie, CA, a Ghost Town.  

2005 would prove to be the final outing for the model.  It was a part of that year's Halloween set, featuring a vampire and bats on the side. And it was still made in China, as they finished production on it before they moved to Thailand.  We have never seen this casting since then.  I have a feeling, because it is a 5-piece build, it would be quite tough to change, unless the grille section gets amalgamated with the body.

But I am done now, for this week.  The Dodge set is complete, and with 3 cool new additions (including a new casting).

2 rather significant carry forwards.

And 2 more that gave me a variation anyway, I am very happy with these.  And thankful for Luke for sending me them too.  

Next week I go premium.  Until then, I hope everybody has a good week, a jolly Christmas, and keep an eye out at the Lamley Group blog too, as I might be popping back there for a little rundown of some favourites from this year.