Matchbox Monday celebrates 20 years of Tesla

I thought I would run this blog report slightly differently to the norm. As I will work my way towards the newest stuff, and show how it is all different to what has already been seen. Tesla. The motor company you either love or hate. They have a huge following, but also a massive dissention. In the UK, we have a food substance called Marmite. They actually had a whole advertising scheme based on the fact that you either loved it or hated it. This was successful. Tesla is like the Marmite of cars in this respect. Others in the UK reading this are likely to think "definitely". People in other countries are busy thinking "what is Marmite?" It is a yeast extract, that is sold in small bottles. It is a very thick, almost black substance, which you will spread on bread, or toast, or perhaps other items.  If you loved it! The Australians have Vegemite, which is another similar item. Anyway, Tesla has been with us for over 20 years now. Well, technically, as I write this, they have just ticked over into 21 years. They were first incorporated on July 1st 2003. It was set up by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, and they came up with a plan to build an electric vehicle as they were a technology company first and foremost. Ian Wright joined a few months later, but they needed funding.  So they set up a venture capital investment, and raised $7.5million in February 2004. $1million was from a variety of investors, but a whopping $6.5million came from one person. Elon Musk. He joined the company, becoming chairman of the board, and with Jeffrey Straubel coming on board a few months later, in 2004, they officially set themselves up. All 5 personnel are officially classified as being the founders of the company. They created their first model, the Roadster, based on a Lotus Elise, and started selling it in 2008. Matchbox never made a model of this vehicle, but, they wanted their own distinctive look. A Model S prototype was shown in 2009, and this went into production in June 2012.  

This was the first model that Matchbox created. The MB903 Tesla Model S arrived in the 2015 basic range in a dark red colour. As we know, Tesla models don't come in a wide variety of colours in general. Although, there are car wrapping services and after market paint jobs all over. So you will see many colours on the road.

It was a classy looking model. It sported a simple front and rear tampo print on the car, and looked very realistic.  

It had a very simple base, as it was electric. No pipes etc to be seen.

In 2016, the model turned dark blue. You could find a few shades to the blue, and also you might notice that the window section varied in tint.

In 2017, the model turned into an off-white model.  

And, for its final basic range outing in 2018, the model turned grey. However, with the model starting to look dated now, as Tesla had got rid of the black nose cone area of the model, as they were bringing it in line with their new model and a standard look, this model was then dropped.

For 2019, attention had turned to Tesla's new offering. The Model X, which had launched in 2015. This was a large SUV with gullwing rear doors. With a new Moving Parts series launching, Matchbox saw an opportunity for a cool addition. They added the MB1142 '17 Tesla Model X to the Moving Parts series, and again launched the model in red.

Of course, the star feature of this model was those opening gullwing doors. They had to take a few liberties with the model. These are plastic doors, meaning colour matching to the rest of the body was not easy. Secondly, due to it being a plastic piece, it was smoke coloured, and the roof part was left blank.  It did look a little odd. But, many didn't mind.

For some reason, they just put Tesla X on the base of this one. I am not sure why.

2020 saw Matchbox relaunch the Convoy series. As such, they wanted a few cool new cabs to add to their portfolio (as some were simply older Super Convoy cabs shrunk down to fit). They added a new Tesla Semi. It hadn't actually started production in real life yet. Production started in 2022, but the Matchbox model came out 2 years before it. It was given the MAN number MB1110, which sounds like it was from before the Model X (MB1142), but this was simply the Matchbox team filling a few gaps in on the MAN list due to models that were not moving forward into production. The early MB1100s were all assigned to a variety of Jurassic World issues, but a number of models never reached production.  This was one that replaced a cancelled model's slot.

The model came in black, and came with a trailer box unit with the Tesla name sprawled across the side.

It is a rather tall vehicle, and even came with a triple-axle element, which is not often seen in Matchbox miniatures nowadays.

As Convoys come with an additional model, this came with a carry forward of the only Tesla they could put in. The Model S. They repeated the first look in dark red.

Being made 5 years apart, the shade of red was quite different. The new run was notably darker in shade. More of a burgundy look. This would prove to be the last time that the original Model S casting would be used.

The Tesla Semi was given a second outing in the Convoy series (which has been seen again as a carry forward), with this one coming in silver, and featuring a pipe trailer on the back. It came with a construction vehicle (not shown, as it is not Tesla).  

For the third year in a row, all we had was a new casting.  2019 saw the Model X, not used for a few years after, and 2020 the Convoy stuff, with no new looks since, and in 2021 they released the MB1230 '20 Tesla Roadster. However, this was originally launched as a special 200-piece promotional tool in white. This model is made out of recycled materials.  They decided to use it as a promotional tool, with these 200 samples being shipped out to various media outlets with a sales blurb about Matchbox looking to the future with recycled materials, and changing to compostable packaging etc.

They even had some of the information tampo printed on the base of the sample model.

They chose the Tesla, as they felt this was a very good vehicle to market their future plans with. After all, this is an electric vehicle, which is seen as the future of the planet as well. The white model came with a simple tampo print front and rear.

It then arrived in the basic range later in 2021 in a very unusual paint finish. It was a dark burgundy look, but the paint finish is not matte. Not only that, but it is not gloss. It is difficult to explain, but one thing was for sure. This was very good for shades. The funny thing is, the Roadster still hasn't officially started production The Semi was 2 years ahead of the real model, but this is currently 4 years ahead, and still counting. The real Roadster was due in 2014, to replace their early effort, according to Elon Musk in 2011. But, it got delayed, and after a short while getting the name Model R, before returning to Roadster, with the first prototype arriving with the launch of the Semi prototype in 2017. It was going to start in 2020. But, with the pandemic, got moved back to 2021. Then 2022. It then got moved back to 2023, then 2024, and now to 2025. It will start eventually. Fingers crossed, 2025 will be the year.

In 2022, another small run of the Roadster was made available through the Mattel creations website. Comparisons between this and the original are easy to see. The newer run is more of a creamy white, and the window is a lighter tint.

The grey base is also a noticeably different shade. But, this was not the only Roadster being carried forward.

The burgundy Roadster from the basic range was also in a 12-pack. Sold through internet outlets (like Amazon), this set was called MBX Electric Drivers, and was simply 12 models in looks already known. The Roadster was in there, and came in a much lighter shade than before. But, this was not all there was for 2022. After 5 years of having 1 issue, and 2 years of 1 model in 2 looks, the floodgates were opening.  2022 was a big year for Tesla in the Matchbox range.

That was not all. Floodgates! The Tesla Roadster was also given a new look for the basic range. It was grey this time out, and for those nerds who like variations, the smoke window varied in tint.

And the Moving Parts '17 Tesla Model X returned for only the second outing. This time out, it was in a simple black look.

But that was not all. A brand new casting of a slightly updated Tesla Model X was created for the basic range. This obviously did not come with the opening doors. It also debuted in blue, which I did notice was also a little good for shades.

I do enjoy my shade variations.

This casting was MB1286. The base added the word "Model" to the name, as the previous Moving Parts one said '17 Tesla X. You may notice a lack of model years here. There have only been 2 Teslas that denoted their year. The Roadster and original Model X casting.

It also came in another slot in the range (MB59 as opposed to MB53 for the debut) later on. This time, it was in white, which often can be found in a more creamy shade.

But, that was not all. An MB1280 Tesla Model Y was also created. This turned up in a dark red for the 2022 debut (although early issues were found in the same MBX Electric Drivers 12-pack that the Tesla Roadster carried forward to).

This metallic dark red is quite a common colour choice for Matchbox Teslas. Many appear to come in this look at some point. Mind you, real Teslas don't have a great many colour options anyway, so we often find things to be quite realistic with the models.

I have to admit to checking bases to be sure with Model X and Model Y models. When shrunk down to miniature size, I do find them to be quite similar.

2022 saw 5 new Tesla releases (I am not including carry forwards) with a Roadster, '17 Model X, 2x newer Model X and a Model Y. What about 2023? Well, the Roadster was now in a lighter silver grey for the basic range.

But, we also saw a black one. Wait a sec. Those doors are open. Yes, this model was added to the Moving Parts series as well. This was an MB1370 Tesla Roadster. This means we now have 2 different Roadster castings in the Matchbox range before the real one begins production.

I have heard of model makers sometimes being there right at launch. But Matchbox have been showing off the Roadster so much that it almost feels like it has been with us some time already. Brilliant.

Unlike the basic range model, this one has not been dated.

The Model Y was given 2 different outings in 2023. For the basic range, it turned up in white. Again, creamier shades can be found.

It also turned up in grey as a part of the 2023 MBX Electric Drivers 5-pack.

The Model X was also in grey in 2023. This was its only outing, where it was a part of the basic range. So, 2022 saw 2x X, 1x Y. For 2023, it was reversed (although not all basic range issues this time).

That counts as 5 new releases of Tesla. 2x Roadster, 2x Model Y and 1x Model X. But, wait, there's more. This is number 6. The MB1372 Tesla Model 3. I was wondering when we would see this one. After all, the Model 3 was the 4th vehicle. There was the original Roadster, and then we had the Model S, Model X, then Model 3, before a Model Y and Semi arrived. There is also a Cybertruck, which Matchbox has so far not made. Seeing as that is only being sold in bare stainless steel, I can't see much that can be done with it.  If they make it or not, I am not overly fussed. We do have a lot.

The Model 3 is the third Moving Parts Tesla model. All 3 have opening doors. And this one, rather surprisingly, debuted in a bright red.

Again, the model is not dated on the base, but I think this is a modern looking Model 3. It was given a refresh in 2021, which made the front end look more like the Model Y, which had just arrived in 2020, and was sort of based on the Model 3, but in more of an SUV style.

That was 6, but they were still not done. Lucky number 7, and a return for the Model S. This was a brand new MB1355 Model S casting, with the updated front end for the vehicle, and current aesthetic. Debuting in white in the basic range towards the end of the year, I also noticed that creamier shade appearing.  

With this arriving, it means that Matchbox has every current (and near future) Tesla model in their portfolio, apart from the Cybertruck. We don't know exactly what the next generation of models will be. There was talk of a smaller vehicle, affectionally known as a Model 2. There is also talk of a Robotaxi. We have to wait to see what they come up with.

As with the earlier Model S, this one is also not dated and carried the exact same base name.

This was obviously needed. Tesla removed the black nose cone in 2016, and all Tesla castings since have followed a similar style. So, we couldn't really have the old one back without it now looking out of place.

So, now we move into 2024. We had 7 different Teslas in 2023, but 2024 is going to surpass that. This is because they have released a 20th Anniversary 5-pack.  Which I am getting to.  First off, we have the Roadster. To date, there has been an MBX Electric Drivers 5-pack release. Coming in black, this is a different black to the Moving Parts model that debuted the previous year.

This is the first of the 20th Anniversary 5-pack models. This is in a lovely bright blue look.

This is definitely nothing like any release we have seen to date. And, spoiler alert, not like the next basic range issue coming later in 2024 either. So, this one is an easy addition to the collection.

The Model X has seen a dark red look in the basic range for 2024.

What about the 5-pack issue? This comes in black.

Which, again, is not something seen on this model before. So, this is also a cool addition.

Of course, the Moving Parts Model X did see a black. However, that was a solid black, and this one is a metallic black. So, this does give it quite a different look, even if you didn't open the doors on the other one up.

So far, the Model Y has not seen a basic range outing, and the 5-pack issue is the first one that has appeared.  This one is in grey.

As we have seen, out of the 3 releases to date, there has already been a grey one. So, is this simply a duplicate?

No! It is different. The most obvious reference is the wheel. The original had chrome hubs. Newbie is sporting a gunmetal grey wheel hub. But, that grey does look a bit different.

Yes, it is a lighter shade of grey. Because of this, the Tesla logo on the front is now black to make it stand out better than before.

Which also rolls over to the rear tampo printing.  The licence plate area has a different design in there as well.

On to the Model 3. This is in blue for 2024, and because of the opening doors, we know it is in the Moving Parts series. But, Moving Parts models are not being added to 5-packs (I would love to see a Moving Parts 5-pack, or maybe a 4-pack). So, how do we get a Model 3 in this 5-pack?

We create another new casting. This is the MB1448 Tesla Model 3 with sealed doors. It debuted earlier in the 2024 year in white. I have found a shade to it, although I admit it is not as extreme as others.

With Moving Parts seeing red and blue so far, this one in white is definitely different.

As with the Moving Parts casting, this also has not been year dated. It simply states it is the Model 3.

So, that's how they get the Model 3 into the 5-pack. For this release, it comes in err.... white! Wait a sec, isn't this the exact same model as the single release?

Well, not quite. Apart from this one being a slightly more creamy shade than either of the singles I found, there is a subtle difference. This has a different design in the rear licence plate. I am getting flashes of 2007 releases of the Audi RS6 Avant in red here. That was the same, except for the licence plate being different between a single issue and Stars of Cars release. This one sports the same trick.  There will obviously be no packaging mix-ups, as the basic range model finished production before the 5-pack model entered it.

Then there is the Model S. This has seen a dark red outing for the 2024 range.

And the 5-pack models is.... dark red. Yep, 2 of the models look to be the same as their 2024 single releases.

But, this one is sporting a different wheel. The 5-pack model comes with a gunmetal grey hub, but the basic range model had plain black hubs.

Again, when checking tampos, the rear sports the only difference. The licence plate is seeing a different design.  You may also notice the rear shows a part of the base, which is also a lighter grey for the 5-pack model.  Small, but subtle changes to make this unique. With a small range of colour options, it is not easy to keep them different. And the 5-pack has simply gone down the route of black, grey, white, red and blue. Which are the most common sorts of colours for Tesla models. They don't do green or yellow in general. These are usually aftermarket paint jobs and wraps.

Therefore, it turns out that all 5 are exclusive to the pack. At first glance, it appeared only 2 were, but when you look closer, you do realize that everything is different. The most notable change is that rear licence plate. Every one of these sported a black plate with the Tesla logo on it. It is not 100% unique.

There have been 2 releases previously that saw this black & Tesla logo plate. The 2023 Moving Parts debut of the Tesla Roadster, and the 2024 basic range release of the Tesla Model X. All others had different plates.

So, there you go, if you were wondering if it was worth getting the 5-pack, thinking you were getting 3 duplicates, the answer is a resounding yes. Every one is unique. Not just the 2 in new colours.  

So, as I have all my Matchbox Tesla models out, I thought I would finish with a little group shot by colour. The reds.Quite a few. I think this is sort of a signature colour, although the Moving Parts Model 3 debut does stand out.

Although, the blue has not seen a lot of action. With the Roadster in the 5-pack, we are now up to 3.  I am quite surprised about that. You know what I want. A Pepsi themed Semi with trailer, as these are seen on the roads in the USA.  Can Mattel get a licence again for Pepsi? I would love for them to try.

Black has seen a little more action.  

Along with the white ones.

And, considering grey has darker and lighter, more silvery options, I am surprised we have not seen more of these.  There are more Teslas coming this year. The Roadster, Model X (a second one) and Model Y are all scheduled for 2024 basic range outings. The Roadster has started appearing in some countries already.  So, this is by far, not the last we have seen of the Tesla brand. Whether you love them or hate them, I think Tesla will be plugging away (pun intended) for many years to come. Will Matchbox do a 25th Anniversary? A 30th? Will they do an Action Drivers playset of a Tesla dealership? Please, will they do an Action Drivers playset of a Tesla dealership! I would really love to get one of those if they came up with one for sale. Don't you think that could be an awesome playset to get?

I hope you enjoyed my latest blog. A slightly different approach to it than my normal ones. I thought it would be cool to come from a different angle.  Of course, if you hate Tesla, you might not have reached this far. I honestly do not mind them at all. I think they have pretty much revolutionized the car industry.  What they started, other manufacturers are now catching up with.  Next week, I have a look at some cool exclusives. Until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.