Matchbox Monday dive back into the past VI

It's Christmaaaaaaas! For those of you who celebrate the time of year, for whatever reason, I would like to start by saying season's greetings, and I hope everybody has a lovely time. I know people like my dive backs, so I decided that this week should be another of my dedicated dives into the collection. I hope you enjoy it.

I thought I would start with a dual dive. Back in the Lesney days, it was very common for them to come up with a casting, and then make a number of different looks using a basic starting point. One of those was a certain Dodge 500-series. Many people think of Dodge as an American manufacturer. Yes, they are. But, the Dodge Brothers, who started the company both died in 1920. After this, their widows did something not many would expect. They set up operations in foreign markets by building things there. A factory was set up in London, and over time, more British components were being used, and as time passed, the company split and as the factory was now in Kew, the UK company was often referred to as Kew-Dodge. However, shortly after the UK company launched the 500-series, they shut down the Kew factory and moved to Dunstable. They were still referred to as Kew-Dodge. The 500-series was later renamed as the K-series in 1970, and continued in production until 1980. It was sold as a Dodge in the UK, but many export models used DeSoto or Fargo branding to sell it. The actual cab was designed in Italy by Ghia. However, this is a British vehicle.

However, as was often the case, Lesney used the same cab for more than 1 model. This meant that things like windows could be used in both. Saving on the need for more parts.

The real 500-series was built as a rigid 4x2 or 6x4, and Lesney created a casting in both configurations. The shorter 4x2 was first out-of-the-box in 1966 as MB37, with the larger 6x4 coming as MB4 in 1967.

They had 2 different names. MB37 was Dodge Cattle Truck. It contained cattle in the rear. MB4 was Dodge Stake Truck, and, well just had a stake rear.

The Cattle Truck also had an opening rear, which turned into a ramp to allow the cattle to go up and down. Of course, these originally came on a sprue, which many were broken off and kept loose (or lost). Some of the ramps would be broken off as well. But, let's have a closer look at the Stake Truck first.

When the model first debuted, the stakes were a sort of sea-blue colour, but were quickly changed to dark green. It came in a dark yellow, sometimes a little orange in hue, which continued through the transition to Superfast. It changed in 1970, and was run in the basic range until mid-1971.

As people know, I don't collect regular wheels. Aside from the early sea-blue stakes, there is nothing unusual apart from a little shading to the cab. However, when it switched to Superfast, aside from shading, the wheels were also noted for being found with either spiro or 4-spoke. You may be lucky and find them mixed on a few. They do exist, but are more an error than official variation. During the Superfast period, the stakes were always dark green and windows a light blue-green. They never really changed. In 1971, the model was replaced by a Gruesome Twosome.

The MB37 was the longer running model. It started in 1966, a year before the Stake Truck, and when they switched it to Superfast in 1970, this ran through 1971, being replaced by a Soopa Coopa in 1972.Again, through the regular wheel era, it was in various shades of dark yellow, into a more orange-yellow. This continued through 1970 into 1971.

However, as this continued on, during 1971, they changed it to a proper orange look. Wheels were always 5-spoke narrow. Late in 1971, many models were altered to accommodate wider wheels to enable them to go down the tracks they were launching easier with more stability. However, this was not altered, as it didn't feel like the right sort of vehicle to go down a track.

The cattle was always white, although some have turned a little creamy over the years. The rear boxes were always grey, although some late issues were a notably lighter shade. If you find one that looks a little brown in hue, this is a result of ageing as well. I could have gone on with more of this Dodge 500-series, as after these were deleted, a mish-mash of the 2 castings was brought back in 1976 as a new Cattle Truck. However, as that ran until 2002, and has over 100 variations, I think that could be a whole article by itself. If anybody wants to see me tackle that as a single article, please let me know. Either leave a message on the Lamley Group board, as a reply, or send me a DM on my Instagram handle, @davidjtlley. There was also a Crane Truck created from this casting, but I have that linked in to another article for future reading.

I am going to stick with the early Lesney Superfast a little longer. Hot Rod Draguar. Yes, Lesney were known for realism at first. When they launched in 1953, they were simply recreations of real vehicles. This continued through the regular wheel era, but when Mattel launched their own brand to rival Matchbox, sales dwindled, and they had to change. Jack Odell did not want this. He subsequently quit the company and set up his own, Lledo (his name backwards). But, Superfast wheels were created to make models run better. When they decided to enhance the range with fantasy and concept vehicles, this was too much for Jack. Chopping wheel arches open to adapt to wider wheels was the final straw. One of the earliest fantasy vehicles was the MB36-B Hot Rod Draguar. Clearly based on the Jaguar E-type, which they had sold between 1962 and 1967, this model arrived at the tail end of 1970, replacing the Opel Diplomat, which had only just switched to Superfast wheels. Now, as I don't do the regular wheels, I don't know for sure whether they simply started with their old E-type casting, and chopped it apart to create this. It is not a big model, and something tells me they could have done that. If anybody can confirm one way or another, I would be interested to know. This metallic lime is a pre-production sample.

If you were to check the base, you would see that it was copyrighted in the year 197. This was a standard setup from Lesney, as they were busy creating their castings, they were not 100% sure when the final copyright would take place, so the last digit was left blank.

As it made it in 1970, the base had a "0" added for production.

When they first started production, they applied a little Draguar silver foil label across the rear.

These were found with a variety of different coloured interiors. Orange and ivory are shown here. However, light yellow and white are known to exist with the label on the back. I am still looking for those 2.

But, more often than not, you will find it with no label on the rear.

Aside from the 4 interior options, you are more likely to find shades on the no-label variant.

I do have a light yellow interior on this, which you can see is almost a creamy look, and is only noticeable when placed next to an ivory interior. White is proving to be a real tough one to find, with or without the label.

Bases were always unpainted. Wheels were always 5-spoke. Engines were always chromed, and this was another piece that was used across many models. Those domes were always clear.

The model ran in red through 1972, but for 1973, they changed it to pink. This ran for 2 more years, until the model was replaced by a Formula 5000 in 1975.

Pink is very good for the shade specialist like me. Now, the Draguar label does exist on pink. I have never seen one, but they are out there. When it comes to other components, wheels and bases again never changed.

However, this time, the dome started to change. Clear became a light amber, turning into a dark amber. Interiors were either white, light yellow or now a dark yellow. There are quite a few combinations of shade, dome and interior to find. I am still on the hunt for more.

Model number 4, and I am still in the Lesney era. However, I have jumped forward a little now. The MB039 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II. It debuted as MB39-B in the 1979 basic range and came in silver. Due to the Clipper being one of the last "A" version of a Superfast, as that debuted in 1973 taking over a Ford Tractor that never transitioned, The fact that this is a 1979 "B" and Hot Rod Draguar was a 1970 "B" model shows that things changed whenever they changed. Now, Rolls-Royce debuted the Silver Shadow back in 1965, with Lesney creating a casting, and debuting it in 1967. That ceased production in 1972. In 1977, Rolls-Royce made so many changes to the Silver Shadow, that they dubbed it the Silver Shadow II, even though externally it was almost the same. This was enough for Lesney to decide to do a new one. However, they launched it in 1979, and Rolls-Royce stopped making it in 1980 (debuting a Silver Spirit to replace it). Typical. Still, the model plodded along for a while. It was one of those models that barely stayed the same. The initial look was the longest running during the Lesney era, running for 2 years. However, this sports the fewest variations.

Wheels were always dot-dash. Based were always unpainted. Interiors were always red. If you hunt hard enough, you might find a small shade to the silver paint. That was it. Boring.

In 1981, it turned metallic red. This was a lot more fun. It was only around for 1 year, but this comes with a number of variants.

The shade of red varies quite a lot.

Plus, interiors changed often. Ivory tends to be the most common, although brown and tan can be found. There is supposedly a light yellow interior. Just like the Hot Rod Draguar, I am looking for that particular one.

In 1982, it changed again. This time it was metallic tan.

Again, this was a 1-year run, but shades of tan exist.

And, for the first time, they started changing other elements. Bases were either unpainted, or sometimes in silver.

And the window, which was usually clear, could be found in either smoke or amber looks.

There is supposedly a wheel variation, as some were found with 5-spokes. I am yet to find one of those, but I did come across this rather unusual one where they forgot to chrome the front. I do like an oddity. After 1982 finished, the US range dropped the Roller from their range, but ROW markets soldiered on for a little longer.

In 1983, Universal had taken over the brand, and a lot of manufacturing moved to Macau. However, when it came to ROW exclusive castings, most were kept in the England factory, as it was cheaper to ship to Europe from there than from Macau. It turned to a solid plum look.

Even though it was now Universal, and Macau made models had bases changed to Matchbox Intl Ltd, the England made ones were often left as they were. The factory didn't care.

But, what we cared about was bases. Yes, this is where the fun can be found here. Unpainted is the most common, with silver less common and black being the hardest to find.

Considering how often paint varied, considering this ran through 1984, the dark plum was pretty consistent.

At the end of 1984, basic range production moved from England over to Macau. The model was due to be dropped from the ROW range at the end of 1984. However, the BMW 323i Cabriolet that replaced it did not arrive on January 1st. It came in fairly late in the year (around September time), so the Rolls-Royce saw quite a few months of production in Macau. In fact, Japan had an extended range in 1984 through 1987, and the model stayed there for the 1985 range as well. It was replaced there in 1986.

It only sported the 1 variant. This was a dark red. Not plum, as the England made one was. The base was always silver. Nobody has ever seen or heard of anything unusual with it. Now, when the model was retired, it was not the end of it.

Firstly, after Bulgaria had been having some success with locally made models, Hungary made a request to Universal for some that they could make. The Rolls-Royce was one of the castings chosen to be sent over in 1987. As was the rule with Bulgaria at the time (which changed after this), the castings were leased for 1 year, and had to be returned to Universal.

And the factory went nuts. So many variations. Colours, bases and interiors all changed. Windows and wheels were consistent, and the model never sported a tampo print. Interiors could be black, red or lemon. Bases could be black or 2 shades of silver. Bodies? Well? There are many different colour choices. I got myself a selection. There is no way I am going to attempt a full set.

However, after being returned, the model lay dormant until 1995. For some reason, it was one of 3 old castings that were not in use that received a little test run. I have no idea why.

This, along with a metallic red Datsun 280ZX and blue Mazda RX-7 were found. Each had a China base. Each were to sport 2 variations. The other 2 were easy. Wheels.

Whereas this one was a lot more subtle. Two shades of grey interior. After this, the model was retired for good.

Okay, now I am moving forward. As the Rolls-Royce is from a company that we never see castings from now (due to Rolls-Royce banning toys of their vehicles now), we move to another that is awkward. Ferrari stopped allowing all companies to make models, and moving to an exclusive licence for them. However, back in 1994, they were a lot more forthcoming, and Matchbox made a model of the MB263 Ferrari 456GT. The 456 was a Grand Tourer that Ferrari launched in 1992, and was made until 2003. It was available in 2 versions, the GT and GTA. In 1998, they tweaked the model, and this was known as the 456M. 456 was noted as the displacement in centimetres that each of the 12 cylinders would give. Giving a total of 5,472CC (or 5.5 litre as it was often referred to). The model debuted fairly late in the year in blue with gold spiral wheels and a simple name and badge logo.

It didn't last long, as the 1995 version came early in the year. So, the blue only has 1 variant. However, this purple look did see some variations. The shade of purple for starters.

And for 1996, the top tampo was removed. However, things started getting a little more complicated after this. So, I never mentioned the number. It was MB17 in the US range or MB41 in the ROW range. As 1996 continued, the ROW range split their design from the US version.

By the end of the year, the ROW markets were selling it in plain red. The US was still plodding along with purple.

The ROW variant continued through 1997. However, this was the year that they phased out those spiral wheels. So, we saw it switch to concave 5-spoke.

And, if you hunt around, you might find a shade or 2.

The US range did not continue with the original purple release. This was switched to a more realistic purple design for 1997.

They also saw a 75 Challenge in the USA, with all models being found in a short run gold look. Early pre-production samples saw the model in a solid gold, but when production began, it changed to metallic dark gold.

However, while the US range continued with purple through the year, the ROW switched again. Still dark red, but the model now sported a large Ferrari badge on the front. The interior also changed.

At the end of 1997, the model saw its first premium outing. It was a part of a Christmas JC Penney gift set as part of a set of 8 models with a display stand. It came in red with realistic detailing.

1998 saw just the one look, and again it was in the premium guise. This was a black release in the World Class series 15. However, if you were lucky, you might find a couple of Chinese error models, from a large supply of items that started being cleared out of the factory in 1998. 3 of the known releases are the red JC Penney model with plastic wheels, ROW dark red with the grey interior from the US issue, and a gold challenge model with a brown interior. I am yet to find any of these.

For 1999, the model saw just one release. And this MB29 was exclusive to the German market. It came in solid red with front end detailing.

For the 2000 range, it was sold as MB82 in the US range or MB62 in other markets. The first 10,000 USA models sported a Matchbox 2000 logo on the window.

And, if you looked around, you could find some nice shading to the champagne paint finish.

In 2001, the model was now an ROW exclusive. Sold as MB18, it came in yellow.

However, after that, it was semi-retired until 2005. That was when it made one final splash before the bigwigs at Ferrari came up with their "1 company can make toys of our cars" motto. It was sold as MB25 in the basic range in black.

And it finished off with a pair of Superfast issues in the 2005 series. Yellow was the ROW number 17, and red was the US number 17. After this, due to Ferrari not allowing Matchbox to make any more, the model was forced into retirement.

As I made my way up to 2005, let's start our final model there. This is the MB677 Jeep Rescue Concept. This concept vehicle was 1 of 2 Jeeps that debuted at NAIAS in January 2004. The other was a Jeep Treo, which was a small buggy for popping around town. But the Rescue, well this was the one that got people talking.This was based on a Dodge Ram 2500 chassis, with huge 37" wheels that enabled it to traverse just about any terrain. Not just the roads leading in and out of town. Matchbox decided to make a model of this concept, and debuted it in the concept colour in the 2005 range as MB67.

There are 2 notable variations to the debut release. This is because Mattel were in the midst of moving production from their China factory to the Thailand one.

So the earliest runs were in China, and later ones in Thailand.

They also decided it was a great model to promote their 2006 range, as it was chosen to be the Toy Fair model that September.

For 2006, the model was now in a light orange colour with a mud splatter and 25 door sign. However, right at the end of production, they decided to do a running change, and switched it to a metallic darker orange. I have no idea why, but these were a short run at the end and not easy to come by. I believe they were only found on US long cards, and not on ROW short cards, but if anybody knows differently, please let me know.

It was also found in the Coal Cars. This was a special promotional series for Christmas that year. Most models were pulled from the basic range, but this was found as an exclusive with a seasonal message on it. Oh, was this a reason why I chose this model to dive back with? Hee hee!

For 2007, the basic range release was in black, and again featured a very muddy design.

It was also included in a couple of 5-packs. A regular worldwide pack was Off Road, and saw a golden model in the set, which could be found in lighter or darker shades.

We also saw a Cartoon Network release in green in the USA. A 10-pack exclusive in the Adventure pack was in tan with a camouflage look.

For 2008, the basic range was split between US, LAAM and ROW markets, with the US getting 100 models, and both LAAM and ROW markets seeing a mix of 75 out of the 100 (different mixes for the 2 markets). However, some models were not found outside the US market, and this was one of them. However, as somebody who is in an ROW market, I still managed to find a decent shade of burgundy to this release.

It even saw a version 2.Just in the US market. It sports a fun livery. Go climb a rock! It does make me smile.

For 2009, it was only in the range once. But, still only for the US market. This was a blue Big Game Shooting Range model.

However, it was included in a multipack again. This was another Adventure 10-pack exclusive in orange with a Snake Handler livery.

In 2010, the model only saw 1 outing. It was a part of the Batman, The Brave and the Bold licenced 5-pack. These are mainly found in the USA. However, they were experimenting with different graphic techniques at the time. We know of the tampo print. These are machines that have 4 pads on them. Each pad contains a colour and when a part goes underneath can deliver up to 4 colours to a model. However, these are usually applied to a single part (usually a body section), and are fairly limited. The pads are flat. Therefore, if there is too much of a change in the surface it is printing on, parts may be missed. The flatter the surface, the better the print. It is cheap and effective, but is limited with 4 colours (unless you went through 2 machines) and single surfaces. In the late 2000s, they invested in fusion graphics. The advantage is that these will accommodate as many colours as you want. They apply smoothly to a model, and will work through gaps, crevices and multiple parts. The advantage is that you can build a model entirely, then put it through. The disadvantage is that they are expensive to do, and quite fiddly to line up perfectly. So, they came up with a different plan. Ink jet. Again, many colours and multiple surfaces can be done at once. A bonus is, it is much cheaper than fusion graphics. Not as cheap as tampo printing, but on models like this where profits are razor-thin, every penny counts. So, they tried it out. They ran a number of different licenced 5-packs through both ink jet and fusion graphic printing. You can see the result here clearly. The fusion graphic ran on top has a clear, crisp design running through the body and window. It is also smooth to the touch. The ink jet run on the bottom is less crisp, more fuzzy looking, and is quite rough to the touch.

In 2011, it was again a licenced 5-pack exclusive. By now, they had improved their ink jet printing, and this only came that way in the Go Diego Go set.

In 2012, the model returned to the basic range in yellow. The range had closed up to a single range worldwide again, so all markets saw this.

It then saw another outing the following year in blue. We also saw a wheel change during production, as it could be found with either the newer (at the time) ringed 8-spoke wheel, or the older cog style. After this, it appeared that the model was retired. However....

It randomly returned in 2023, as part of a Dirty Mudders 5-pack. This was a carry forward pack, and all models had been seen before. This was a repeat of the 2007 release, and looked quite different. The wheels were newer, and also had chrome hot foil printing, and the livery was much brighter than it was at the time. But, that was not all.

Before bringing it back, they had to tinker with the casting. Freshen it up a little, sharpen some faded edges, and also re-copyright it again. So, does this mean we will see it again? It seems a lot to do just for a single carry forward release. I would not say no to another release. Or, to be honest, any of the older ones carried forward again. Any of them would automatically become a variation. As we know, nowadays, when they tinker with a casting, they no longer apply a new MAN number.  It has replaced the old casting, so it sits in that slot at the factory. It is still MB677.

So, I believe I am done for another of my dives. I hope people enjoyed my trip down memory lane.

All that is left here is for me to say goodbye, Merry Christmas, and enjoy this time with loved ones. Until next week, have a very special time. Stay safe and happy.