Matchbox Monday dive back just a little with the final D batch models

2 weeks ago, I began my journey through the 4th batch of the 2026 basics. I noticed that there were no cars in that selection. It turns out, with my running these in a strict number order, all the cars ended up being in the second half of the batch. Even then, there were only 3, and one of those was only due to there being a Super Chase. It was a rather surprising batch, to be honest. Cars tend to be the more popular vehicles. I remember many years ago, there was talk of deleting cars from the Matchbox brand. But, then it was realized, that was a daft idea. Tank the brand? Anyway, enough rambling on in general, I guess I should ramble on about the models themselves.

Oh, look, still no regular car. The MB1237 '20 Land Rover Defender is back. Debuting back in 2021, this model ran for 4 years in the basic range, as well as a couple of side lines, but was not used last year (apart from carry forwards). This Abe Lugo creation takes the MB46 slot in red.

I have to admit, I am rather surprised that every single release of this model has followed the exact same formula. A plain look with simple front and rear tampos. There has been no change. No wavering. No attempt to release a random issue with a side design instead. The larger MB1538 Land Rover Defender 130 came out of the gates with a side design. The older MB180 Land Rover Ninety used to sport side designs on many examples. The MB697 '97 Land Rover 110 was also the same. Every time in the last 40 years that we have had a Land Rover in the range, we have seen side designs. Yet, this one refuses to have them. I don't know why. I can't imagine that Jaguar Land Rover are being picky about it. They have allowed a whole variety of looks on other vehicles. Even the larger brother of this one. So, I do wonder if we will actually see a side design on this casting in the future. 

That is not a slight on the front and rear tampos. I am thoroughly enjoying them. I like the consistency with it. Every single one can be lined up next to each other, and they all match. I love things that match up. So, I am more than happy to see the trend continue here. This colour was part of an exclusive limited edition called Sedona, and the colour was known as Sedona Red. It was exclusively sold for a short while in the 2025 model year, but that makes no real difference, as the 2020 model looks like the 2025 model, apart from some mild upgrades. So, I never have any issues with them choosing a colour option that is technically from a different year that the model states on the base. As always, the grey interior, 6-spoke wheels and tampo printing are spot on. We have a fairly light smoke window section. I am never a fan of the window forming the roof on a model. It does look cheap. It is a shame that this casting doesn't follow the Ford Bronco Sport in having a plastic roof piece. That could have been coloured up differently, just like the Bronco Sport was this year. A Sedona Red Defender usually sports a black roof. Having a solid black roof piece on the top would have been much better. But, that is something that can be said for all the releases of this casting to date, and something I scored down on when the casting first appeared. As it is, new looks, I simply grade them on their current look. And, with what they have at their disposal, they could not have done any better with this. I like this red one. And the tint to the window is about as good as I feel it could be, blending in with the rest of the model. So, I am giving this a 10. I think it might be my favourite colour yet.

I much prefer it to the debut from 2021 in green. Especially as that had an almost black window piece. It looked cheaper. 

In 2022, the basic range was sold in blue, but the Best of UK series saw a white outing. Yes, red is nicer than both. Hey, it's a British vehicle. Red, white and blue. People in France, New Zealand, Australia, USA, The Netherlands and various other countries are all saying it works for them as well. Ha ha!

In 2023, it came in brown in the basic range, which was noted as being found in solid brown or metallic brown. 

And the last basic range release was in 2024, where it came in black. Again, it could be found in either a matte or satin finish. 

Plus, 2024 saw a British Roadways 5-pack sporting a mint green Defender, which again was good for some shading. 

I do prefer the red to all of these. Yes, it is my new favourite of the casting. This is the 7th outing for it, and every single one matches. Unless you look at how dark the window/roof piece is. But, the tampo is always the same. Don't get me wrong, I am not overly desiring the side print release of this. I am just curious whether we will actually get one or not. Because, if we do, I would love for them to pay homage to an older Land Rover Defender design. Just throwing that out there. 

Still no car. This is the 7th model in the batch (after the 5 from 2 weeks ago and Land Rover). The MB1512 GMC 3500 Utility Truck returns for a second outing in one of the coolest recurring themes. National Parks. It takes the MB47 slot for 2026. Daft fact, it took the MB47 slot for 2025 as well. 

You can't go wrong with National Parks. I am a huge fan of this theme within the Matchbox portfolio. It has appeared on so many models since the MB324 Chevy Tahoe first appeared with it in 2007. Which does mean that this year is technically the 20th model year that we have seen a National Parks model. It's coming of age, and is showing no signs of slowing down. I hope to see many more of these over coming years. Maybe on the Land Rover Defender....

Yes, this works perfectly with the theme. It was bound to appear, and thankfully sooner rather than later. I cannot fault this one. Mint, white interior section, grey base, suitable wheels. The tampo printing is exactly the sort of thing I would expect. I have no notes. A perfect, and easy 10. 

And, yes, shades! I don't know why, but this mint green look often varies in shade. I have picked up so many National Parks models more than once because it keeps varying. Long may that continue as well. Can you tell this is a big favourite of mine?

And I do prefer the National Parks theme over the Matchbox City theme, that the model debuted in last year. Both themes I enjoy, but the National Parks is the coolest. 

I do hope to see Ranec, INC and Matchbox construction outings in the near future as well. It deserves to make the rounds of the ongoing themes.

Finally, a car. And it's a Porsche. The MB1426 Porsche 911 Targa. It takes the MB49 slot in green.

I have mentioned before that this is not exactly my favourite Porsche. I mentioned it with the Landie above. I am not a fan of the window forming the roof part of a model. This feels like a Porsche body with a bubble on top. It doesn't work for me. I know this is one of Garry Gopinath's creations, and he does some amazing work. However, this is really a model I would have wanted to show off the uniqueness of the "Targa" part. When you Google the Targa, you will find more often than not, pictures will show the model with the roof off, and the side windows open. That is how I would have wanted to see the model. There is a small roll bar that goes over behind the door. That should have been a part of the body. Sure, they are often silver, but can be body coloured. The rear window section and front window section, all as 1 piece, would have slotted in under the roll bar, opening up the interior and avoiding the bubble look. Although, saying that, this year's offering is somehow less bubbly. Is that the right way to say it? Due to the gorgeous green (Porsche calls this Verde Ermes Metallic) being quite dark, and the window piece being tinted in a sort of similar tone, when you get the angel right, like with this low front 1/4 view, I can see it. Honestly, roof off, side windows down. Much better. But, this is a lovely colour, and is actually improving my overall opinion of the casting. 

Again, the tampo printing is spot-on. It cannot be faulted. I love the black wheels. They really suit it. Much better than chrome ones. Again, just like with the Land Rover, I am not a fan of the way that the roof has been created, but that is a casting issue. This score is what I think of the design only. And that is perfect. Yet another 10. These scores are going really well this week. 

Somehow, the 2024 debut in blue looks a little more blobby. Even though that shade is fairly dark, and the window has the same tint.

It really stood out on last year's red one. 

So, third year in the basic range, and yet again, the current offering is currently my favourite overall look on a model. There is a definite theme going with this week's report. 

Which brings me to the last "regular" model in the batch. The MB1433 '64 Lincoln Continental. Unlike the rest, which were all the "40s", this one is MB76 for 2026. You might notice this is a small ROW card. Wheel Collectors sent me over Power Grab boxes, at which time I started doing photos, but the Lincoln is too long for a box. So it doesn't get a Power Grabs outing. However, after I took photos (and grabbed this from my local Tesco), Wheel Collectors did get batch D in on long card. I couldn't be bothered to retake the photo. 

This is a nice, bright blue, isn't it. Lincoln referred to this in 1964 as Arcadian Powder Blue. Back in the day when car manufacturers would come up with bright colours for their vehicles, that stood out. Modern cars get lots of grey options. Sure, the Lincoln could be sold in grey. But it was just a small option in a vast array of bright colours that stood out. Something we don't get much of in today's world. Everything is turning into grey. McDonald's used to have white buildings with a red roof, and a huge yellow M logo, known as the golden arches. It stood out, it was bright. The interiors were bright and airy. Now it is a grey building, with a small yellow M on the side. You go in, plain interior, staff members wearing grey. Boring! Wait, where am I going with this? Totally side-tracking. But, it is true for cars as well. Even when they do options for alternate colours, they tend to be muted. You get whites, black, and multiple greys. Platinum and silver are still a type of grey. The streets are losing their brightness. I miss the old days when we used to have funky colours. Bright and bold colours that stood out all the time. So, seeing models in these bright colours is always appealing. And, just like with the 2 previous issues of this one, we are getting the pin striping detailing along the sides. 

The front is still chromed, as it is a part of the base section. I hope they don't release one with a grey front. The Continental is a classy vehicle, and should always be chromed. I like the teal interior. It was an official colour option at the time. Yes, interiors were also bright. The wheels work just perfectly on this one. My only minor gripe is with the window. That is too dark a tint in my eyes. It should have been almost clear, to really show off the teal interior. Sure, you can see it through the window, but I would have preferred an all-round view of it. So, after 3 perfect scores, the first kink in the batch. A 9 out of 10. Doh!

And, in another twist, this is not my favourite of the batch. The debut in black from 2024's basic range is going to be tough to beat. Sure, I literally just mentioned everything being grey, and black and white are the 2 extremes of grey, and also fit in with the blandness. But, some cars look so awesome in black. This vehicle is one that works so well in the debut black. I don't think you can get a better colour. I do think black cars look fantastic. I wouldn't own one. Too hot in the summer, too easy to show mud. But, looking at them? Yes!

And last year, we saw the model in white. It also came with the teal interior, but look at how well it stands out, due to the pale blue tint window. Why was this window not used again? I think it would have worked really well on it. It was a pale blue model. A pale blue tinted window was the perfect option. So far, the white one is the only one I have seen a shade on. The white did come out a little creamier on some. 

It was a really nice colour, but the window did let it down. Had it been a same window tint as the white, this would have been my second favourite. But, as it stands, each year has slipped behind the previous one. But, there are hopefully still many more to come. I hope for a burgundy Royal Maroon option. A Samoan Coral option. Florentine Green would be really cool. Encino Yellow is also a great option. Perhaps Buckskin Prairie Tan. There are a lot of options to choose from, and I really hope to see many more of these. I am a huge fan of this casting. 

Now, that was it for the regular batch. A total of 9 releases. However, this being batch 4 of the year, that means there is a Super Chase. Sadly, Wheel Collectors missed out. They never got it either on Power Grab or long card. So, another source on short card to finish. This is the MB1424 '77 Jaguar XJ6C, taking the second Super Chase slot of 4 for 2026 in orange. 

As we know, a Super Chase model is given an upgrade to premium status, within the confines of a core range. Bonus! I do enjoy the ability for Matchbox to stretch their legs with their design. However, that doesn't always mean loads of flashy tampo. This one is very refined. It comes in orange, which I have tried to cross-reference, and believe it is a unique look created for this Super Chase, as Jaguar's Saturn Orange only debuted a few years later, and usually on the XJS. As we know, many Super Chase releases have been orange. I think this was more in line with the theme itself. Which, I have always said, a model doesn't have to be a real colour option. And this orange does look good on the Jag. It also sports a lovely chrome base and the headlights at the front are beautifully detailed. 

We also have the usual rear tampo printing, depicting a UK style number plate, and it is 7 characters long, which means it is the maximum allowed for the UK plate. We also get the lights, pin stiping and the badges depicted. Spot on. 

But, being a Super Chase, this model also receives a little pin striping down the side. We usually see an SC logo on the side, to depict a Super Chase, done in the font and style of the Matchbox logo. But, this one is slightly different, and sees an italic script font style Super Chase wording above the Jaguar logo just behind the front wheels. That is a really classy look. So much better than the usual SC logo. This really does look like a classy vehicle. The interior in tan, and the pale smoke window are beautifully done. The real rider wheels do work. They are not an exact wheel, but they can't be expected to do that. But, this particular style doesn't look out of place on the model. I am very impressed with it. So, we are back with the 10s. Beautiful. 

However, after a rather mediocre start to life in 2024, with this solid blue (which did shade up) and grey base/grille model being a little underwhelming.

I have to say, I still prefer last year's one in burgundy. That is a thing of beauty. The exact reason why I love to collect these. This orange one comes really close, but it just falls shy. 

I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing what they think of for the next outing. Now, I am noticing that this report is a little shorter. Yes, the 5 models are all relatively new. So, I guess I should dive back a bit on something. 

So, as I have a Jaguar XJ6 going, let's dig out the other one. Back in the Universal era, Matchbox were in on the ground floor when Jaguar were about to launch a replacement for the aging XJ-series. Codenamed XJ40, work actually began all the way back in 1972. However, in 1981, funding was given by British Leyland to finance the model, and it was scheduled for a 1984 debut. Victor Lewis, who was working at Universal at the time, was given the task of creating the casting, based on the Jaguar blueprints. It was planned to also debut in 1984 alongside the real vehicle, and 1984 catalogues even showed a sneaky peek. It was not much. It just had a model under a sheet with a note under saying new model coming soon. However, by the time 1984 finished, and the 1985 models were starting to appear, nothing had appeared. The 1985 catalogue also made no mention of anything. This was because the Jaguar brand had been split from British Leyland after they had injected loads of money into the project, and suddenly they were able to increase sales of the original XJ-series, particularly in the USA, so decided to further develop the model with a view to launching it in 1986. So, with delay after delay, Matchbox decided to keep quiet about it until the real vehicle was launched. Jaguar finally unveiled the new car on 8th October 1986. Bingo, the Matchbox model of it could finally debut. So, it appeared in early 1987, as either MB1 in ROW markets, or MB41 in the US market. It debuted in metallic dark red.

Production was in Macau to begin with. However, one thing they never thought of at first was that the model was originally planned to be copyrighted in 1984. But, with the delays, it never got copyrighted until 1986. However, early prototype samples made in 1984 had already put the details on there. When it sat on the side gathering dust for a few years before getting the go ahead, they completely forgot about that. So the first ones being made still said 1984 on the base. Oops! They quickly realized their mistake, and altered the base to say 1986. Only the first batch made has 1984 on it. 

The model was soon given the chance for some promotional outings. In 1988, a UK promotion for Whyte & Mackay, a Scottish whiskey company appeared. This model was put in a box along with a card that allowed you to enter a competition for a 2-person trip to Miami. 

And in 1989, Redoxon Vitamin C tablets were sold in Hong Kong with a choice of 4 exclusive models in unique window boxes as a free gift. The Jaguar was one of them in green with a Redoxon logo on the front.

And at the start of 1990, Woolworth stores in the UK sold a couple of unique Superkings sets, featuring a model in the Superkings range plus a miniature of the same vehicle in the same colour. The Jaguar XJ6 had also debuted in 1988 as K-146 in a larger scale, and both of them were sold in a unique white look. 

During that time, production had always been in Macau. However, in 1990, the factory closed down, and production of this model moved to Thailand. The basic range issue was still being sold worldwide in red.

As you can see, the shade of red is fairly close, with the Thailand one being slightly brighter. The tan interior is also a little lighter on the Thai made model. 

After 1990, the model was dropped from the US range. However, ROW markets continued. But, the casting was given a drastic overhaul. The MB141 casting was a civilian vehicle, had opening doors and a metal base. This huge change saw the model turned into a police vehicle, the doors sealed shut, and the base switched to plastic. Due to having a big change, the manufacturing number was changed to MB231. It was still sold as MB1 in ROW markets, but was now given a police livery. 

In 1992, the livery was changed to an alternate style.

and during production, which ran into 1993, the side stripe did vary between a pinkier look and a more peachy orange one. They also added it to the World Class series. Oddly, both models were in blue. 

In 1993, they decided to add it to the Showstoppers series, paired with a Jaguar XJ220. However, they thought it best to return it to being a civilian vehicle. So, the window piece was changed, and the roof altered, so there was no longer a light bar there. Again, this warranted a change to the MAN number, and it became MB244. 

The daft part about this was, they decided to completely scrap the MB231 variant. It was still being sold in the ROW basic range, and still had this police livery. But, there were no longer any roof lights. You might think that was simply an oversight, but, no, they kept this particular model in the basic range until 1998! All the time with a police livery but no lights.

1994 saw the model added to a Jaguar themed gift set, which ran through 1995 as well. It was also going to be a part of the 1994 Graffic Traffic chrome series, but sadly it never got beyond the prototype stages.

1997 saw the model receive 2 premium outings. A green look was part of the Ultra Class series, and charcoal was a JC Penney exclusive in the USA. 

And if you were paying attention to the ROW basic range release, you would have discovered that during 1997, it did see a tweak. Not to the livery, but the windows went clear instead of blue. There is a rare variant, only found in a 25-pack in the USA, where the interior was found in white. I do not own that one. 

And the base turned grey from black. Production was still in Thailand at that point.

And for the final year of production, the casting was moved from Thailand to China. The grey base is notably different on that one. 

There are minor shades to be found in interior and tampo between Thailand and China, and you may find that some China models have the side stripe varying a little between orangey shades and pinky ones. 

After 1998, the model was dropped from ROW markets as well. However, it was not done yet. In 2000, it returned as a UK exclusive, during the 5-way split of the basic range. We had the US range and ROW range, but this was further sub-divided into a UK, Germany, Australia and other ROW markets. Each market was given 10 slots, with 10 exclusives for the UK, Germany and Australia. The other ROW markets were supposed have had yet another 10, but only the first 5 turned up. The second 5 were skipped. Some of the models from that second set of 5 did appear in a 3-pack in ROW markets (silver ambulance and green Airport Fire Truck). Another, a TV News Truck, ended up in an FAO Schwartz 10-pack in the USA. A Ford Transit in a cream taxi livery only reached prototype stages and never entered production. The last model was unknown. Nobody ever found out what it was going to be. Anyway, I digress (yet again). The Jag was part of the set of 10 UK exclusives, coming in blue with a Union Flag on the side. 

For 2001, to avoid issues with other ROW markets, it was decided that the 10 exclusives for UK, Germany and Australia would continue. But, other ROW markets would see a combination of these models mixed up to make their 10 exclusives. The Jaguar was chosen to be a German MB51 issue in green, but was also 1 of the 10 out of the 30 between those specific 3 markets to also be put in all other ROW markets, where it was sold as MB52.  Funnily enough, these other ROW exclusives all did make it out. 

After 2001, it was deleted from the basic range. However, it did return for a swansong (x2). The 2005 Superfast series was sold with 15,000 models specifically for the USA market only. A further 7,500 was sold in any other market outside of the USA itself in an alternate colour. The Jaguar was green in the USA, and black everywhere else. After this, the casting was retired for good. 

And on that note, I think I am done for another week. Another 2 non-car models in batch D to go with the 5 I reviewed 2 weeks ago.

Along with 3 actual cars. 

Next week I will be "moving" on to another batch of models. Until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.