Matchbox Monday "E"-lectrifies us with another basic batch

With 100 models in the basic range, batch E takes us into the second third. By the end of batch D, 31 models had arrived, and with 7 in this batch, this moves us up to 38 of the range to date.  Of course, we are slowly slipping behind.  We tend to find the last few batches tend to be larger, as many items they were trying to get were running late.  Will we see all 100 released before the end of the year?  That rarely happens these days.  2023 was 1 short, 2022 was 2 short, 2021 was 1 short, 2020 was 2 short, 2019 remains 1 short, 2018 was 1 short, 2017 was 2 short, 2016.... Bingo! As I said, it rarely happens.  Most of these issues are out of their control. They can't start production until the vendor signs off.  If the vendor hasn't signed off in time, it slips into the following year.  It's the way it goes nowadays.  Anyway, as always, I am going off topic already.  Cars!  We are here to look at some new cars.  Let's get stuck in.

I start with a model you may have forgotten all about. I mean, it has been at least a week since I was looking at one.  The MB1305 Porsche Cayenne Turbo.  Yes, hot on the heels of me looking at a premium issue of this casting, the next core issue gets an up-close treatment from me.  This is MB27 in the basic range in white.

I like this white release.  The old Cayenne casting never saw a bright white.  A 2007 Autobahn 5-pack release saw it in cream.  Coupled with black wheels and a dark smoke window, these seem to work very well on the model. The only splash of colour to the front is on the Porsche badge. The rest of the tampo is black, grey and white.

A little touch of red to the rear alongside the regular details and this model is done.  I think this is a lovely look.  I like the white.  It is obviously an official Porsche colour.  One of their basic colour options. They call it.... white!  It is a nice, simple start to my report.  I will obviously be scoring this a 10.  So clean and tidy.  

This is the 2007 Autobahn 5-pack release of the older MB675 Porsche Cayenne casting.  I used to classify it as off-white, but compared to this bright white look, it definitely looks to be more of a creamy colour.  Mind you, what is the official point where white ends and cream begins?  Is there an official point?  Oh, right, off topic again.

And, because it has been so long since I last ran through the history of this casting, I am doing it again.  Why?  It's a Porsche!  'Nuff said! 2022 turns out to be the only year to date that has only seen the 1 outing.  And this was as an exclusive to the Best of Germany series.

2023 saw the first appearance in the basic range for this model, appearing in a few shades of blue. It also had black wheels, like the new one did.

While it was also given a Walmart exclusive release (if you were in the USA, select other countries had them in other stores) in red.

And, as I literally only showed off last week, we had a premium outing in 2024 alongside a basic outing, with this light green being in the Collectors series. Again, this model had black wheels.

I am very happy with how well this model is coming along.  Keep up the momentum, guys. You are doing a great job with this one.

Talking of great jobs, this is the one new casting in the batch.  The MB1432 '70 Ford Bronco. It takes the MB29 slot in the range, and debuts in a lovely light blue.

I haven't talked about Ford Broncos for, ooh, must be 2 weeks now.  Are we getting a lot of familiarity?  No.  It is just coincidence.  2 weeks ago, I showcased the second generation Bronco in the last Moving Parts talk. But, it was not the only new Bronco casting. They were also adding a first gen model to the basic range.  Am I happy?  To be honest, yes. When it was announced, way back in 2006, that we were getting a first gen model, I was excited.

This is what we got, arriving in the 2007 basic range. The MB720 '72 Ford Bronco 4x4. I do like it.  But, as much as I enjoyed getting many, MANY variations of it, I always secretly hoped it was just a simple stock SUV.  No massive wheels. A proper roof. No weird tow hook out the back.  It was decent, but it was not quite what I wanted.  This is what I wanted.

Mattel has marketed this as a 1970 Bronco. And, I agree, this is a 1970. Do you want to know what happened in 1970 that distinguishes this from earlier Broncos? The side indicator at the front got raised from just above the bumper line to the wheel arch line. And where is it on this casting? Just there, on the wheel arch line!  Bazinga! Spot on. I was a little unsure about the front wheel arch. But I compared it to pictures of real ones in stock form, and it does appear that the wheels look small in the massive arch it is given. Why did Ford do such a massive front wheel arch, and such a small rear wheel arch?  Unfortunately, for Matchbox, I think this is more about the wheel choices that they have.  In Lesney times, which ran through to when Mattel took over, they did make a slightly larger wheel. It was not a 4x4 style wheel, which to be honest, was just ones used on Superkings models.  But, it was a little larger than the regular ones they had.  It suited certain models, like The Land Rover Ninety. Had Mattel continued on with a wheel in that size, it would have been used here to great effect.  But, for some reason, shortly after taking over the brand, they just wiped out that wheel size, and models that were sporting it simply shrunk to the smaller ones.  They do have one fractionally larger for sporty vehicles that want a slight forward lean. But not an off-road wheel in between the small and 4x4 wheels.  Maybe that is something that could be addressed in the future. After all, I think if they came up with a new slightly larger off-road wheel, it would simply slot in here with no effort.  Aside from this minor wheel issue, can I just say, the rest of this in side profile is freaking awesome! Look at all the sharp detailing.  They have done an incredible job with this. The door hinges, wing mirror, fuel cap, all carefully noted on the side of the model. The outline of the door, the outline of the window. This looks like they simply traced a real one to make the model.  I love it!

The front is not a smooth piece. It looks like the tampo print provides all the detailing, but that is not the case. There is casting detail in there.  I have to admit, had they left this blank, the model would have always required a front print. It would look weird with no detailing. However, even with a small amount of casting detail there, it would still look much better with the front detailed.

The rear is quite minimal. The Ford lettering is pure tampo. There are no raised letters on the casting. I don't know why they left that off? As far as I can tell, the real one had the letters raised. Every picture I scoured had the raised lettering, sometimes in white, sometimes left in whatever colour the rest of the body is in. This should have translated to the model. The rest is detailed, as it should be. Obviously the tampo shows Ford, but what if they do a future release with no rear detailing?  At least had the casting had the letters raised, they would still be visible.

So, what do I score this? Inclusion? Definitely a 10. This is what I wanted in 2007. I only had to wait another 17 years. I am patient. Casting? I am scoring it a 9. The only 2 minor things I find that could have been improved were the raised FORD letters at the back, and the fact that they don't have a slightly larger wheel in their portfolio that would work better on this than the small ones that fit regular cars. This is definitely not needing a 4x4 wheel, but Matchbox should really look at re-adding an intermediate style of wheel a little larger than the small ones, specifically for vehicles like this. Design?  I love the baby blue debut. Tampo printing front and rear is spot on. The wheels are probably about the best they have. The clear windows and ivory interior suit it fine. The chrome base is cool. Should this have had a white roof? Something similar to how they have built the '78 Bronco? By using a different part?

They often have them, but it is not all of them. So, yes, it works without.  On that front, I will award this a 10. Look at the way the FORD letters stick up on the real one. That was how I wanted the model. You wouldn't even need to tampo print it.  Many are body coloured. This is often what I look at. Minor things.

As it is a new casting, I will show the base.

As I had the old one out, I thought I should do a little check. Yes, it appears that the 2 models have been made to the same size/scale.  Excellent work.  They fit so well together.

Being a larger 4x4, I have no idea why they decided to throw a tow hook on it. It has always looked weird. But, can you see the FORD letters clearly raised? It is that one little things that I felt should have been done to make this just about perfect (apart from adding more sizes of wheels).

Next up, we are getting a Matchbox Originals casting. The MB742 '08 Garbage Truck. Sorry, should I say Garbage King. They did change the name a few years back, but I still keep calling it by the original. For 2024, it takes the MB32 spot in green and grey.

This feels very familiar. Did you know that the Garbage Truck ran from 2008 until 2012 with a metal garbage section, the last year only in a 5-pack, but after a 7-year hiatus, it returned in 2019 now with a plastic rear after a retool, and has since spent every year in the basic range? Yes, I have done plenty of recaps of this model over the last few years, as it has become a staple of the range again.  Year 6 in the basic range for the retool, and this is a really cool look for it.

Because this is a recurring theme!  Oh yes, I do love a recurring theme.  The green and grey combo works very well here, and the City Services logo is a nice logo.  It is not too much.  A perfect 10 out of 10 here. It is one of the nicest Garbage Truck releases they have done so far. But, as I said, I have done a lot of recaps of this casting, so this time....

Do you remember the MB776 MBX Street Cleaner, which was later altered into the MB943 model? This was a later MB943 release, from the 2016 basic range. I wonder if this casting will return? It hasn't been seen since 2017.

It was also doubled up on the MB1008 Tilt 'n Tip. This was also in the 2016 range, and do you notice it also had MBX Street Cleaner in the tampo? Oops! It was carried forward to the 2019 basic range, and again to a 2022 MBX Mountain II 5-pack.

So, after 2x 2016 releases for this look, it took them another 8 years to release another. Spoiler alert, this is not the only 2024 release. The MB1189 MBX Mini Swisher also sees the same look in the MBX City Life 5-pack. I do love a recurring theme.

Middle model of the 7. The MB1283 '12 BMW 3-series Touring. This is the regular release for the model after seeing a Super Chase earlier, as it is now in a solid grey look as MB34.

This looks a lot like the Dravit Grey paint scheme that BMW uses.  I have no idea what "Dravit" means. I start with the rear on this one, as I love the licence plate. This newest release is seeing something different on the plate. This one has 12 E90. It appears they shot themselves in the foot though, with this one. Anybody getting Mercedes-Benz W123 vibes here? As we know, this is a 2012 BMW 3-series. 2012 saw the launch of the 5th generation of the 3-series. The original code name for this generation was E90. Yes, that is what it says here. But, when BMW released the model, they referred to the saloon (sedan) as the E90. The Touring was referred to as E91, along with the coupe as E92 and convertible as E93. So, technically, like the Merc W123 should be an S123, this should have had 12 E91 on the back. Small blooper I know, but people pick up on these little things.  BMW nuts will be sitting there going "it's the wrong one". 

Apart from that, I cannot fault the model. The colour is great, the wheels being plain black suit it, and I love the contrast of the smoke window and brown interior.  The front tampo was faultless.  I think this is the nicest looking regular issue to date. I would give it a 10, except I can't ignore the blooper. A 9.5. The guys should fact-check better.

I do enjoy having the E91 in the range. It debuted in 2022, and the first release was a metallic black. However, I did notice that during production, the metalflake varied wildly. Some were very metallic, with others having barely any metalflake to them.

Last year gave us a white issue in the basic range.

And it was only the last batch of basics that gave us a Super Chase release, which was also in grey. Not the same grey, and definitely not the same level of detailing.

I am enjoying that we are now seeing some fun with the licence plates. It is just a shame they got it slightly wrong with the latest one. I look forward to seeing what they put on the next one. Plus, hopefully that next one will be a bit more colourful. Black, white and 2x greys. I am looking forward to a nice red or blue.

Next up, we have another German model. The oldest of the trio in this batch. The MB1298 '75 Opel Kadett C Coupe. This MB40 release comes in a rather fetching pea green colour.

I believe this colour is what the German company calls pastellgrün. Translated to English, would mean pastel green. Mind you, this does appear to be a little bit of a lighter shade.  I do like it. I see they have gone with the front and rear tampo prints, just as they did with the orange one last year. These work well on the model.

The licence plate on this one simply states Kadett C. No mistakes there. I am not 100% sure on whether these are the best wheels for the model. They don't really suit it.  I had this issue with the Volvo 240 last year. We have an area where the tri-spoke and disc wheels feel too old, but the modern style of wheel feel too new.  We could do with a sort of middle ground on wheel styles. Yes, I know, 2 models in this batch, and my biggest concern is the lack of wheel choices from Matchbox. I do wonder if we are due an overhaul in some of the wheel options they have.  I don't know if anybody has an idea for a cool 1970s/80s era wheel style that could work with a variety of models.  That is my only concern here, and again, I am going to nudge off a half point for not really having a cool wheel option for it. I think the older ones might actually be better, as I give this a 9.5.

Until now, this model has seen core issues with a disc wheel, and I think it is a better option out of what they have at their disposal.  2022 saw the model debut in a white with yellow side design.

And, with registration getting close to opening for the 2024 event, 2022 saw the Opel given 4 different looks for the Modell-Hobby-Spiel and European Convention. These were premium level, so all sported real riders. For those keen for news on Leipzig, registration will be starting on 10th June, and look for a little something on Lamley as we get towards the registration opening time.  

And last year gave us a metallic orange, which is always good for a shade, in the basic range. Again, this model saw some disc wheels.  

Now, we have had 4 convention models. Yellow saw not far from the white and yellow debut. Orange, well, this is like last year's release. Green is similar to this year. What about pink?  Will we see Matchbox create a pink Opel Kadett in a core release?  

They do exist. I dare them to do it. Ha ha!

I chose the MB1358 '04 Mazda RX-8 as my new casting of the year for 2023. Have I been eagerly awaiting a follow-up?  You bet I have! Have I been waiting for one to appear in my favourite colour, red? Definitely! I did not have to wait long.  It arrives in batch E as MB49.

So, new casting of the year for me last year. You know, I am absolutely loving this one. If the black was cool, this one is even cooler in my eyes. I think red looks amazing on the sportier vehicles.  Mazda calls this True Red Style. It was an exclusive option in Japan for the model, as the standard red was Velocity Red Mica, which was a metallic red. Yes, the more you know. Again, just as with the debut, the model sports simple front and rear tampo detailing. The wheels are 5-spokes in chrome, and these do suit the model very well.  Those 5-spokes have a bit of a sporty look to them, so sportier vehicles will look good with these.  Coupled with a smokey window and black interior and base parts, I can honestly see nothing I would want to change here. I think this is a contender for new look of the year.  I wonder how it will fare when I look back on the 2024 model year, in December.  That's only 7 months away. Jeez! The year is flying by.

You know, this gets a perfect 10 from me.  It is actually my favourite from the batch. I know, it outdid the Porsche! Shock! Horror! Had it been a Porsche 911 (non-Targa), it might have been a different story.

My new casting of the year 2023. It was just about perfect. The only improvement they could have made was to make it red.

Boom! Perfection. Of course, now that it has been in my favourite colour, I doubt there will be anything that can top it, but I am keen to see many more issues over the coming years. I do feel a yellow one is a must.  Surely!

And this brings us to the last of the new looks for batch E.  The final model is the MB1178 International TerraStar Ambulance. It also comes in red, taking the MB71 slot in the series for 2024.

There are a few things I love with the current Matchbox team. Their fun at making a recurring theme, and also their attempts at hunting down proper licenses for models. This is a real vehicle for the Boeing Fire Department. Yes, the company that makes those aeroplanes.  They have a few fire departments dotted around the USA, and this is a model of the type of ambulance they would use if required.Therefore, there is nothing I can say about the livery. It is how the Boeing Fire Department would look on a vehicle like this.  Faultless. The A-10 is a unit from King County, based just south of Seattle.  

Of course, the real one is a Ford. Matchbox has done the livery on the International.  Could they have pulled out the older MB944 Ford E-350 Ambulance? Possibly. Although that is an older generation.  Either way, it is not going to be exact.  And obviously, Boeing signed off on this, so they were happy to run with the current tooling that Matchbox has in their database. I am not overly fussed about this being on the wrong ambulance casting.  The livery is spot on.  They have captured the real one perfectly.

And I am very happy to see that they are starting to use this casting more. It seemed to have a quiet start.  It got going eventually.  Many times in red.  I think I need to do a dive back on this model, which I am giving a 10 out of 10 for.  As I said, International? Ford? Makes no difference. This is a perfect example of a real livery, and I love those.

The model debuted in the 2019 basic range as MB41, in red. This came with a livery for a place called El Segundo?  Oh, right, where Mattel are based. Real livery. Lovely!

And it was also chosen as the casting for Everett Marshall III's annual charity golf tournament. Half the model were in red for the Burns Foundation, the other half in pink for Breast Cancer Research. That was a good start in 2019. 2020?  Nope! As I said, it had a spluttered start.

Although some do technically count this red one as a 2020. Thank You Heroes was devised in mid-2020.  However, the models were not made until the 2021 model year, so I classify it as a 2021 release.  We were already a few batches into the 2021 basic range when they finally arrived. However, what was definitely a 2021 release was the Boone County (real livery) model in the MBX Recue (it was spelled like that, they missed the "s") 5-pack.  

This finally got the model rolling. 2022 saw the 2019 debut reappear in the MBX SErvice carry forward 5-pack, but we finally got a new basic range outing for the (real) Peel Regional area of Canada.  

And 2023 saw another red outing in a Convoy set. This also featured El Segundo on it. A yellow was also a part of the basic range, meaning this is the 3rd basic outing in a row.  1 basic in 3 years, then a yearly basic for the next 3.  Who know what the next 3 will bring.  

We do have a lot of reds. However, the non-reds have just caught up as the final 9-pack batch saw a National Parks liveries mint green model. Mine arrived too late for me to photograph alongside the rest. As many know, the 9-packs have now just been reduced to an 8-pack for the future.  I wonder where this casting will show up next?

Well, that brings me to the end of another report. As I mentioned, this time there was only the 1 new casting. After a few weeks of new casting madness, nearly everything here was something new from an existing casting.

As I mentioned, this batch also contained 3 German vehicles. I loved all 3 of them.  

I also loved the red. And the real. And the recurring. Yeah, this was a great little batch. There might have only been 7 models in it, but all 7 were lovely additions to the collection. I may have knocked off some minor points for a few things (mainly wheels), but overall, this batch is further proof of just how good the brand currently is.  I am really enjoying being a Matchbox collector at the moment.

So as these models head off, my thoughts turn to the following report, and how I chased down some more cool models to report on.  Yes, until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.