Matchbox Monday "E"-xcites us with a cool Moving Parts batch E

Rant mode on. 5 models!  Why so few? Oh, yes, because they are coming in tiny assortments, with only a scattering of models included. I really wish for a larger assortment of Moving Parts, and larger batches. I know I have said this many times. With this batch, we are now up to 29 models released so far this year. I am always hopeful that one year, they will announce that the Moving Parts series is going to increase in size again.  It moved from 20 to 50 in 2022, so it has only been 3 years, but I do feel it warrants increasing again. These models are freaking awesome! I am always excited to get a new batch, and each one does not disappoint. Okay, rant off.  Time to get stuck in to the latest arrivals.

Which begins with a brand-new casting. The MB1455 Bizzarini 5300GT Corsa revival. The what? This is a really cool car to include, and something I bet hardly anybody had heard of before Matchbox released it. The real thing is quite rare.It debuts in the number 3 slot in the 2024 series in red.

Which is so cool for 2 reasons. 1, the real vehicle does come in this look. And 2, the model sports a 3 roundel, just like the real one does, and it is in the number 3 slot in the series. It reminds me of the Lesney era, when an obscure model might appear in the range, and had a sticker on it with the number it was in the range included. Granted, there were not a lot. Monteverdi Hai anyone? But, it still reminded me of it.

So, what is the Bizzarini 5300GT Corsa Revival? Let me take you back to the 1950s. Giotto Bizzarini was an Italian test driver for Alfa Romeo. His ability to focus on certain aspects of vehicles resulted in him being head-hunted by Ferrari. He designed the 250GT0 for them, but later walked out in October 1961 over concerns that Enzo Ferrari was allowing his wife to be too involved. This was a huge deal, as he was 1 of 8 major people in the company that staged this walkout. Enzo Ferrari was furious, so sacked the lot of them. He started his own company, but also did some side work. He created the  V12 engine for Ferrucio Lamborghini's first grand tourer when he was also in dispute with Ferrari. he also did other work for other companies, one of those being the creation of a certain Iso Grifo. But, back to his own company, his biggest success was the 5300GT Strada. Launching in 1964, he made 133 between 1964 and 1968, and as well as that, a few other vehicles, before stopping in 1969. After that, he turned his attentions elsewhere. Over the years, there have been numberous attempts to bring back the Bizzarini name, but the latest one, began life in 2020, when a British company called Pegasus Brands, bought the rights to the Bizzarini name, and between 2022 and 2024 created 24 Corsa Revival vehicles, celebrating the legacy of the classic, and keeping the look as is. After this, their next venture is to release a car called the Giotto. Named after Giotto Bizzarini.

I am totally at a loss for words over how cool this model is.  I think it is brilliant. I grew up in the 1970s, and things like the Iso Grifo and Monteverdi Hai were vehicles I grew up with. I did not know anything about the real ones. I remember first finding out about the Iso Grifo from a car book in a library. It was the 1970s/1980s, you couldn't Google it! But, I loved that they added these obscure, yet so cool vehicles. This is bringing me such vibes of my youth. It is freaking awesome! I love that they hunted down something as obscure as this. Because, let's face it, this model is a very beautiful car. And Matchbox have recreated that so well in miniature.

The model comes with an opening engine compartment. It also comes with a proper gap on the side, just before the doors, which is exactly how the real one comes.

The engine compartment opens to show off a lovingly detailed engine inside. It is hard to believe that this is a 3" model. I think this is a serious contender for model of the year. And, just look at all the tampo detailing. Front details, 3 roundels on the sides, engine detailed.

And that rear is spot on as well. I can't see how they could turn this from a Moving Parts vehicle into a Collector series or Mattel Creations. The only change would be switching the plastic wheels to real riders. This almost feels like a premium release as is.

They have nailed this! What an incredible model. Scoring this is easy. Inclusion. 10. I love an obscure, little known vehicle. Casting. 10. I cannot see anything that they could have done differently with this.  It is almost like they have taken the real vehicle and used a shrink ray. Then just swapped the wheels out for their own. Design. 10. Again, this is faultless. A real contender for new casting of the year. I never cease to be blown away by some of the things that they can do.

And, as this is a brand new casting, of course I finish with a base shot. I love it! Can you tell?

Jeez! In my excitement, I forgot to do an in-package shot before senselessly ripping this MB1373 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter out of the package. By the time I realized, I had already thrown every package away (in recycling, of course). I'm sure you can imagine what it looks like in a pack. This is number 9 in the 2024 series, and continues to astound me. After all, this model is so large. Plus, there are so many parts to it. This is definitely a model that pushes the limits of what they can do with their budget. And look at all the tampo. The front is detailed. The sides are detailed.

And that metal door is a separate piece, which means it was tampo printed at a different time to the rest of the body. If you look carefully, you can see that the lines don't quite match up.  Very close. I won't mark things down for a fractional misalignment. I think that is very well done to have it that close.

And, this year, they also tampo printed the rear. Granted, it is just the Mercedes-Benz tristar, But, still. This is a full 4 sides (plus door for a 5th) tampo print on a very large multi-part model. You could almost classify this model as one of their flagship ones, alongside the new Unimog Fire Engine and Land Rover with windows and surfboards.

All of this, and I haven't even got to what I think of the look.  Well, the tampo design is freaking awesome! I love it. Black with yellow, orange and red stripes. How can I not love that? Those stripes almost give it a classic Matchbox look. To be honest, the windows are perhaps a little too yellow, but it sort of fits the theme quite well. Plus, as I said, I have a classic vibe with this, and during the Lesney era, a yellow (or amber) window was pretty common. I don't think it is that bad. You only really notice when you properly have a look at the model, and it is growing on me. So, I am good with it. The only other option would have been totally clear. A smoke window would have been too much here, and yellow is perhaps a more eye-catching look than clear. So, yeah, I am okay with it.

The only thing I think could have perhaps been altered was the interior. You can't really see it in there, as it is also black. Should it have been grey, so as it make it more noticeable, once you have managed to open that door. I still struggle with that door. I remember on the debut last year having issues getting it open.  I still have those issues, as I have to lift it from the bottom, and then try and pull it down a bit, so that the top pops out enough for me to slide it. It's not the easiest of doors, but when you do open it, I really wish I could see what is inside.  That is a very minor niggle. But, enough for me to just nick a quarter point off. 9.75 out of 10. I know, I am being a bit cruel. But, I sort of have to be. The level that we are now at with Matchbox is so good that if I wasn't a little bit cruel, I would just be handing out 10s left and right. You have a 10, you have a 10, you have a 10.

I'm doing my Oprah Winfrey bit there. Can you tell?

I have to say, I was pretty stunned with the debut last year (except that door), and I have to think that this year's look is even better. Definitely more eye-catching.

I am very much looking forward to seeing what they come up with next on this one. I think they are totally nailing the looks. I also think this could be awesome as a premium issue, as I would love to see them go to town detailing the roof piece. There is a lot to come from this, I am sure of it. I cannot wait!

Jeez! We are at the halfway point already. I am flying through these. Well, there are only 5.  Model 3 is the MB1315 Seagrave Fire Truck. For 2024, it takes the number 33 slot in the series and comes in red.

This particular red look is part of a recurring theme. We have seen a number of models sporting this Matchbox Fire Dept design.

2023 saw a Convoy release, along with a Hitch & Haul. We also had another ambulance in the Moving Parts series. It was quite the launch for this design. 2024 has been much quieter. There is another coming in the basic range, so I will do a proper dig into the series then.

I love a recurring theme, and this is a great addition to this particular series. I am very impressed again with the level of tampo printing. We have both sides detailed, and the front is nicely highlighted with the Seagrave and lights/grille. We also have the ladder itself detailed, so again, this is a 5-pass through the machine model. For a Moving Parts series, that is terrific.

And the extending ladder is still incredible. It is now formed inside the package. I remember the debut back in 2022 having it in pieces, and you had to put it together (for some reason). I can think of nothing I would change about this one. It's brilliant. Fire engine red. Spot on. High level of detailing (in a recurring theme). Spot on. Again, they have nailed this. 10 out of 10.

I do find it funny that the 2022 debut for this was also sporting El Segundo in the tampo design. It is a darker red, and the ladder was blank. That may have been the official El Segundo look, but I think the new one is better. Sorry El Segundo!  

We also saw a pair of promotional issues for Everett Marshall III's annual Golf Tournament. One in gold for the Burns Foundation, and another in pink for Breast Cancer Research.

And, last year, the model was given a 70th Anniversary look in platinum.

I don't know if anybody has noticed a certain recurring theme with the model. Between the door and first window is a little logo that looks a little like a fire logo. This is the Seagrave logo. It appears on real Meansticks in this position, which is what this model is based on (I believe).  I wonder what next year will bring for this model? Also, I wonder what other models they have in the pipeline for this theme. A Ford Utility Interceptor is a must. The Ram Police could be useful as well. Maybe dig out the old International Pumper? Or the international WorkStar Brush Fire Truck? There is still a lot of potential for this series. '06 ford Crown Victoria. Okay, okay, I will stop. Time to move on to...

The return of the MB1162 '04 Honda S2000. It was not around last year, as you know, not enough spaces for all the cool models. Extend the series. Sorry, had to!  For 2024, the model comes in blue in the number 35 slot.

This model continues to deliver the goods (when given the chance), and this blue look is fantastic. I believe this is based on the Laguna Blue look that the S2000 was sold in. It is stunning. With front lights being a part of the window section, the only visible tampo print is the Honda badge.

However, due to the ingenius way that this was constructed, when you open the hood, you discover that the engine is actually a part of the body. Many engines on these models that are opened tend to be part of the interior sections. Honestly, they should look at doing more models this way. I think it is a terrific way of doing things, and this means that the front tampo print is actually where they detail the engine, and when the hood is placed on top during production, all that is left visible is the Honda logo in front of it.  It is a very clever way of doing it, meaning this model only sees 2 passes through the tampo machine. I think this is to offset those others that have so many.

Does this really need much more? The rear is lovingly detailed with the lights, badge and licence plate sorted. Do we need side detailing? Not really. I can see no reason to give this anything other than a 10 out of 10. It is fantastic, and so worth waiting a few years for.

Time to recap. The Honda debuted in the 2019 Superfast range in yellow. Each of the Superfast models was sporting a 65th logo, although a later run of this one deleted the logo off the side of the model.  

After that debut, we never saw it in 2020. Seriously. This model is stop-start. 2021 saw the model return in premium guise again. This time, as the series was now called Collectors, it was one of the first year, and came in red.

It was also included in the Moving Parts series for the first time in 2021. This was also carried forward to a Japanese exclusive in 2022, when they started their box stuff. It appeared in both 2022 batches, but the first batch was this one repeated, although it was much brighter. I think that was because the paint coverage was much thinner.

And that second batch saw the model in a unique look. It came in green. That was the only official new look for 2022. The other being a carry forward, and both only officially sold in Japan.

So, if this pattern holds up, we had 1 year on, 1 year off, 2 years on, 1 year off. Is this now the first of 3 years of usage for the model? I hope so. I think it has a bright future. And that was not a reference to the fact that all of these are nice, bright colours. Which does mean that grey and black should be in the pipeline for future outings. Am I right?

Which brings me to the final model in the batch. The MB1386 '64 Buick Riviera. For 2024, it comes in a lavender look as number 36 in the range.

I remember when this debuted last year, I thought it was an amazing launch. This year, I am a little, well, not as enamoured. The lavender is nice. Don't get me wrong. Buick officially calls this look Rose Mist.  Sounds posh. It also sounds like they missed the year. The Rose Mist option was stopped after 1963. Ha ha! Oh, yes, I am being nerdy. Does it have to be that exact?  I am fine with the colour. I just think it is not as cool as the black one was.

However, this is more about the tampo. You see, silver pin striping doesn't really stand out against a lavender background. You do have to look closely to see it. The red on the back is more noticeable on the lights.  Obviously.  I just feel that the silver needed to be somehow brighter?  Is that right? Darker? I think it is tough to really do that. It is a bad situation. It just felt like it wasn't really standing out to be worth doing on this one.

But, that wasn't the worst of it. The front corner light segment, which is a part of the chrome base section, has been tampo printed white. I almost missed that. I went back and checked it carefully. Yes, there is a white tampo hit on the corner. Why? That seemed completely pointless. They should either have done the multi-coloured light design that they do so well, or just not bothered. To be honest, I would not have cared whether it got a hit at all. It was chrome. That was fine. I also noted that the door paint is a little thicker than the rest of the model, which is giving it a slightly darker hue. It is not massive, but is noticeable. Particularly on the driver's door. For a model that I really like, I have to say, it is the worst of the batch here. Which is not exactly awful. The others were particularly awesome.  This is nice. I am giving it an 9.

Last year's debut will be tough to top. That was awesome!  

The Collectors series one from earlier this year was scored a 9.5. Slowly, the model is drifting down in points. Hopefully the next one will stop the sinking before it goes too far.

Because I am far from wanting this model to go. Especially as they don't have many Buicks going. Of course, there is a new one coming later this year, which I am so excited for. It is one I have been wanting them to do for ages, so it will be a must-have for me. But, that is not to say they should stop this. It has many colour options, so there is a lot to go through over many years.

And, well, that's it. As I said, it was a small batch. One new casting. A phenomenal new casting at that.  I am sure I will see this in my end of the year Top 10!

We also saw 4 models in new looks. And when the worst of those still gets a 9, purely because I am being mean, I think the batch as a whole is fantastic. I have often stated, the Moving Parts series is currently my favourite series from Matchbox.

That was definitely one of the shorter reads from me.  Next week will be a bit different again. I will be doing another dive back week. Yes, I only just did one, but there is a reason for it. It will be obvious when you see the models I chose. Until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.