Matchbox Monday eats up the 8-packs

Back in July, just before I headed off to the USA to attend the last Convention in Albuquerque, I did a complete rundown of all the larger multipacks that the brand had released. From the early days of the 10-pack exclusive into a complete guide to what was done after it was reduced to a 9-pack. This ran us until the mid-point of 2024, at which point the pack has been reduced again. From July onwards, we now receive an 8-pack. I thought, with Christmas looming, sometimes these larger packs can be useful as a gift. However, so far, they are not being found in too many countries. I know in the UK, where I live, there is not a single store that stocks them. The Entertainer (and a few smaller independent stores) still have old supplies of 9-packs to get through. I do hope that somebody will take them in the UK, and that they become more worldwide in their stocking. So, what has been found so far?

The first batch contained 3 sets. However, only 1 sees something new. This set sports an MB1264 '75 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible in lavender as the exclusive. I do enjoy these larger multipack exclusives, There are some awesome models included. I guess that is the point. Give us something really cool, and we end up getting the whole set just for that exclusive. This is a really nice look for the model.

This appears to be based on a real option for the 1975. It was Cerise Firemist Metallic. It was a factory option, but one that you did have to pay extra for.

As always, the model comes with lashings of chrome, disk wheels and silver pin striping down the sides. I cannot fault this. They have done a stellar job with this one. I am giving it a 10 out of 10. I am still holding out for a bright pink one. They do exist in real life. I don't think they are a factory option, but some do appear in bright pink.

I can't believe that this is the second of the 2024 issues, and both are not easily found. One day, this will get a basic range outing.

A second pack contained the MB728 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U300 in blue as the exclusive. Yes, this is technically exclusive, but was also exclusive to a 9-pack earlier in the year. So, if you already had the 9-pack, there would be no need to get this pack.

However, that is nothing compared to the other pack in the trio. As was the case in 2023, they decided to do a special pack with all construction themed models. However, this one was really weird. The MB914 Ground Grabber was marked up as being the exclusive, with a special marking around it in the package, but this was a model in the 2023 basic range. So, it definitely was not exclusive. I have no idea what happened. The other models in the set were pulled from other singles and 5-pack releases over the last year as well, featuring the same MBX Construction theme that had debuted massively in 2023. However, the MB840 Water Hauler in the pack was not the one from the 2023 5-pack (matching the theme), but was an older one from 2012 that looked out of place. I have no idea why they did that as well? This pack was all over the place.

So, batch A gave us 1 exclusive, 1 carry forward exclusive, and 1 that was not exclusive.

The second batch also consisted of 3 sets. The first of these sets saw the MB1200 '76 VW Golf Mk1 GTi in yellow. From what I can tell, yellow was never an option for the original GTi. Over the course of its 8-year history, metallic silver ran the entire length, and in 1977 it was joined by black and white options, with red joining in 1979, metallic green in 1981 and metallic blue and dark grey arriving in 1982. This means that a 1976 GTi would only be in silver. So, they do need to take liberties with the colour choices. And this one looks fantastic.

As we have seen on every release to date, the model sports front detailing, and something on the sides. This time it is the simple pin striping, black wheel arches, and it also has Rabbit on there.

And, for the nutter out there, like me, this is one of those castings that comes with an interior variation. But, I am very grateful to my friend Keith Hoskins (from Boone County, USA), who somehow was able to spot the difference in the package. I don't know how he did it, as others had reported that the model was too tough to spot the variant in the package. But, as you can see, empty and full rear parcel shelves.

So, this one is doubled up. Thank you, Keith. I am loving the look of this. It may not be an authentic look, but I think it looks stellar. I am giving this a 10 as well.

But, when you look at the model's history, barely anything has been an authentic look. It debuted back in the 2020 basic range in orange.

The 2021 basic range issue was in a Polizei theme. Technically, these do exist. Some police forces in Germany did repaint them for police use. The German only Best of Germany issue was in red, which was a later option on the Mk1 GTi. Whether those side decals are real or not, I do not know.

Plus, it was in the Target Retro series that year in a brighter yellow than this mustard yellow look. That side design was definitely not an original one. That was a Matchbox creation.

The 2022 basic range outing is officially the only one that is correct. Metallic silver. That was how the GTi was launched at the time.

2023 saw 2 releases. The basic range was in olive green. The real green is metallic, and a totally different shade, so this is not a factory colour. But it still looks good, and sports the same tampo as the new one. Then there was another bright yellow in the VW set at Walmart that year. Another Matchbox design.

As well as the yellow, this year also saw a blue basic range outing. Again, the exact same tampo. Again, this is not one of the factory colours from later in the production run of the real GTi.

So, 5 years of outings, 9 different looks, and still no rear tampo print. I did mention about a black one being a real option from 1977 (as well as white). Well, if they did a black one, surely that could come with front and rear detailing? I would like to see one with the rear detailed. Just once!

That was the only model of real interest. Because, the other 2 packs? Both denoted having something exclusive, but one was the MB1430 '68 Chevy C10 that had debuted in the basic range earlier in the year. And it was actually one of the extras in the Unimog pack in the last batch! Plus, the third pack was the exact same Construction themed pack that was in the previous batch. So, another chance to get the 2023 basic range model there.

Mind you, if you are variation nutter, you could say there were 2 out of 4 that were worth getting, if you were after both GTis. I have a feeling that there was a little confusion over how things were playing out. This is all technical stuff. The team would have pre-planned the multipacks, and the Mattel company would have assigned so many SKUs to the brand to use. You see, they usually assign 12 SKUs for the 9-packs, and we see 6 batches with 2 each per year (not including the Construction themed set, which is extra). However, when they released the 9-packs, they did a batch of 2, then a batch of 4 and another batch of 2. This means, by the time they were due to switch, they had already done 8 of the 12 models.But, there were still 3 batches to go. I have a feeling that the batch of 4 9-packs was supposed to be it (possibly released across 2 batches) and then MGB and International Ambulance packs were supposed to be the first of the 8-packs. However, with production taking place before things appear in stores, somehow the factory mixed things up a bit, and created too many 9-packs. So, they had 2 extra slots to fill. Bringing a Unimog exclusive forward seemed sort of logical, but I think they should have brought another 9-pack exclusive forward as well. Not a basic range model. But then, somebody pointed out that they needed as many 8-packs as 9-packs. Because the last batch contained 4! That means we did get 6 exclusives. On top of the 8 from the 9-packs, we do have 14 exclusives in the series. I honestly don't know how it all went down, but I am sure there were a few hiccups and blunders that caused us to see a few more random sets.

These sets all sport something exclusive as well. So, we are getting back on track now. I honestly don't know why we ended up with 14 exclusives across 2024. 2025 is currently previewed with 12 exclusives as usual. We may see an easier roll-out, or things could go weird as well. The first model is the MB1173 '69 BMW 2002 in white. This is a stunning look for the model. I am not sure on the base grey shade, as it feels a little light. But, the white, red interior and front/rear tampo are all spot on. Plus, the windows are clear. Sometimes they have a blue tint.

Overall, I do really like it. But, as I said, that base feels a little too pale in my eyes. I am giving this a 9.5 out of 10. A fractional drop. A darker grey would have been better. Or maybe black? I know they can't always chrome everything.

When the model debuted, we saw the first orange 2019 basic range outing with blue tinted windows. Being a darker grey base, this one does suffer with that weird plastic striping effect during production. The 2019 Target exclusive in gold saw a light smoke window and a chrome base.

2020 also saw the darker grey "stripey" base, and again blue tinted windows on the basic range. This blue did sport a nice shade.

We also saw a lovely set of promotional releases for the 2020 Gathering (that wasn't, thanks to lockdown). Additional roof printing was added to the first 75 made for the first 75 who registered (I miss that as well, as it was dropped for 2024).

For 2021, we did see a chrome base on one of the core outings. The black Autobahn Express 5-pack release had them. The dark green basic range saw the darker grey base again.

We also had a Collectors release in white. Being a full tampo treatment, this did see a chrome base as well.

The 2022 basic range in red is the last basic range outing so far. This also had the darker grey base. I do wonder why they went with a pale grey this time? All the other non-chrome ones had a darker grey base. At least it was consistent.

Because, last year, we did see a chrome base again. The only release was the Autobahn Express IV 5-pack outing, and this metallic blue was also very good for a shade or 2.

Hmm! We have seen 4 models with a slightly enhanced look (the Target exclusive in 2019 was enhanced a little), and those all sported a chrome base. So, when you look at all the rest, I am loving that they all feature the same tampo design. Front and rear. Brilliant. However, did you notice that those outside of the basic range were getting the chrome base? This is outside the basic range. It saw a pale grey base. Is it too late to change my vote to a 9? I am thinking this could have been chromed now, as a multipack release.

This was not shown at the 2023 Gathering. It appears that a certain Mercedes-Benz AMG GT63S that was planned got switch out. Both the MB809 Infiniti G37 and the last BMW were not shown. I think this is a similar sort of model, so am classing it as the replacement. I am very happy to see this one again. Why? It has been with us since 2011, and this is its 4 look! Although, I was looking forward to that Merc, as it has barely been used either. So, they remembered that the Inifiniti G37 exists. Excellent. And the black look is awesome. Again, we are getting a simple front and rear tampo treatment.

Yes, I know, this model ceased production in 2014 (last year, renamed as Q40), and was replaced by a Q50 and Q60 in 2015. But, I am still okay with seeing more of this one. Why not? It is almost becoming a classic. I am giving it a 10.

And, if you are having a hard time remembering this model's history, let's recap again. It debuted in 2011 in blue. I did see that the shade of blue was good for a few shades.

It was then not seen until 2016, when it popped back for a second basic range outing in grey.

It was then another 5 years before we saw version number 3. This red outing was in the 2021 MBX City Drivers 5-pack.

So, with this coming only 3 years later, they seem to have sped up the liveries. However, in the interim, they did bring back the debut in a carry forward 5-pack. It was a 2022 MBX Japan Tourers pack, and the new run did sport a much brighter rear light than the original did.

So, discounting that as a carry forward, this is a line-up of every release of the Infiniti G37 casting. 2011-2024, that's 14 years of production, and a grand total of 4 releases. Why was this used so sparingly? I have no idea. Will we see it again? I hope so. It still looks good. Well, it should. It never got used.

Actually, 3 of the 4 models in the batch were unknown before. They were not shown in the 2024 slide at the 2023 Convention. So, I am not sure what happened. Perhaps they just wanted to even out the quantity of new items seen (discounting the Construction pack, which usually gets a different SKU). I honestly have no idea. It is what it is. The MB1353 '16 Nissan Sentra sees a second outing in 2024. The newest casting of the 8-pack exclusives, it only debuted last year. For this pack, we see a metallic grey release. Nissan refers to this one as "Gun Metallic". It was an official option on the 2016 Sentra. Which is cool, as they went with something real. Plus, again, we have the simple front and rear tampo, and clear windows. Well, a very light smoke tint.

I can't argue about the finished product again. This gets another 10 from me. This is why I like these multipack exclusives. They have some excellent choices for them, and sometimes pull something out of the archives. But, before I get to that particular one, let's do a quick recap of the Sentras.

As I said, this only debuted last year. It was in Blue Pearl, as Nissan calls it. I did spot some nice shading to the blue.

And this one did see a small run with 5-spoke wheels instead of the usual 6-spokes. Not an easy variation to find. I was lucky, as I was in the USA around the time of it, and I heard that it was only being found in discount stores (dollar stores mainly). So, I visited many until I found it.

And this year saw a "Red Pearl" as Nissan calls it, in the basic range.

Which means, after 2 years, we are already up to 3 variations. If you think about it, that Infiniti I just showed took 14 years to get a black 4th outing. This is only 1 behind after 2. and the 3 releases to date, blue, red and grey. Seem familiar? I will laugh if the next Nissan Sentra is black. It is one of the colour options on the real one. It could be a possibility.

I mentioned one from the archives. This is the MB490 Nissan Xterra. Yes, a second Nissan in the batch. Not that this is important. But, in quite the opposite to the newest casting, this is theoretically the oldest one in the batch. Well, in the whole set of 8-packs this year. That's because it debuted way back in 2001. It still keeps plugging away with random releases. Which I love. It was also shown in the slide at the 2023 Gathering. This particular choice of look? Blue? Well, it does look nice. And the realistic front and rear end tampos are the perfect choice for detailing.

However, as I said, this keeps plugging away with variations. And what was the last one?

Blue. Granted, the 2022 Target Retro release is a much brighter blue. But, it is still blue. Had that one not been blue, I would have given this a 10. But, as it stands, we have had 2 blue outings in a row. It is not difficult to see that the Xterra came in a number of colours. Trophy Bronze is something we have never seen. Why didn't they go with that? They could have gone with Atomic Orange. Yes, it was a 2003 option, but it would still work. Or Canteen Green. Again, 2003 (plus 2004). There were options for something different, and cool. I am scoring it an 8, purely because it is too similar to the last one. Which I am quite upset with. I was happy when it was announced. Just a little deflated with how it looked. Now I really want the Atomic Orange. But, as I pulled my older blue out, I guess I should do a complete dive back.

It debuted in the 2001 basic range in silver, exclusively in the US range, with a kayak on the roof.

But that was not all. Australia also saw it in the debut year. This was in blue. But, when a worldwide issue in white arrived, the kayaks were gone. Yes, the School Spirit 5-pack release was given the MAN number MB543.

2002 saw no kayaks. Only the latter casting with a sealed roof. It was white in the basic range worldwide, and saw the first 10,000 sporting a 50 logo on the front. A brown issue also appeared in the Across America series denoting Tennessee.

In 2003, it was back as a US exclusive in the basic range. And this time, it had the kayaks again. What is it with kayaks and country exclusives? Again, it was in blue. The first 10,000 had a Hero City logo on the side.The non-kayak issue was also seen again, in the US, as part of a Looney Tunes licensed 5-pack. Again, it was blue. Seriously, what is it with blue?

In 2004, it got another worldwide outing in yellow. Oh look, no kayaks. Ooh, there were kayaks on the red one. That was a US only Around the world release for the Amazon Rainforest. Doh!

For 2005, we had a Sonic X licensed 5-pack outing in white. There was also a Buried Treasure playset created that was given a red exclusive (at a time when playsets had exclusive models).

We also saw a trio of Superfast releases. For 2005, the Superfast range was sold worldwide, with a set of 15,000 made for the USA only (this one in green), and another 7,500 made for all other markets (in yellow). There were also a pair of 5-packs created, with the Off-Road 5-pack sold with a red one inside.

Finally, in 2006, we had a worldwide release... with kayaks! This was in the Coastguard 5-pack in red. A wheel variation occurred to the model during production. So it can be found with crown or sawblade wheels.

After this, the model was put on hiatus, but there was a plan for it to return in 2013. As part of the 60th Anniversary celebrations, they were going to do a new look and re-release the Buried Treasure set. But, it never materialized. Mind you, the 2005 set was re-issued in 2007, and the model updated. I forgot to take a photo, as the sawblade wheels were switched for 6-spokes, and the hood print was left off. The interior and base were also different colours.

After many years, when the Moving Parts series was announced, they only had so many new castings ready to tool up. This one sort of still worked, so they tinkered with it and created a brand new MB1137 casting. This debuted in 2019 in blue (yes, blue again).

Of course, that is a totally different blue.

A second release in yellow appeared that year. Well, the tool options were still limited. Yellow repeated in 2020 and again in a 6-pack in 2022.

There has only been one other Moving Parts outing. In 2021 it came in black.

But, while they were doing some modifications for Moving Parts, they also created a new basic. This kept the original MB490 MAN number, but the kayaks were removed, replaced by a new roof section, and the rear was sealed. It actually debuted before the Moving Parts release, in late 2018 in the basic range. It came in dark red, and if you look closely, you can just make out that the windows were either clear or a light smoke. It is not an interior variation.

Aside from the 2022 Target in lighter blue, the only other release of the modified MB490 is the khaki release in the 2020 MBX Marine Rescue 5-pack. As you can see, no orange ones. No bronze ones.

It just feels like it has been blue too many times. So, please give us a bronze or orange, and I will be back to giving it a 10 again. I am still up for another release, obviously.

So that gives us 4 exclusives in batch C of 8-packs, or batch F if you are going by the overall multipack release.

There were some cool items, along with 3 bizarre ones. Hopefully 2025 sees us returning to a more normal system of releases. I hope this helps people to know what was happening with 8-packs as well.

Next week I will be hauling my way through another batch of items. Until then, I hope this has been a useful report, and that everybody has a safe and happy week.