Matchbox Monday finishes the 2024 Moving Parts series

Can I get on my soap box again? Stop giving us batches of 8! Why do they keep wasting the chance to expand the Moving Parts series? This series is pretty much the best thing that they do. I really look forward to seeing all the models in this range. And, let's face it, the quantity of new castings each year is on a par with those appearing in the basic range. Which is currently twice as large, and expands further for 2025. Yet, this is still stuck at 50, and sold in tiny batches of 8 in a box across 8 assortments. This should be the new 1-75 series. A classic Matchbox tradition. They should be sold in larger assortments of 12 per box, and, well, they can keep at 8 batches. 12x8=96. Less 4 super chases. 92 gives them a little wiggle room for doubling up at times. I say this, because, for the second time this year, a Super Chase has been added in to the assortment, which means that 1 of the 8 models has been taken out. As it was, Wheel Collectors only got boxes with Super Chases. Which means that they did not get one of the lovely new castings. In fact, I think it was perhaps about the most hyped new casting of the lot. The one that I think was likely in most people's top 3 of the case. Why do they keep doing this? That is one of the most frustrating things of the years. We actually have 4 Super Chases, but because of 2 new castings going to make room for them, these new castings are in essence a chase as well. I had to chase down the extra for the blog. Anyway, enough ranting. I think it is time for us to take a gander at these lovely new castings.

The first of which is a little unusual. Some people thought that this was a chase vehicle. This is the MB1459 '18 Dodge Durango. Not to be confused with the MB1266 '18 Dodge Durango, that debuted thrice in 2022 and has not been seen since. It takes the number 1 slot in the series, and debuts in the Boone County colour scheme.

The reason some people were getting a little confused is that it came with real riders. Yes, I checked, and sure enough, that rubber wheel pops off the hub. It doesn't appear to be an error, as I have not heard of any being found with plastic wheels. But, honestly, it is not a chase. If it were, there would be some sort of SC nod in the tampo print, and the package would have stated Super Chase on it. Packages do. It appears they simply put some real riders on this.

Unlike the previous civilian Durango, this has been specifically created as an emergency style vehicle, with light bar and push bars. Plus, the rear doors have that secure look about them.

Talking of which, they are the opening feature on this one. Unlike a certain 2006 Ford Crown Victoria which has opening rear doors, these are made of metal. I think it was a little easier to do due to the fact they don't have a window piece.  The Crown Vic had doors in clear plastic, and then tampo printed everything outside the window section to cover that all up. So, I do see the logic in the way that both models are being constructed differently.

And the bonus. I had to shine an additional light to ensure it was seen, as there is a dog inside when you open the offside rear door. I love it!

I have brought in the original triple whammy from 2022 for a few comparisons, as I felt it was better to talk about this before I scored it.

One of the main things which I think it brilliant, is that they have created this new casting to the exact same scale, and the 2 castings look as if they are pretty much cut from the same cloth. I think that is very important with 2 different stabs at making a model. The black basic range is used for this comparison.

The new casting is therefore slightly longer, as it has the push bar on the front. It sticks out beyond the front of the casting. The white Dodge Series issue is shown here for comparison.

And it still retains the tow hook on the rear. Which was very important for the Hitch & Haul release in red in 2022. The bonus, aside from opening features (and a dog), is that this also sports an interior. The original was a 3-part build.

Now, this is the type of doubling up on a casting I can get behind. We now have 2 Durangos, but one is a civilian and the other an emergency themed one. Dodge just call it Pursuit. Matchbox didn't mention that in the name. But, it is clearly a different look, and that sets the 2 models apart brilliantly. So, this is a great addition to the range.

Of course, we move on to the livery. And this is another of the Boone County models. Out of all the recurring themes, this is perhaps my favourite. Why? Well, I sort of had a hand in helping it come to be. When I was the Matchbox Ambassador back in 2007/2008, I was speaking to my friend, Keith Hoskins, who worked there. He said he would love to see one of his vehicles immortalized in Matchbox form. I spoke with the guys at Mattel about it, and they were keen. So, I got them in touch with each other, and the rest is history. Nearly 2 decades later, and they are still cranking them out. Every time they do, I get a big smile on my face. And, what makes this even better is that they have created the model as a K9 vehicle, with the dog inside. Genius! And fun as well. I love the "SLO DOWN" licence plate.

And, am I counting 6 passes through the tampo machine? I mean, we get front and rear. We get the sides. But, think about it. The doors were likely printed on their own, with the body on its own, and they were constructed after. That is the normal way to do things. This is why the printing on the doors is very slightly out from the rest of the body section. Adding in the bonus real riders, and this is a phenomenal debut. I think you are going to be able to guess my scores. Inclusion. Yes, I love having a pursuit and civilian casting of the same vehicle, and as such, this is getting a big fat 10 from me. Casting. Again, this matches the civilian version so well. Kudos for not shrinking it to accommodate those push bars on the front. The doors open and close very easily, and the bonus dog inside is a great touch. 10 again. Design. Perfect. Full tampo all around, and a great, real, recurring theme. I am quite confident that this will be one of the best looks this model will ever see.

As we saw with the 2006 Ford Crown Victoria, they have to do this unusual configuration with the base to enable them to include opening rear doors. Front opening doors use a much larger hinge, and a small metal strip linking them to open and close. Rear ones are a completely different entity. I like the way they do something different at times.

Next up, for the second year in a row, we are getting a classic Triumph in the Matchbox portfolio. This year, it is the MB1469 '69 Triumph Spitfire, taking the number 2 slot in blue.

I can't believe that during the entire Lesney era, the only time they even looked at Triumph was when they wanted a bike. Even under Mattel's ownership, the next time a Triumph was ever seen, it was a bike. The thing is, Triumph started as a motorcycle manufacturer, but moved into making cars as well. However, their car side was not too popular, and it was split from their motorcycle side in 1936, went bankrupt in 1939, and purchased by Standard. Standard-Triumph was incorporated into British Leyland in 1960, and, although the Standard name was quickly phased out (the last one sold in 1968), the Triumph name did continue until 1984, when they phased that out as well, as part of a restructure into the Rover Group. When BMW purchased the Rover Group in 1994, they eventually sold much of it off, but kept 3 marques. Mini. Everyone knows that. They launched the new Mini in 2001, which has been a huge success. But, they also kept 2 other brands. Triumph is one of them. To date, they have not done anything with it. Bizarrely, the other one was Riley. Which is much less known. Triumph does have quite a lot of well known vehicles, and I am amazed that it has taken so long for us to see some of the those cool classics.

Named after the Supermarine Spitfire plane, that was used by various air forces between 1936 and 1961, the Spitfire began production in 1962, the year after the final Spitfire plane was retired from service. Designed by the Italian, Giovanni Michelotti, who was very popular in Italian designs for Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati. However, he would design quite a few of Triumph's sports cars. Italian sports cars and Triumphs. He did a few designs for other companies as well. BMW (Germany), Alpine (France), and his final design (Reliant Scimitar SS1, UK) before his passing. The Spitfire came in 5 generations. The first was known as Spitfire 4 (retroactively referred to as Mark I), and the second was the Spitfire 4 (Mark II), before they dropped the "4" part, with Spitfire Mark III and Mark IV coming next, and finally the 5th generation known as Spitfire 1500. The Mark III was made between 1967 and 1970, so that makes this model a Mark III. It made no mention of that on the base or packaging. The differences between model years is quite minimal until the final 1970 year. One of the main things that happened in the final year was the removal of the seperate lettering on the front and rear and switching for a badge. So, this is obviously correctly noted as not a 1970 model.

The model comes with an opening bonnet (or hood if you live in the USA). This is similar to how the TR6 opened last year. However, this one does not open as much as that did. You can just about see inside, to note that the engine is again made of metal.

But, I do think this is a bit of an issue with this specific vehicle, as they have created the front end out of metal as well, and I guess the engine had to be metal to withstand certain pressure while being moved about. Sometimes we have to deal with certain anomalies due to regulations over how well things will hold together. However, in this case, I think it was not worth it.

Where the TR6 sported a beautiful opening front end, raising high, and sitting flush with the body, this has a massive gap. Just look at that. When closed, there is a mighty gap between the bonnet and window. It is quite an eyesore, and is such a shame, as the rest of the casting has been pieced together and shaped beautifully. I was loving it at first, until I saw that massive gap. It really detracts from the overall look of this one. I am absolutely gutted. Aside from that, everything else was perfect. I thought this could have been in my Top 10 list at the end of the year. And then I saw that gap. It just tumbled down my list. As I said. Gutted. It was one of my most anticipated of the year, and one of the biggest let-downs. Honestly, I think this would have been much better as a model created with opening doors. The other Triumph had the front opening. This should have had a different part to make it different. Yes, it was a cool and unique feature on this model. But when you see the end result, it wasn't worth it. Opening doors, smoothly operating and sitting nicely against the body, and this would have been Top 10. Easy.

I don't hate it. I mean, look at that rear end. Perfect! And the final design is faultless. I mean, this is Royal Blue. An official Triumph colour option for the car, and the tampo is spotless. Clear windows. Classic disc wheels. So close. Scoring. Inclusion. I love that they have added it. 10. Casting. Big gaps mean big deductions. I am scoring this a 7, as I feel they went in the wrong direction for the opening parts. Design. Again, a perfect 10. So, a 27. All down to a gap in the front.

A little base shot as it is a new casting.

Remember my soapbox rant at the start? Yes, this is the model that I had to chase down to complete the batch. The MB1462 '65 Land Rover Series II Forward Control in blue, which takes the number 20 slot in the series, unless the box had a chase in it. Which all of Wheel Collectors did. Doh!

Matchbox has made 3 models of 1965 Land Rover Series IIs. The basic range has a regular model with a removable roof element, and a higher spec premium version includes an interior, although this variant has only had 1 outing to date. They also did a pickup variant in Moving Parts. And now, we get a 1965 Forward Control. Although, to be honest, I am not sure why they specified 1965. The Series II Forward Control debuted in 1962, and in 1966 was given the moniker IIB as they enlarged the engines. It was a little underpowered. But, aesthetically, they looked the same. And, the thing is, I think Matchbox have been able to expand their imaginations a little. Forward Controls were not sold to civilians. They were built for commercial use. Armies used them. Many were built as fire engines or ambulances. But, as their main use was no longer applicable, they would go up for sale, and civilians would then get their hands on them. The most obvious thing to do is to convert it to a camper. But, there is no specialist company for this (as far as I am aware), and as such, each conversion would be unique. Less than 2,500 Forward Controls were made between 1962 and 1974, but as these are Land Rovers, many have now been converted. So, I think what Matchbox has done, is come up with their own unique conversion.

Do you think it looks cool? I do. I think they have done a fantastic job coming up with a camper conversion to a Forward Control. I have not found a picture of a real one that looks like this, which is why I think Garry Gopinath has created his own vision of what it should look like. He has come up with some amazing castings, and I think should be very proud of this one. The cab is made of metal, as is the base, with the main camper section constructed of plastic. It still feels very solid. And the gap on the 2 parts here is so smooth, you can't even see where the metal finishes and plastic begins.

At the rear, you have a really solid ladder, and I love the 2 tanks that are created out of the base section. This gives the model an instant colour break. And it comes with a tow hook. Perfect for adding a boat or something to the rear.

Even the roof is very well detailed. The grille on the top of the model is exquisitely done. And, what is this? I see a sunroof with a lever on it.

Yes! As well as the opening side door, which is a simple procedure, this is only the second Matchbox model in history to sport an opening sunroof. The Rover 3500 from 1980 was the first. That model played a significant part in my childhood and decision to collect only Matchbox. So, seeing this is giving me an instant connection to my childhood. This is awesome!

The base simply states 1965 Land Rover Series II. It doesn't even mention that it is a Forward Control vehicle. That was only noted on the package.

The detailing to the model is minimal. The rear is blank. Now I see the importance of the colour break. The sides simply had a little edging to features.

As well as a few lights and the Land Rover logo. The front was lovingly detailed. Overall, I am blown away by this one. Including it? I would have never thought of it myself, but I think it is perfect for the range. It has to be a 10. Casting? What can I say? Flawless. And that opening sunroof is the cherry on top (literally, you know, because it is on top). Again, a perfect 10. Design. Simple. Understated. Did it need loads of swirls, or camouflage, or big signs on it? No. I think it is great as is. Will I take one with swirls, camouflage or big signs? Yes. This is the type of casting that can see an understated or overstated design and still work. Is that the perfect Matchbox model? Possibly. I tell you, I was close to adding this to my top 10 list this year. Partly because of the sunroof. This is an awesome model, and in my personal experience, well worth the chase to hunt down.

After 2 blue vehicles, we now turn our attention to this blue one. Yes, I think they might have gone a little overboard with blue in this batch. This is the MB1471 '61 Chevy Corvair Rampside Pickup, debuting in the number 29 slot.

This is another of those models I have been bugging the guys to make. Especially as a Moving Parts vehicle.

With the opening ramp. Have they delivered? In spades! This is quite an unusual vehicle, and the model has done it proud. Chevrolet introduced the Corvair in 1960 as a response to the flooding of smaller European vehicles, which the big 3 US companies were ignoring. The Corvair was compact, and debuted in sedan form. In 1961, the range was widely expanded. A wagon, known as the Lakewood was added. They also created their own cabover alternate, known as Greenbrier Sportwagon, to counter the VW Type 2. This also spawned alternates, with the Corvan 95 being a utility van alternate, and 2 different pickups. Loadside and Rampside. Rampside was the more popular, and this was partly down to that little ramp. Loadside was more of a regular pickup. Where's the engine? In the middle of the rear bed. Yep, they put it in the middle of the vehicle.

And, I have to say, the way the ramp moves up and down is so smooth. It sits firmly on the floor. Firmly in place when clicked back up. And it is a solid little piece of metal. Again, they have worked wonder. Garry has done it again. Is he perfect? No, he did the Spitfire. We all have little imperfections, but as a rule, his work is speaking volumes. I think he has again worked some magic on this one.

There is one little thing I am sad about. Casting, it is brilliant. I cannot fault it. However, when it comes to the design, after seeing others get a full wrap, I am a little sad to see the rear end blank. That white stripe should have continued around the back to circle the rear lights. It doesn't go all the way across. Just loop around rear lights and back again. It is the only minor flaw I can see with this one.

Because everything else about it is great. I am not fussed about the little square patch in the rear bed, where the body section has been moved in a little to rivet to the base. After seeing so many basics move to this style, seeing it in Moving Parts as well is not an issue. Sure, they could do it the old-fashioned way, which was to slot the interior section (which forms the bed) through, and then flick it down at the back to cover up the rivet area, but it is a slow production method, and I know why they don't do it much any more. It doesn't bother me.

Scores? Inclusion is easy. I have wanted one for years. 10. Casting. Absolutely fantastic. I mean, look at the window wipers. So much detail. A perfect 10 again. Design. So close. Chevy calls this colour =Jewel Blue Metallic, and it was a common colour on Corvair Rampsides. Plus, most would sport the white stripe. However, missing that rear print was the only minor thing I could complain about. This was as close as it could have been to perfection. Had that rear print been popped on? Perfection! So, a 9. A total of 29 out of 30.

So, as I finish with the base shot, I look forward to seeing many more, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that one day we will see a rear print added.

And now, in a drastic change of colour, we go with a blue one. Yes, this is the 4th blue model in a row. Somebody really likes the colour blue. This is the MB1461 '22 Mini Cooper SE, taking the number 32 slot in the range for 2024.I don't know why the package simply said Mini EV. Was it an early placeholder and never updated with the proper name? I have no idea. As if I am that bothered, because I do open them and dispose of the packaging.

The first thing I notice (apart from the dust particles) is that this is another of the castings created using the window section to include the roof. Which means that the windows are extremely dark. Almost black. It is not something I like to see. I know this is becoming more and more common in the Matchbox range, but I still am not a fan. Although this is a bit of a tough one. Now, the SE is the electric Mini Cooper that launched recently. From what I can see with all the pictures I was looking at of real ones, it appears that the pillars are always black, as they are integrated into the windows. It is becoming quite the norm nowadays. This means that had they been part of the body section, they would have also ended up blue, and as such would have actually looked wrong as well. Is this the better option? Maybe it is. However, after seeing them do it with a Bronco Sport in the basic range, why couldn't they have made a plastic roof piece to attach to the top? After all, the Mini has a habit of having roofs in different colours to the rest of the car. It appears many of them are white. Some can be black as well. I think, especially as this is quite a small casting, and is in the Moving Parts series with 1 moving part, a plastic roof piece would have been a huge advantage. And then the windows would have been much lighter smoke.

I think I left a part of the packaging stuck to the model. That foam insert is disintegrating and sticking to models a bit. That Jaguar issue earlier this year appears to be the start of something that could get worse as times goes on. Aside from the roof, the rest of the model has been very well cast. And the gaps between the body and the opening section are not too large.

And I like this opening feature. The front bonnet comes up. But, as in real life, headlights do not come up with it, so are left behind. They have done this one very well.

Once open, the inside is highly detailed showing off the well, whatever you get in an electric vehicle. Again, this is finely done, and the fuzziness is enhanced a little here in the close-up. Do you notice the little "S" on the front as well? There is a lot of tampo detail added to the front of the model.

Which is also as you would expect at the rear. And I like that they also gave this one the British flag style option to the rear lights.

This is the first new Mini in the Matchbox range since the debut of the '11 Mini Cooper Countryman. I think it is definitely worth adding an up-to-date model again. Of course, they went electric. I doubt the kids will care. I bet they still make engine noises as they roll them around. But, I think it was good to have a fresh modern Mini again. Perhaps a Mini Aceman could be added to the basic range to accompany this one? So, when it comes to scoring, I am giving this a 10 for inclusion. However, when it comes to the casting, I am not a fan of the window/roof all-in-one. I think it would have been better with a plastic roof, which would have given it instant colour breaks. I am scoring an 8. Final design, though, I cannot fault that. A 10 again. That means this scores a 28 out of 30 for its debut.

A shot of the base denoting the SE version of the Cooper Electric was chosen. They had a few options. There was an E, SE, E Sport, SE Sport or John Cooper Works variant to choose from. Why do they need to go top of the range? Mid-range is fine.

Yes, another big stonking SUV is added to the range. But, it is not blue (apart from a few striped details). This is the MB1470 '23 BMW iX, and it debuts in the number 42 slot in cream. Or tan. Or khaki.

Or is it grey? I honestly haven't got a clue. It does not appear to be a real colour option from what I can tell. I wasn't sure if Oxide Grey was it, but I think this is not that one. The iX was created in 2021 as the largest of the electric vehicles, but they have since done other SUV styles called iX1, iX2 and iX3, which does make the number system a little confusing. The "i" part is what signifies it being electric. Which is quite ironic, as most manufacturers used to add "i" at the end for fuel injection, but BMW went with "e". It's as if they are doing the opposite of everybody else. Which is also what I think they were thinking with the grille. Many manufacturers pretty much deleted the grille for their electric car. BMW made it even bigger.

I know that this vehicle in real life is a little polarizing. Some love it, some hate it. I know I have mentioned this before. Marmite. It is a yeast extract that is sold in the UK. Some people love it, others hate it. It divides the nation. Their adverts even alluded to that. And that is what this BMW is. Marmite, in car form. I like it. It is different. A great big stonking SUV, but quite a bit different from other big stonking SUVs.

When it comes to the casting, I think Garry went the right way with this roof. Unlike a certain Jaguar I-Pace that had a tampo printed roof that was rubbed off in the package, this has utilized the window piece in a way that still sees the pillars formed from the body and huge moonroof surround still standing out. I don't like a roof being purely from the window section, but when it is like an insert to the roof here, I am fine with it. This still feels and looks like a solid model.

This model features opening doors, which means it is sporting 6 passes through the tampo machine. The doors are being detailed, and all 4 sides of the model are also detailed. The thin blue lines are correct. They look a little weird. Especially the front ones. But, that is how BMW did the real ones. They seem to like adding blue lines to electric vehicles. Again, I have no idea why. They have their ideas. All I can imagine is it is somehow linked to the BMW badge, which sports a similar blue part to it.

Overall, the tampo printing is as I would expect. Very realistic. It does look a little weird in places, the way they circle the door handles, and the front blue strips, but it is true to life.

So, scoring this one. Inclusion. I admit, I wanted this one, so I am giving it a 10. Casting. I can't fault the casting. Again a 10. Design. The blue strip along the front is a little sloppy, and the debut colour of grey, beige, tan, cream, whatever, is a little dull. I think there are definitely nicer colour options. I am giving it an 8. That gives it a final score of 28 again. Just like the Mini.

The obligatory base shot for a new casting.

Hmm! I notice as I am writing, we had 4 ICE vehicles, and the last 4 in the range are electric. That is a high percentage of electric. And none come with a more convoluted name than the MB1458 '24 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology. Is it me, or are the "with" and "technology" parts making it too wordy? G580 EQ. Boom! But, Mercedes-Benz decided that it needed the full name. Their original concept for this was called Concept EQG. People thought, they would have called it EQG. Especially as they have the EQA, EQB, EQS, EQV etc. Electric vehicles based on their ICE compatriots. But no, a long name was required. It takes the number 44 slot in the series and debuts in grey.

And, yes, they managed to get it all on the base. Luckily, being an electric vehicle, they do have a bigger blank area to work with. Good job.

But, aside from the silly name, what do I think of the model? Well, it is freaking awesome! Techinically, this is a part of a third generation G-Class. The 1st generation was the W463, and was an alternative up-market version of the original W460. It was upgraded to the W463 in 2018, and now the W465 in 2024. The G580 with EQ Technology is the first electric version of it, which I think is somehow linked to the long name. From what I can tell, the EQ... range are sold specifically as different vehicles to their ICE counterparts. However, when it came to the G-Class, it is just a different (alternative) engine, denoting the long and convoluted name.

We actually saw this when Mercedes-Benz launched the real vehicle, as Matchbox were in on the ground floor creating a model, which was sold through Mattel Creations. It was showcased alongside the real vehicle at launch, and mine arrived a few weeks ago, ready for me to showcase in a few weeks. And their attention to detail is amazing. One of the things that really stands out to me is the window. It is flush with the body. Usually they are set inside due to the way that production dictates. But, not here. Only the front window shows any sign of the being set back on the model. That is very surprising. It also makes this stand out. 

This model is undeniably a G-Class. They have captured the shape perfectly. Another masterclass from Garry.

Attention to detail is exemplary. Again, I do like checking out window wipers. I don't know why. Ever since Ryu Asada created the most intricate wipers on a Scion xB many years ago, I always make note of that little detail. And they are very well crafted here. The doors are well crafted and slot in place well here.

They open up fairly easily. You do have to get your fingernails into the gap in the door to get it going. Or use the wing mirror as a push pad to get it open. It's a good job the wing mirror is really solid as well.

The tampo printing is simple and effective. I honestly cannot tell if the spare wheel is made up of 2 parts, or if they have meticulously tampo printed the top half so well that it looks like it.

I think this is a fantastic model. I love that they were in on the ground floor with this, showing it off as part of the real vehicle's launch. So including it is an easy 10. When it comes to the casting, I think this is one of the best of the modern era. I am still scratching my head over the window. Again, a perfect 10. As to the design. Simple, effective, and exactly what I would expect. Design. This is an official Mercedes-Benz colour. They call it grey. Yes, Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology, a massive long name. Colour, grey. Oh wait, I forgot the extra part. Non-metallic. Perfect. Just perfect. The most convoluted model name I have come across in modern times gets the simplest colour name imaginable. I am scoring this a 10 based on that alone. I absolutely love it. I am leaving the comparisons with this and older models for when I go through the Mattel Creations one in a few weeks. Because there is still another model to go, plus a chase. Phew! This is a long blog.

The final new casting, and 4th electric one, is the MB1456 '23 Toyota Prius Prime. It takes the number 46 slot in the range and debuts in red.

Now, most people know of the Toyota Prius. It was the first mass-produced hybrid car, which Toyota debuted way back in 1997. It is about time that we saw an updated version of it. The Matchbox range debuted a second generation, just as it was about to be replaced by the third. And kept it plugging away for years, and even altering it into a taxi. However, many people outside of North America may be totally confused over the "Prime" part. Debuting as part of the 3rd generation, Toyota expanded the natural hybrid Prius by introducing a plug-in hybrid version as well. However, outside of North America, most markets simply called it the plug-in hybrid version. It didn't have a fancy name. In fact, Europe now only sells this variant, and it has PHV after the model's name (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle). And, if you lived in Australia, you would be sitting there thinking "there's a 5th generation"? Australia has stopped selling it completely. New Zealand and the UK almost did, but both have decided to carry on.

Daft note, New Zealand does call this Prime as well. So, they are still very with it on this one. Europeans and British people are thinking ignore the "prime" part. Although, to be honest, aside from the package, we have a little logo on the back.

Oh, wait, it's on the base as well. This is a problem with vehicles that go by different names in different countries. How can Matchbox accommodate them all without going way overboard sometimes. This one was fairly easy. Toyota Prius Prime/PHV. Cover bases. And it is still shorter than the Merc was.

Again, this model is one that is constructed by using the window component to form the roof. However, this also sees the body make up the sides. It doesn't seem as bad as the Mini being all window. That Mini just felt bad. But, could this have been better had the body extended over the roof. Well, I checked out various photos of the real ones, and some have body coloured roofs and others have large moon roofs. I think it is fine. The sides being part of the body were a definite good call. The real one looks just like this. They nailed it.

Again, we have opening doors on this one. Being the largest opening, it is easy to open and close them. They work very smoothly.

And, when you actually look at the model, with no details down the sides, it simply has front and rear tampo. Does it need more? To be honest, no. I can see this one being popular within Mattel circles as it is an easy build. Opening parts, light, and 2 passes through the tampo machine. Sometimes, that is all you need.

Did we really need a new Prius? We only have a 2nd gen, and this is a 5th. I think in this case, yes. It has not been overdone (although I know there is a basic range coming for 2025, which will see my thoughts change there). So, when it comes to inclusion, I am giving this a 10. Casting. Yeah, I see nothing wrong with what they came up with. 10 again. And the design. Well, I think this red one was the brightest out of all the 8 regulars. Perhaps the most eye-catching. I am giving it a 10. Wait, have I just given a Prius 30 out of 30?

After the regular 8, in a box of 8, we get the 9th. Yes, the Super Chase was inserted, which meant the Land Rover was pulled to accommodate the MB1377 '20 Jeep Gladiator.

It was pure coincidence that Wheel Collectors only received Super Chases in their shipment. These things can happen. But, as I said, I had to chase down the Landie. In this case, putting a chase in the assortment is actually giving us 2 chases. Because the assortments are too small. Yeah, enough of that. I am sounding like a broken record. The Jeep. Orange is sort of a signature colour for Super Chases. We have seen quite a few in orange, including 4 this year. Well, this is the orange brand.

It looks really nice in orange and the upgraded tampo treatment allows it 6 passes through the tampo machine. Or possibly 5. I am not sure whether the curvature of the hood is too much for a single pass on that element. Although they could do something to get it through in one. So we have front, rear, 2 sides & hood (1 or 2 hits).

But nothing on the engine. Oh. That is a surprise, but not a dealbreaker. It's a chase. It doesn't have to be totally covered. And this looks really nice in this orange look. I think the extra detailing on the model is not over the top, and suits it very well. The black real riders suit it as well. I much prefer this to last year's debut.

Which came in quite a dull red.

I think this is one of the nicest Super Chase looks. Very understated. But, also very bright. I'm giving it a 10. Yes, a lot of 10s given out.

Even though half the model were blue. Including all 3 of the British ones. Yes, I know, the Mini is part of BMW, but many still classify it as British.

The US side of things sees a lot more variety.

With a couple of German vehicles and a Japanese car completing the ennead. I checked. It is the correct word for a group of 9 in English. Ha!

Shhh! You can't go vroom vroom with these. Well, I suppose you could with the Prius if you rolled it around long enough. Ha ha!

As these head off, my attention now moves to next week, where I finish another batch of 2024 models off. Those will be also finishing off a little sub-set that we have seen in 2024. Until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.