Matchbox Monday flies through Moving Parts batch F

Batch F of the 2025 Moving Parts series consists of 6 regular issues, along with 1 Super Chase. Sadly, Wheel Collectors were unlucky with chases. They never got one. That was a really tough chase for me. But, what they did get was a couple of models in dual variants, and were kind enough to send both of each over to me. Thanks guys. 

So, let's get going on these. First up is the MB1332 '75 Range Rover, which appears in a lovely blue colour as number 19 in the range.

Range Rovers were popular in Tuscan Blue in the 1970s, and this is the colour that Matchbox has reproduced here. It does look stunning. The tan interior fits the theme very well, as these would often be sold with tan leather interiors. As we have seen in previous regular outings, the model gets tampo printing all over, from the front (including an extra hit on the opening bonnet), as well as some side detailing.

As well as across the rear.

Which does mean the engine bay doesn't get a hit. I do understand. When it comes to basic range models, we know there is the 2 passes through the tampo machine rule. When it comes to Moving Parts, they do have a little leeway to add a bit more. But, there will still be a limit. The fact that this has received 5 passes (front, rear, sides and bonnet) does mean that it is being maxed out. So, I will not down my score for it. I know this is still a core range model. And the fact that you have to open it up to spot what was missing does make it the best choice for what to leave off. So, I am going to give this a 10 out of 10. A real colour with realistic tampo printing and light smoke windows seeing the lovely tan interior inside. Talking of which.

Wheel Collectors did provide me with both LHD and RHD variants of the model. 

Let's do a dive back. This model debuted in mustard in the 2022 Moving Parts series.

However, for 2023, it was only to be found (if you were lucky) as the first Moving Parts Super Chase. 

Before returning as a regular issue in 2024 in a lovely dark green look.

And at the start of the year it was available through Mattel Creations in a lovely National Parks themed metallic green.

Regular, premium, regular, premium, regular. There's a pattern. Unless it appears in the Collectors series next, I envision this pattern to be broken. I look forward to seeing what they come up with next. Fingers crossed for a red one.

Yes! Porsche! Oh, rats, I need to stop being biased over anything Porsche related. This is the MB1330 '20 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S in its 4th Moving Parts release since debuting in 2022. It comes in yellow this time as number 25 in the range. 

As many know, Porsche will make a car in whatever colour you want. They call it the paint to sample option. This sort of darker yellow hue is known as Speedyellow. It is all one word, as this is a German company, and the German language often groups words together that in English would be separate.

There is nothing I can say to put a dampener on this one. This looks lovely. The wheels suit it. The tampo printing is spot on. The rear license plate is simple and straight to the point. Ha!

And those opening doors still work beautifully. I cannot fault it. 10 out of 10. Time for the dive back.

And I can't start my dive here without my prepro. My little green gem from before it entered production. 

It debuted in red, and this also had those darker tinted windows. 

And in 2023, it came in grey, which I did notice sported a shade.

And 2024's release was in blue. 

Which does mean it has now seen all 3 primary colours across the first 4 years. And, I will not be waiting long for the next one, as it appears later in the year in the Collectors series. 

And now I move on to the only new casting in the batch. The MB1536 '24 Polestar 3. It debuts in the number 32 slot in silver.

It's always nice when we get a new manufacturer in the Matchbox portfolio. This is their first foray into the world of Polestar. For those who don't know the history of Polestar, it was originally a racing team known as Flash Engineering, and would participate in the Swedish Touring Car Championships (later Scandinavian Touring Car Championship) in modified Volvos. It first raced in 1996, and in 2005 it was sold to Christian Dahl, who renamed it Polestar Racing. It continued tuning and racing Volvos.Volvo in turn bought the team in 2015, and set about turning the tuning section into an electrified section of their portfolio. The first Polestar car was unveiled in 2017. The Polestar 1. Although that is no longer made, the Polestar 2, 3, 4 and 5 are. Polestar 6 and 7 are due to debut in coming years. The numbering system is simple. Every time they release a new one, it is the next number up. It does not mean it is a larger vehicle with a higher number. It just means it is a newer vehicle. Because, the Polestar 3 is their largest vehicle. It is based on the same platform as the Volvo EX90, which is Volvo's flagship, but the Polestar only has 2 rows of seats. 

So, let's have a look at the model. It has been made to a fairly large size, which is perfect, as this is a larger vehicle in real life. It needs to be reflected in model terms, and it is. Great work. 

I have been comparing the look of the model to that of the real vehicle. The shape has been captured very well. This is the silhouette of the real vehicle. They nailed that. However, there is one little thing that I find awkward.

The front doors on a Polestar 3 open all the way to the bottom. The model has been created with opening doors, but they stop short. I think they would have been better having them follow the real vehicle and open all the way down. 

They open smoothly, and are even detailed on the inside very well. But, they just feel a little short. 

They had to tampo print them anyway, as they needed to match the rear doors by including the plastic section across the bottom. Obviously, that would have been tough to create on a small door. But, had they made the door the full length, it would have made no difference to the tampo. It would have simply been extended out. 

The model, therefore, is receiving a tampo hit front and rear, and on each opening door. 4 passes. Which does mean we don't get to see the little extra details in the sides. The side indicator is left blank (the small indentation in the side just after the headlight). And the rear wraparound lights don't quite get there. It is a compromise, I guess. Would opening the rear perhaps have been a better option? That way, they could have tampo printed the rear that opened, then did the full sides and front. Still 4 passes, and only 1 opening part. I do like doors opening. And they are becoming less common, as it seems they keep going to the opening engine bay on most things. It was one of the things I noticed about the 2026 Moving Parts new castings. Just about all of them simply opening the engine bay.  

Or would that have been a tough one? As you can see, the opening part of the rear is quite far into the edges of the model. They might have still needed a tampo hit on the rest of the rear. It's tough to really be sure. 

So, how do I score this? Hmm! Inclusion is an easy one. I am giving it a 10, as this is the first time we have had a Polestar vehicle in the Matchbox range, and I love seeing different manufacturers being represented. Casting. Right, the shape is spot-on, but the doors are the sticking point for me. They should have gone all the way to the bottom. So, I am giving it a 9. Design. This is tough. As the model is, built in this way, I cannot argue. Unless they were able to put 6 passes through the tampo machine in total, with the level it has, I have to give it a 10. A total of 29 out of 30. That is a pretty decent score for a new casting. I look forward to seeing more in the future.

Oh, yes, it is a new casting, so a quick base shot before I move on to my next victim. I mean model. 

Hello BMW. We didn't see the MB1255 '20 BMW M4 Cabriolet in 2024. I do think this range deserves expanding. There are so many Moving Parts castings now, and many are being rotated in and out of the range. Plus, where are multipacks? We get basics in multipacks, and other ranges, but Moving Parts is just the one set of 50 models. Yes, here, I go, ranting again about the lack of love for this fantastic part of the Matchbox brand. Honestly, this range is just about their best part, and I so want it to be expanded, both in size (move it up to 75) and by adding in twin packs, even 4-packs or something like that. Anyway, it is good to see this BMW return as number 35 in yellow.

Guess what? Remember me mentioning that Porsche has a colour called Speedyellow. BMW also has one called Speed Yellow. However, they appear to pop a gap in the name while translating from German to English. This is why this one looks very similar in colour to the Porsche I just reviewed. There is another yellow option. Sao Paulo Yellow. This is a much lighter shade of yellow, and I think it might have been better going with a different yellow hue (or possibly putting the 2 models in different batches). Because, this is a lovely colour, and without a second yellow around it, I think it is perfect.

Okay, the license plate makes me laugh. BBRAPPP! I don't know why I am finding it so funny. I am rolling my head around as I say it. Okay, fine, have 2 yellows in the same batch. I honestly think this is a fantastic release, and had it been in a different batch to the Porsche, I would not hesitate in giving it a 10. The colour is great, the tampo prints front and rear are perfect. The interior suits and the clear window is brilliant. There is literally nothing to bring it down.

The doors still open and close wonderfully. I am going to give this a 10. I think it would be totally unfair to downgrade it because it is the same colour as one I already previewed. Had they been the other way round in number order, would I have done the same? I cannot score one perfect and another less, just for coming in later in the report. My only thought from this is that they should have simply put the 2 models in different batches. Problem solved. 

Right, time for the usual dive. When it debuted in 2021, it came in dark blue. I found that, not only was the blue itself good for shading, but the window would also be fun to get tint variations. 

And, as I often find with white models, when this returned in the 2022 series in white, I spotted some looking more creamy than others. 

Then, we last saw it in the 2023 series, when it came in red. No 2024 outing makes this the 4th outing. 

BBRAPPP! I had to do it again. The funnest license plate. Each one has been given something different. I like it when they do that. I hope we see more of these. It still has plenty of life in it.

I do have to thank Wheel Collectors. This is one of those castings that has 2 variants. There are items in only half the rears. But, with the way the packaging is, you cannot find out until you have opened it. And they did open a few to ensure I got both. Thanks guys. This is the MB1453 '23 Audi RS6 Avant in purple, taking the number 46 slot in the range. 

Abe Lugo was the one who started creating these Easter Eggs in models, but this was not created by him. This was a Garry Gopinath creation. I guess Abe's influence rubbed off on him. So, if you are lucky, you will be able to find both items or no items in the rear of this model. 

Purple with gold wheels is really striking. Audi calls this Merlin Purple. It is one of their specialist options, as they also will provide further colours on request. I like that Matchbox didn't just go with an obvious one. The simple front and rear tampo prints are spot on, and there really is not much else that they could have done. Sure, the front lights don't quite go all the way around the side. But, it's a lot to ask for side tampo printing just for that tiny section, and then we would be complaining that they didn't quite align. 

After all, they had the whole rear to deal with. They did manage to work those around the sides better. Plus, the opening rear gets a different print to the body section. I am going to score it a 9.75. That front print is a very, VERY minor thing. I think this is stunning. I much prefer it to last year's debut. 

And it did look fantastic in black. 

I am very much looking forward to adding more of these over coming years. The basic range one debuted almost 2 decades ago, and still keeps going, so I have high hopes for this.

And now on to the last model that Wheel Collectors sent over this time. The MB1469 '69 Triumph Spitfire. For 2025, it comes in a lovely dark green in the number 47 slot. 

Going all nerdy, Triumph sold the Spitfire in Laurel Green in 1969. Not British Racing Green. BRG was always a solid colour, but in recent years, manufacturers are selling cars in metallic BRG. However, the Spitfire only saw BRG during the run of the Mk4, 1974-77. This is a Mk3, which saw different green hues. However, I cannot find any information to say any were in metallic tones. In those days, metallic paint was not as commonly used, so I am guessing no. But, as I always say, they don't have to be authentic colours, and this is really cool.

The model comes with simple front and rear tampo printing, and that burgundy interior really sets it off beautifully. I think this is stunning. I cannot fault it. 

And now I know how to open up the engine bay properly (it was pointed out to me after I posted about the debut last year how to do it), I can see clearly the work that went into building this. It features a metal engine block under that bonnet, and the mechanism opening it is quite the masterpiece. I am seriously impressed. This is so much better than last year's debut in so many ways. It may not be BRG, but this green is still gorgeous. I am giving this a perfect 10. I love it!

Last year's blue debut was nice, but this blows it away. Now, next year they can do the yellow. Ha ha!

Or red or brown. Or anything really. I want more of this one. 

Which brings me to the last model in the batch. The Super Chase. And, boy, this was not easy to get. Sadly, Wheel Collectors never got any in, so I was on my own. I managed to get one in time to include it in the report. This is the fantastic MB1263 '88 Chevy Monte Carlo LS. Super Chase number 3 of 4, in orange. 

Why does this feel so familiar?

That's why. It has the exact same tampo printing as the 2023 Collectors series issue in blue. I am a big fan of seeing models using the same tampo design, but in alternate colours. Tyco had a habit of doing it in the 1990s with many vehicles, and although many were in weird designed looks, the fact that they would simply change the colour, but keep the design in multiple releases, I did quite like that part. Not the weird designs, but the consistency.

And, to be honest, this one is actually nicer, because it has better wheels on it. The original blue had the weird ones I am not a fan of. They don't really suit a lot of vehicles. But, they were brought in when real riders were being put back on Matchbox models. 

Plus, it does have the added SC logo to signify it being a Super Chase. Those doors are still absolutely perfect in their opening/closing. So smooth. This is the standard that all other models with opening doors should be held up to. 

Was it worth the chase? You bet it was. I was not the biggest fan of the blue when it arrived, but seeing this in the same design, it brings a smile to my face. And that is enough for me to say 10 out of 10. Great work guys. I hope we get more vehicles using the same tampo print as a previous example. 

I may have given it a 10 out of 10, but it still does not beat the debut. Back in 2021, this Abe Lugo creation debuted in Moving Parts in black. Honestly, I don't think there will be a better version. They nailed it first time. 

They tried to tempt me by giving me a shade variation on the 2022 Moving Parts tan release. Nope. Not as good.

Or giving it a premium treatment for 2023 in the Collectors series. Nope! Still not as good as the original. 

Or making me work to get the latest one (due to this being skipped in 2024). No, that black will not be beat. Although if they did a classic white, or the maroon with red pin striping, they would be getting closer. This model needs more outings.

And, on that note, I am done with another batch. Only 1 new casting, and 1 to chase.

As well as 2 classic British cars.

And 3 modern German ones. 

So, as these make their way off, I look to the future, and my next report, which takes me back to basics. Not all of them though. The batches are getting bigger again. Until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.