Matchbox Monday flips to Moving Parts F

I can't believe that last week I was going through batch F of the 2024 basic range. That is the midpoint, as there are 12 batches throughout the year. However, when it comes to Moving Parts, there are only 8 batches. So, looking at batch F here means I am three quarters of the way through. Which is, in fact, a huge difference. I think I will be playing catchup with basics over the next few months. Mind you, basics were a little slow at arriving in numerous countries (but not all).  Now, batch F of Moving Parts is a bit of a contentious one. There are 5 models in the assortment. This means that 3 of them were doubled up in the case of 8, leaving the other 2 as a single issue per case. But, there is a chase. So, what did they do? Take out one of the single inclusion per case models to accommodate it. Doh! So, with one model being a super chase, it sort of makes the alternate one a not-so-super chase. Sadly, Wheel Collectors never got the chase in theirs, so if you want the other one, they did have them in. Now, time to get on, as there is another issue with the new packaging I need to address.

Which occurs on the first new casting. The MB1466 '22 Jaguar I-Pace.It is great seeing another modern Jag in the Matchbox ranges, and this is the first one that has appeared in Moving Parts. All Jags to date have been basics, apart from the D-type that debuted last year, which will be a premium exclusive. This takes the number 6 slot in the 2024 range, and debuts in orange.

Earlier this year, I pointed out that these new inserts that Matchbox have do sport a small issue. When a Super Chase is being inserted, if you are not careful, you could end up pulling the outside of the wheel off. Of course, it is easy to put back on, but if somebody was not paying too much attention, they could accidentally lose it before realizing it was gone. Now we have another. This model is proving to be rubbing a lot across the top of the foam. Much of the roof print is being rubbed off the model before you even have a chance to take it out. Mine hasn't suffered too much, but I have seen/heard of others who have found some pretty badly roughed up on the roof.  It is not good. Each of these foam inserts are being formed around the shape of the model, but had it been slightly higher in the roof area, and not against the body of the model, it would not have made any difference. Of course, this is still a new way of packaging things, and there will always be a learning curve.

The funny thing is, the artwork doesn't even show the roof print. It was a plain roof, and I wonder if this was a late decision to add a roof print. Of course I will have to knock my scores down for this. Sure, it was not intentional, but it still has happened. I can't ignore it.

That is not a great finish. I am sure some will simply pull out a black marker and fill the gaps back in. But, I am one of those who like to keep them as I get them. Unaltered.

I am very happy to see a Jaguar SUV in the range. We have never had one. SUVs are their future. Electric vehicles are their future. Mind you, they recently announced that literally everything except the F-Pace will be discontinued by the end of 2025. A whole new range of EV SUVs will be their future. The F-Pace will turn electric. This is the last of the discontinued models, as all the others have already ceased production, and this stops next year. But, that is okay. We got in before it left. I like it. Sure, many are not keen on SUVs. But, this one still has that distinctive Jaguar front. Plus, it is a crossover SUV. They do look a little more sporty in my eyes.

I think they have captured the shape of the real vehicle very well. However, those doors look to me as if they are a little small. Not small, but too narrow. There is a big gap either side of them. They should have worked a little better for a smoother fit. The upper and lower edges line up well.

I like the way they have created that upper rear spoiler. Sometimes, a model will lose this, particularly if it is a part of the window section. It stands out well here.

The doors do open and close smoothly. There is no issue here with the opening parts. Only that they are too narrow for the body. The design front and rear is faultless. I cannot argue with that.

I love the colour, and I love the design. Did you notice that the doors have tampo printing? That is a lot of passes through the tampo machine. However, that roof print is bad. This is a case that perhaps they should have used the window section to form the middle of the roof, as the window is a dark tint anyway. Have the body section simply be the outside of the roof, and integrate that dark window inside of it.

So, as I show the base for this new casting, my attention goes to the scores. Inclusion. Big fat 10. I love it. Very happy to see this in the range. Casting? A 7. The roof could have been designed for the window to take the brunt of that colour change, and those doors are not fitting well in my opinion. Design. A 9. I have to knock off a point for said roof. Overall, a 26 out of 30. Pretty decent.

This is cool. Mattel have a licence for Harry Potter stuff, and they have given Matchbox a little action by having a few Harry Potter themed items in their ranges. This is the first of the items arriving, and will be followed by a basic version, as well as a Convoy set and a Hitch & Haul. This is the MB1452 '62 Ford Anglia. It takes the number 13 slot in the range, and comes in a Harry Potter themed package (as all the HP stuff will this year).

Hmm! Look at the roof on this. Smooth. Unscuffed. It is a weird thing. How did the Jag get so roughed up, but the Ford Anglia didn't. It must be magic! Yes, I had to go there....

Well, anybody who has seen the Harry Potter films will know there are not a lot of vehicles in it. Aside from this, the only other vehicle of note is the purple bus. It looks a little like the Routemaster that Matchbox has already, except there is a middle section added into it. You never know, perhaps this is an upcoming Mattel Creations? It is technically an adapted AEC Regent, not AEC Routemaster, but they are close. Other than those, we get a few glimpses of other vehicles. His adopted family have a 1999 Vauxhall Vectra Estate. We saw an LTI Taxi briefly. Aside from that, everything else is a blink and miss it vehicle. The Hitch & Haul and Convoy stuff are other types of vehicles used during the films.

So, when it comes to the Ford Anglia, Matchbox has done a fantastic job recreating it in miniature. The shape has been captured effortlessly, and I love the paint job that has been done, with the rusty patches all over.

You can see that these opening doors do not seem to have as big a gap in them than the Jaguar did.

I am doing a base shot now, as I am pointing something out. Often, we see it with many Jurassic World models, there is a company trademark for the franchise etched into the writing on the base. This one does not have it. So, as far as I am concerned, this means that although this particular Ford Anglia is Harry Potter themed, the casting itself is free to be used in other non-Harry Potter colours. This will be an important note when we come to the basic range version in the future.

The legal stuff for Warner Bros is actually tampo printed down the far side.

As I mentioned, the doors on this do open (although they are not easy to do).

But we also get an opening rear as well. Aberto!

Alarte Ascendare! Yes, this is a great addition. What can I say? Inclusion? Perfect 10. Casting? There are no faults or issues at all. Perfect 10. Design. It's exactly what it needs to be. Perfect 10. That is a clean sheet of scores. 30 out of 30. This is a fantastic addition. I hope that they are able to do more Ford Anglias in the future and not leave this one as a Harry Potter exclusive.

And now, the non-Super Chase. Yes, the final new casting is one of only 2 that came 1 per case in shipments, yet was the one taken out to accommodate a chase model. And this appears to be one of the most popular ones in the batch (alongside the Anglia). It is the MB1464 '95 Chevy C1500. It debuts (if you can find it) in tan as number 17 in the series.

I am extremely happy to see this finally arrive. Why? Back in 1996, Matchbox launched a Chevy K-1500 4x4 in the basic range. That casting is still pottering along, but we never had a simple 2-wheel drive variant. K meant 4-wheel drive, C meant 2-wheel drive across 4 generations of this truck. This is a 4th generation, more specifically the mid point refresh from 1995, which the K-1500 also was. So, I am very happy to see this one finally. Has it been worth the wait? Definitely!

I think they have done a tremendous job with the casting. This looks so good. It is a shame it is proving to be a little tougher to find than most in the batch.

Completely stock. I love it. And you know what improves it even more?

The opening hood with a detailed engine inside is such a perfect fit that you almost miss that you can open it. The gaps were so thin. So much better than the other model doors.

And it has a beautifully fitted opening rear tailgate. Again, you hardly even notice it is an opening feature as it fits so flush against the model. I also want to point out that this model has a metal rear bed. Basic range pickups have now been configured in a way that the interior makes up the majority of the rear bed. But the Moving Parts series is still benefitting from the older approach, which is so nice to see.

This is one seriously cool pickup truck. I am very happy to see it in the Matchbox portfolio. So, when it comes to scores, if I was to score for how it is packed in an assortment case, that would be a low score. Taking out one of the single models per case for the Super Chase is always a bad idea, but the fact is, this is also a new casting. They often generate a little extra oomph purely for being something new. They usually get priority for doubling up. The other 2 new castings were.

But, as I show the nicely chromed base of this new casting, I go with 3 other options for my scores. Inclusion. This is a huge 10 from me. As I noted, when the K-1500 4x4 arrived, I really wanted a stock version. Now, after nearly 3 decades, I get one. Casting? This is an amazing job from Matchbox. The lovely opening features enhance what was already a cool addition. Again, I am going with a 10. As to the final look? The model sees 4 passes through the tampo machine. 1 for the front, 1 for under the hood, and 2 at the back, as the opening tailgate will be done separately from the rear of the rear. The tan debut is a very nice look. I think they were aiming for the Light Autumnwood Metallic look of the real vehicle. I can't fault it. 10 again. Well, this ties the Ford Anglia for the debut look. I hope to see many more over coming years.

Aside from the 3 new castings, a standard box will also contain 2 older castings in new looks. One of those is the MB1332 '75 Range Rover. This is in a lovely dark green colour in the number 18 slot in the range.

This colour is officially called Lincoln Green. It was one of 6 official colours from Range Rover during the 1970s. It looks absolutely stunning here, and I am very happy to see that the opening hood is a very good match. I know the original had some issues with the opening part not matching the rest quite often. The level of detailing is just like the debut. We see some details down the sides.

The rear has just the right amount of tampo to what you would expect of a model like this.

The front technically receives 2 passes through the tampo machine, as the body section gets a pass, but the opening hood has Range Rover letters going across the front. This means that the engine inside is left untouched. But, I do not mind. I just get an "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" vibe from this one (although theirs is a 1993 Range Rover). I love this look. Yeah, I am giving this a 10. I cannot fault it. This is exactly how I would expect the model to come out. I am so happy to see another real colour as well.

Now, for those who are keeping track. A box of 8 in this assortment is getting 5 models (regardless of whether there is a chase or not), and 3 are being doubled up. 2 of the new castings were doubled, and this was also 2 per case. The reason?

Hopefully, each case will receive 1 LHD and 1 RHD variant. Although, there is never a guarantee. To be honest, they should have left this 1 per case and doubled the Chevy C1500. And, as I said it appears the most popular alongside the Ford Anglia, I would have knocked the Jaguar down to 1 per case when inserting the Super Chase.

This is the 3rd outing for the Range Rover in Moving Parts. It debuted in the 2022 series in Bahama Gold, another of the 6 official colours of the 1970s.

And last year, it was the first of the Super Chase models. Or, in this case, a Super Duper Chase. This one has been so hard to find.

The orange was not one of the original 6 colour options on the real Range Rover. Apart from Bahama Gold and Lincoln Green, we also had Masai Red (a mid red hue), Sahara Dust (a pale beige look), Tuscan Blue (which is a light to medium shade of blue) and Arctic White (speaks for itself, although until 1974, it was known as Davos White).I hope to see all 4 over the coming years, as well as a few more fun looks.

This is the last of the regular issues. It is also the last of the ones that Wheel Collectors got in. Sadly, they never managed to obtain any Super Chase models. It is the MB1382 '23 Nissan Ariya. For 2024, the model comes in blue as number 38.

Nissan refers to this as Deep Ocean Blue Metallic. One of the Ariya's colour options. The colour is very deep. It is a lovely shade. I have to admit, when this model debuted last year, I was not overly impressed. I found it a little boring, to be honest. Okay, it is slowly growing on me, and this is a much nicer look, but I am still not overly keen on the model. It is a bland car.

And part of that is because the real vehicle is very bland. Sorry Nissan. This is a snoozefest of a vehicle. I am sure they are lovely to drive. Nissan is known for making solid vehicles that work well. But, they really should look more at their designs, to try and make them stand out a bit more. Sure, this is an SUV, and it is electric. Those 2 factors alone contribute. But, in a sea of SUVs, this one really does not stand out in any way. And with Matchbox making this in the "roof is part of the window" way, it also hurts it.

Front, rear and (okay that is very highly detailed) engine are all we get. This does feel like a cheaper model than any of the others in the batch. The blue is nice (I said that), which is why I am going to score this a 7. It beats the debut from last year, but I have to be honest, if they never did another I would not be bothered.

And, if you can't remember (I barely could), this was the debut from 2023.

Sure, if they make a third one, I will buy it. I am a completeist. I want them all. If they don't. Meh! I will be okay. Nissan, unless you are making a sporty vehicle, try to make them a little more appealing. You have gone down a too conservative road.

So, those are the 5 models included in the assortment. Those were all the ones that are available at Wheel Collectors. I have managed to secure the Super Chase. No number. These models are not being numbered this year, but this is the 3rd of 4 Super Chases in Moving Parts for 2024. As I have stated, if you got this in the assortment, you were not getting the new '95 Chevy C1500 casting at all. Which is a terrible way of distributing these. I still say we should get the assortments upped to 12. That way, each one of the 5 models would have had at least 2. Had one gone, there would still be 1 in the case. One day, the Moving Parts assortments will rise from 8. I hate that the boxes of stuff are so small. Anyway, whining over, this is the MB1145 '59 VW Microbus. I was wondering where this casting was.

I have to say, aside from being a Super Chase, which means that it gets an upgraded look to premium, this looks amazing. The metallic orange with white roof and stripes look great, and those wheels really work well here.

The striping wraps around the back, but I can't help notice where the rear print and side print join. It does look a little weird. Knock points off weird? Maybe not.

As we know, the side doors open on this one, in a weird way that I still am not sure is best. But, as a rule, they are on the other side of the model.

I have to say, some of the recent premium wheel choices have vastly improved certain models. I love that this is a white wheel in the middle, with a black rubber surround. Then you chrome the hub in the middle, and it gives it a classic look. I am impressed. I will give this a 10. I love it. It is my favourite VW Microbus to date. Which, when I dive back, really hasn't a lot of competition.

The model debuted in the 2019 Superfast range. This was the first year that premiums returned to the Matchbox brand after a small hiatus. I loved the red and white combo, but those wheels really let it down.

The 2020 Superfast release was in black and white, and contained some awesome wheels. But, I wasn't so keen on the overall look.

So, 3 releases to date. The first since 2020, and the first Moving Parts issue. It has been 4 years since the last one, which is why I was wondering where it had got to. Mind you, there are some other models with opening parts that debuted in the early years of the return, but have not been used for a number of years. The '74 Dodge Challenger, Jeep Willys Station Wagon, '82 Datsun 280ZX, '55 Porsche 550 Spyder? There are many more, and I also feel that the range should be extended beyond 50. There are enough tools now to create a fantastic 1-75 series. In bigger assortments!  Ha ha!

Okay, I am going to stop before I sound like a broken record. This is the end of the report. 3 brand new castings.

And 3 that have been seen before. Well....

That is if you are lucky enough to find multiple boxes. I mean, VW or Chevy. Terrible distribution. Great assortment.

Next week, I am playing catch up again. Until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.