Matchbox Monday has a hefty start to batch H

We have officially reached the second half of the 2026 basic range for the Matchbox brand. As I pointed out a few batches ago, these are now 1 letter out. Mix 7 is also batch H. This means that it will contain the latest Super Chase. However, that will be in the second half of the report, which is due at the start of August. I am planning weeks ahead for these. But, with a grand total of 14 models to run through, I start with the first 7 in this report. 

The first model in the batch is the MB1498 '97 Acura Integra Type R. It takes the MB24 slot in the series in white.

Which is exactly the same as the debut release MB52 from last year. Exactly! I can confirm this is a carry forward. It has a new model number, and is the only MB25 release for 2026. I do not know why they have chosen carry forwards again. We had some in the 2010s, and they were sometimes from recent years, although some were quite a few years removed. Sometimes they sported some sort of variation, sometimes the didn't. I can confirm this one doesn't. It is identical to last year's run. Sure, if you missed out on finding one last year, you might have a second stab. Especially as this comes with either LHD or RHD configurations. But, if they really need to do a carry forward, I really don't want one from the year just gone. I have stated before, when it comes to these, if they must do them (because they might have run out of SKUs for models), please look at doing ones that are at least 5 years old. Just imagine if they pulled out the Nissan Skyline 2000GTX and carried it forward to now. Or they could have dug out the Lexus GS430 and re-ran one of those looks. Both older Japanese models that would still feel good in this current range, even in a carry forward look. There is so much in recent history to dig out, why simply carry forward one of last year's? I am not fussy about carry forwards. I know some really don't like them. But, I do like to see what has changed over numerous years out. But, this is too fresh to redo now. I believe there is another carry forward due at the end of the model year. Hopefully it will not be too recent. I am scoring this a 0. 

Right, let's get into the good stuff. New looks. Like this MB1428 Morgan Plus Four. For 2026, it gets a new green look as MB37.

Morgan calls this colour Grassland Green. It is one of their colour options for the Plus Four. And the model really shows the colour off well. It is quite an unusual shade of green, but stands out extremely well. It also has a green interior. Yes, Morgan does green leather interiors, and you can create your bespoke Plus Four with a Green Leaf interior to match the Grassland Green body. Even though it is a modern vehicle, it still feels very much like a classic, and the tri-spoke wheels that Matchbox has in their portfolio are definitely the best option available. A light smoke window and details front and rear are exactly as I would want, and expect. This model is incredibly good. 

Ever since Garry Gopinath created this casting for the 2024 range, I have been loving each and every release. And this is no different. I can see absolutely nothing wrong, or anything that could be improved. I love it. This is exactly the sort of thing I want from Matchbox. A perfect 10. Long may this one continue. There are many colours to be explored from Morgan. 

The 2024 debut was what Morgan refers to as White Gold, with a tan interior. 

Lagoon Blue was the 2025 option with a Biscuit interior (Morgan's name). 

Each release sports the same tampo printing, which I am a big fan of. I love the consistency of these ones. And Morgan has plenty more colour options to choose from. Safari Yellow and Vermiglia Red are 2 of my favourites. Both would look awesome as a miniature. Long may this one continue. It is ageless. 

And now it is the turn of a new casting. This is the only one in this particular half of the batch. This is because I am doing these in a strict number order. It is the MB1585 Freightliner M2 106 Plus, which debuts in white and red as MB58.

Now, Matchbox has made a model of a Freightliner M2 106 before. The MB1003 Freightliner Business Class M2 106 debuted back in 2016 as a fire vehicle. The Business Class M2 106 debuted back in 2002, and was available as a chassis, with which you can create what you need from it. However, this has been updated with a 2nd generation as of 2024. But, now it has dropped the Business Class name, and has "Plus" at the end. Changes are subtle on the outside. It looks fairly similar, although this generation has a hood vent, which the previous one did not. The radiator grille is a different design now, and headlights are new. But, the main part of the cab does look very familiar. What's the saying? If it ain't broke, don't fix it? Most of the changes made for this new generation are inside, or under the hood. And, after doing a fire vehicle last time, they have decided to go with a dump truck configuration for the new release.

I grew up in the 1970s, and Matchbox in those days would often do licensed dump trucks. The Dodge Dumper Truck, Mack Dump Truck, Peterbilt Dump Truck and Faun Dump Truck are 4 from my childhood that I remember. Not everything was. Atlas was a fantasy vehicle. Site Dumper was an original design. So, they are not always licensed. But, when they do make a licensed one, it does put a smile on my face. The Ford F-series Dump Truck from 2000 and MAN TGS from 2018 are 2 that I really loved seeing. Neither had a long life. I am hoping that this one does, because I think it is really cool. 

It is a standard 4-part construction. A fantastic looking cab section, with all the details I would expect. This looks just like the real M2 106 Plus. And I love the attention to detail on the wing mirrors. The door detail is spot-on, and the roof is nicely detailed. We get no interior, and the window is black, to cover that up. But, that is because it does come with the tipping trailer section. 

As we see with all modern constructions, the dump is a clip-on piece. You can easily pull it off, but it will click right back on. It feels sturdy enough that you can do this many times. Of course, there will be some kids who will pull it off and lose it. They should be more careful. Yes, I know, years ago, they would pin these in place so they wouldn't come off. Modern construction methods have changed that. It is the way they do them nowadays. I do not have an issue with it. 

With the dump off, you can see more of the detail that was given to the back of the cab. This looks really nice. Even the dump has plenty of details, and is not an afterthought. This is one of the best construction dump trucks they have made in a while. 

The debut design is a simple white and red look. The sides feature simple details that feature on the real M2 106 Plus. I can't argue with those. A red dump on a white cab looks smart. I think they go well together, and white wheel hubs suit it. 

And then we get a full front detail as well. Whoa! This really sets it off. This is another model that has really blown me away. I am so impressed. 

So, let's get some scores on the board. Inclusion. I am loving that they have given us another licensed dump truck. They are few and far between. A 10 for this. Casting. I cannot fault this in any way. A plastic dump that clicks on is the norm nowadays, and that does not bother me in the slightest. It looks just like a real one does. Another 10. Design. 3 sides of tampo? On a lovely white and red model? I am loving it. Yes, a third 10. Top marks! A perfect 30 out of 30. This one will hopefully stick around for a while. 

As I show off the base for this new casting, I am already envisioning RANEC, INC and Matchbox Construction outings in its future. I hope to see all of these in coming years. Many coming years. This deserves a long life. 

The next model is another small run British company vehicle. Unlike Morgan, which has been around since 1910, Radical Motorsport has been us since 1997, and the MB1439 Radical SR3 XXR is now in year 3 in the basic range in yellow. It takes the MB71 slot for the second year in a row (last year's red one was also MB71). 

This is another official Radical Colour. They call it Spice yellow. Mind you, Radical will create any colour you want, if you so desire. You want a bright pink and fluorescent green look, they will do it. They have 7 standard colours to go from before you go with a bespoke colour combination. And we are now up to colour 3. The black stripe and lights detailing with Radical on the rear spoiler, these are all the same as we have seen on previous releases. 

The little touch of red on the rear lights stands out as well. This is another model that keeps to the same tampo design on each release. Most Radicals come with the stripe going up the middle. And this is another of the very realistic looks, and I cannot fault it. 

And I have even added 2 to my collection, as this one has a small variation on the wheels. Do you notice that the one on the left has a thicker yellow ring, which also includes the edges of the spokes. The one on the right has a very thin yellow ring, which gives it a totally different look. Minor, but noticeable variations. Of course, I would notice something like this. I am giving this a 10. It is something very unique in the range. With white, blue, green and grey still to be recreated in miniature, before we even get into bespoke looks, I think we have plenty of scope to continue. 

As this is only in year 3. It debuted in 2024 in Stealth Black with a Rosso Red stripe. 

With 2025 flipping it to Rosso Red with a Stealth Black stripe. 

I wonder which one will be appearing next? Speed Green is my personal preference. 

Ah, the welcome return of the MB1214 '56 Aston Martin DBR1. It has been away for a few years now, but returns in the MB72 slot in grey.

This is a rather unusual grey look. It is a light, solid grey, but is not matte. It is a sort of satin finish. And it comes with front lights depicted, albeit with a classic "X" on them. This is an old motorsport trick, back when light coverings were made of glass. By applying the tape across, if the light got broken, it would not send shards of glass across the racetrack, possibly causing punctures. They have created this look on the model, but I would have expected it to have a roundel on it, to depict a racing vehicle. As this is a completely plain model, I think it was perhaps the wrong one to put the X on. 

I also noticed that there is a flash of black on the side vents, and the door handle is depicted in black. The rear is completely blank. It is not a bad model, but I do feel it should have had a roundel on it. Even just a plain white roundel with no number. If you were to check out real ones, sometimes they have white roundels on them. In fact, they could have left the black details off the side and replaced it with a white roundel. I think it would have looked nicer. The colour is nice, but I think it is a little too bland overall, and the lights shouldn't have been the taped look. Not on this one. I am giving it a 7 out of 10. Which is a shame. I was looking forward to seeing it return. Mind you, wait until next week.

In the meantime, roundels. This was the debut. It actually arrived first in the Top Gun Maverick 5-pack in 2020, and this was a really cool look. Mind you, it was a real one. That was the reason the model was cast, as it was a part of the film. I say was, it actually got cut. 

It then arrived in the basic range in green. This featured front and rear tampo, as well as the vents on the side detailed. That looked so nice. You can see the latest one is so plain next to it.

In 2021, it was in a lovely metallic silver look. Simple headlights definitely looked better on a plain model. 

And it was also a part of the Blue Highways II 5-pack in burgundy. This also rolled forward into the 2022 Best of UK series. 

With 2022 also seeing the last new look before 2026, as a blue model was a 9-pack exclusive. 

Apart from the 2020 basic range release carrying forward to a 2023 Coffee Cruisers IV 5-pack, this is the first time we have seen it since.

Sadly, if I was to list these in order of favourite to least favourite, the Top Gun debut with 3 roundel would be number 1. It is fantastic. The burgundy is 2, blue is 3, and green is 4. Silver is right behind, and the new release is bringing up the rear. Obviously, something has to be bottom of the pile, and sadly, the newest one is for me. I will revisit this model next week. There is another report coming just after the convention before I sit down and write the Line Preview report for the last Monday of the month. And the Aston does feature again. It did come back with a bang this year.

Now it is the turn of one of my favourites. The MB1185 '85 Porsche 911 Rally. It takes the MB73 slot in charcoal for 2026.

I have to admit, I am starting to get a little torn over this. Back in 2023, they issued a plain black model in a Walmart Porsche set. It was stunning. After seeing various rally inspired looks, the plain design with roof items depicted was a great change. Last year, they repeated the idea, now in a bright green model. Now, we get it repeated, again, in charcoal. While I do love recurring themes, and am liking the new look, I do wonder if we should actually be seeing more side designs? You know what I would love. The recent Walmart series with topographical side designs. How about they do one of those designs on this one? Yellow, with a black topographical look on the side, but adding a racing number in the mix. Then get another one going in the Desert Endurance Race (D.E.R.) theme. There are possibilities for this one, and I think they saw how popular the black one was, and are now just coming up with alternatives.

As with the last 2 like this, it just had a little front detailing, and the roof was detailed. The rest was left blank. And in charcoal, it is not as nice. The black was ultra cool. The green was funky. Charcoal is nice, but again, it feels like my least favourite release. I am really at pain to say this, as it is a Porsche 911! I am giving this one an 8. I hope to see a return to the side designs for the next outing. 

Now, before I dig out the older ones again, I did see a little shading to this one. I have 2. 

This model actually debuted in 2018 as the 2019 Toy Fair model in September. Very cool, and with a full tampo detail, it really showed off what the casting can achieve. 

It then debuted in the 2019 basic range in white, with a nice side design. This model was rolled over into the 2020 Walmart Off Road Rally series. 

2020 saw a green look with a side design, which rolled over into a 2021 Advent Calendar. 

While Target stores in the USA saw this awesome Retro release, which was in the same design as an older VW Beetle 4x4 release. Excellent. 

After 2020, aside from carry forwards, this model never saw a new look until 2023, when it was chosen to be one of the 70th Anniversary models in the basic range in platinum. 

And, as I mentioned, that was when the Porsche set appears in Walmart. This was the first time it had a plain outing, which was absolutely awesome as something different. 

It never saw action in 2024, but the 2025 basic range issue was a funky green colour, but was also in the same design as the Porsche set model. Okay, a second plain one was fine, but we are up to 3 now. 

Although there was the Super Chase earlier this year. Obviously, that one got a high level of detail, as they went nuts. And it looked amazing. 

This is a rally vehicle. I do believe it should mainly be used in rally inspired looks. Looks that would feel like something you would see off-road. As you can see, ignoring the 2 premium level issues at the back, we now have 3 plain ones against 4 rally style ones. If we get another plain one, they would even out at a 50/50 split, for a model that should in reality, favour the rally style look. Once in a while, throw us a curveball. But, when you keep doing it, it no longer becomes a surprise. 

This brings me to the last model I am looking at this week. The MB1516 MBX Turf Hauler II. It takes the MB75 slot for 2026, and comes in the recurring INC theme. Yes!

I do love recurring designs like this one. The INC livery has been with us since 2012, and we are building quite a collection of them now. I hope it continues for many years to come. While I still lament the 1957 Dodge Sweptside INC model never appearing (it was previewed as coming in 2023), we have seen over 3 dozen of these over the years, in the basic range, Working Rigs and in Convoy. I am still waiting on a Moving Parts model to get an INC look as well. There are plenty of pickup trucks to choose from. Anyway, where am I? I am going on about INC, I forgot, I am reviewing the truck. Well, I think you might guess, I like it. How can I not? It's INC!

Being the type of dump truck this is, and not being symmetrical, the design fits is very well. Unit 58? Michael Heralda did this. And I do like this work. I have no qualms over giving this a perfect 10. For the design. 

My only minor issue is the fact that they have put 2 dump trucks in the same batch. Both of them are brilliant. Both of them scored a perfect 10 from me. But, I would have preferred that they split them up and put them in different batches. A minor issue, for sure. I thought I would mention it anyway. 

The model debuted last year in the recurring Matchbox Construction theme. 

I hope RANEC is being planned for a future outing. I think this model could even get a National Parks release. I think it would work. Let's see what they come up with for the future. 

And on that note, I am finished with another report. This saw 1 new casting in the first half of the 7th mix of the year. 

As well as 5 models in new looks for the year. 

And 1 that wasn't. 

So as these head off into my collection, I am busy this week. I have arrived in the USA, and am busy working my way towards the latest Albuquerque Convention. As we know, this coming weekend, we will be getting the 2027 line preview. I will not have a chance to write it up before Monday. I am spending time in the pool, and enjoying myself. So there will be a "super" little report (you might guess what batch) coming next week, the Monday after the Gathering, with the Line Preview report coming on the Monday after, once I am back home, and can sit down and write it all up properly. So, until next time, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.