Matchbox Monday presents the 2026 Line Preview

Yes, I know, I am pretty late with this one this year. The 23rd Matchbox Gathering took place on the last week of July, and here we are 2 weeks later getting down to recapping the line preview for 2026. I got a bit busy during the interim between Albuquerque and now, so please bear with me for being a little late. But, for those who haven't seen the video, or were there in person, I will now run through what we are to expect from the Matchbox team in 2026. With many thanks to Tyler Charest and Gaurav Gopinath from the Matchbox team for taking the time to run through this all with us, and, although we were seemingly quiet during the presentation, we were very happy with what we saw. And, for those who have been paying attention to things, I have also been able to add a couple of extra little nuggets of information that was omitted from the presentation. Basically, finishing off dotting a few "i"s and crossing a few "t"s as they say. So, let's get on with what was passed over. I have noted the extra nuggets as I got to them.

The first thing that was brought up was their Instagram presence. As many know, Abe Lugo had recently departed from the Matchbox team. He was in attendance at the Gathering, and we were very happy to see him there. However, Abe created the @matchboxworld moniker himself. It wasn't a Mattel thing. He is still keeping that alive (keep following), but the new team have now set up a new moniker. They will be known as @matchboxdesignteam on Instagram. And, they are asking people to start using the hashtag #mymatchboxpegs for any pictures of items on shelves and pegs in stores again. This way, they can keep an eye on anything that may appear to be pegwarming. This hashtag is particularly useful when pegs are getting emptier and is showing clearly which models are being left behind. After this, we got on with a different way of showing things. They ran through various new castings batch by batch. As always, please remember these may change. Early batches are pretty much set in stone now (due to entering production already), but a model may get nudged back a batch or 2, or it may end up not making it. They have a roughly 18-month turnaround between starting to create a new model and it entering production. This means they are already working on 2027 items. Anything can happen during that time. There are many pieces to slot into place before a model enters production, and if a piece is slow to slot in, the model gets delayed, or sadly has to be dropped. Hopefully, this batch of new items will all run smoothly. So, what are we expecting?

First off, the basic range. As 2025 was, the 2026 range will consist of 125 models. Included in the range will be a total of 37 planned new castings.

Batch A is entering production now, so we know these will be definite. First off, we see the 2024 Honda Civic Type R in blue.

The 1993 Toyota Celica will also debut in batch A in red.

We are also seeing the latest Matchbox Originals casting of the MBX Gritter King debut in the MBX Construction theme. The Gritter King is the latest in a line of "King" models that all sport a similar front end.

As well as these 3 new models, the batch will also see the first of the 4 Super Chase models, as these are continuing unchanged for 2026. This will be the '85 Porsche 911 Rally. This will be in black with the extra details and real riders.

Batch B will see the debut of the 1958 Chevy Corvette in blue.

Another Matchbox Original arrives in batch B in the form of the Ridge Raider II. This will debut in orange, with a look reminiscent of the 2008 basic range release of the original Ridge Raider.

We will also see the debut of this awesome looking 1980 Jeep J10 Stepside. I love the brown Honcho livery.

Batch C should see the debut of the 2025 Polestar 5. We are starting to get to a point where batches may start being tinkered with. But the models are basically sorted, so should go to schedule. It is due to arrive in white.

This should be joined by the 1997 Toyota Rav4 Off Road. It will be debuting in blue.

And also by the 2015 Honda Ridgeline, which as you can see is not a stock pickup truck. They are using an off-road style for it, and it is scheduled to debut in red. As you can see, as of the Gathering a final mockup design was not ready yet. 

Moving on to batch D, we are currently scehduled to see the launch of the Pierce Volterra EV Fire Truck. It will be debuting in red for 2026.

It is currently the only new casting scheduled for the batch, but batch D will also provide the 2nd Super Chase. This will be the 1977 Jaguar XJ6C in red.

Heading in to batch E, they are looking at launching the 1997 McLaren F1 GT in British Racing Green in this batch. As you can see, we are still at 3D mockup stage with this casting.

Whereas the 2024 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Convertible, which is also scheduled for batch E in black is currently at the metal stage.

Also scheduled for batch E in silver will be the 2002 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R. It is also worth pointing out that this model is also scheduled to sport a new wheel. It looks familiar. It is the same style of 5-star wheel that is used on other models, but this will be made at a smaller diameter than before. 

Also due in batch E is the 2023 Chevy Tahoe Z71, which is scheduled to arrive in red.

Still on batch E. This is the 2019 Toyota 4Runner, another new casting due to debut, and again, this will not be a stock road vehicle. It is due to debut in grey.

Finally, the last of 6 proposed batch E new castings is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. As with the last Sprinter, it is not a stock vehicle. While the last one was a camper, this new one will be an Ambulance. It is due to arrive in white.

Heading into batch F, the 1974 Ford F-150 Ranger is due to arrive in white with a red side stripe.

We will also see the Freightliner M2 106 Plus Dump Truck arriving in white and red. And, as you can see in the mockup that was shown at the Gathering, the dump will tip up.

We will also see the 2024 GMC Sierra 3500 Wrecker in black. The rear will pivot down to attach vehicles. 

We are moving on to batch G now, and as such, far enough ahead that many vehicles are not finished with their planned looks. The 2025 Jeep Recon is, scheduled to debut in orange.

As is the Sherp N1200. This is another vehicle that will be debuting with a new wheel. This wheel is larger than any they currently have, but it will not be as wide as the current larger 4x4 wheels. You can see the on the mockup how big that wheel is.

From hereon, final plans are still being worked on, so we only have mockups of planned new tooling for the rest. Still in batch G, we are due to see a new 1963 Unimog 406.

With the Acura Integra Type R being the chase model. Double the chase, as this will see both LHD and RHD variants. 

We move into batch H now, with the 2024 Audi RS5 Sportback.

And a 2024 Chevy Silverado PPV.

Heading in to batch J, we will hopefully see the debut of the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish.

Batch J will also hopefully see the debut of the 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness. 

And a 2025 Ford Mustang Police.

The 10th batch of the year, batch K, should hopefully see the debut of the 2024 Audi R3 Wagon.

And a 1993 Nissan 200SX Turbo. 

Batch K will also give us our final chase model of the year. This will be the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback, which is a new casting that is due to arrive in batch M this year. 

The 11th batch now, with the 2024 Land Rover Discovery Sport planned to debut as part of batch L.

Alongside a Glickenhaus SCG Boot.

And a Glickenhaus SCG 004. Yes, that is 2 Glickenhaus models in 1 batch. 

They are also planning to debut the 1994 Jeep Cherokee in this batch.

And, as I can exclusively reveal here, as it was forgotten in the talk, but the mockup was shown, the Matchbox original casting of a new Skip Truck will also debut in batch L. Well, if all goes to plan.

At the end of the model year, this is what is scheduled for batch M, the last one. A 2022 Honda S660.

And a 2024 BMW Z4 M40i. As I always remind people, these are not 100% set in stone. Models may move around batches. They may also not make it, and others switch in to replace them. This is where they are at the moment. 

Next up, we ran through the planned Target Red models for 2026. Again, 1 was missed. I managed to get it confirmed.

Batch B - Ford Mustang Mach E

Batch D - 1969 Chevy Camaro

Batch F - 1984 Toyota MR2 (yes, with 4 variants)

Batch H (missed on slide show, exclusive reveal here) - 1970 Ford Ranchero

Batch K - 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT63S

Batch M - 2012 BMW 3-series Touring

Next up were the Walmart exclusives (in the USA). The great news with these are there are no more carry forwards, and they have upped it to 6 sets during the year. We will see 6 batches of 5 exclusive models. Excellent. As long was Walmart gets them. I saw how bad it was on my travels across the USA this time. 

The first set is called European Cars, and will contain the 1975 Opel Kadett C Coupe, 2023 BMW i4 Police, Porsche Cayman, 1963 Austin Healey and Porsche 911 Cabriolet.

The second set is known as MBX Rally III. It will feature the Sonora Shredder, Jeep 4x4, Ford Explorer Utility, 1968 Toyota Land Cruiser and 1965 Land Rover Gen II Safari, all featuring a themed design, based around grid co-ordinates.

The third batch will be Super Cars. This will feature the 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400S, 2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 Convertible (a casting due to arrive later this year), 1965 Aston Martin DBR1, Ford GT40 and Dodge Viper GTSR.

The last 3 batches are still being worked on, so as always things can change. This is where they currently are. Batch D will be known as Trucks. It will be the batch that will see the new casting. This is a 1993 Ford Ranger PreRunner. As well as this, the current plan is to also include the 1956 Ford F-100, 1986 Ford F-150, 1968 Dodge D-200 Pickup and Chevy Silverado 4x4. 

The 5th batch is tentatively titled Japan, and will see thr 1985 Nissan Pathfinder, 1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GTX, 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser 78, 1984 Toyota MR2 and 2018 Toyota Hilux in the batch.

The final batch will be BMW. They plan to include the BMW 1M, 2023 BMW i4 Police, 1969 BMW 2002, 2023 BMW M2 and 2012 BMW 3-series Touring in the batch.

5 packs were up next. The plan is for 9 new packs of items. These are listed below across 6 batches released during the year.

Batch A - MBX Construction - Highway Maintenance Truck, 2016 Ram Flatbed, Ground Breaker, 2015 Ram 1500 Police and 2006 Cement Mixer.

Batch B - MBX Truckin' - Jeep Gladiator, 2018 Toyota Hilux, Swamp Raider, 2010 Ford SVT Raptor and 2016 Toyota Tacoma with tent.

Batch C - MBX Adventure - Baja Bullet, Ridge Raider, Dune Dog, 1968 Toyota Land Cruiser and Cliff Hanger.

Batch C - City Life - Ice Cream King, Chow Mobile II, Ford Transit News Van, Rescue Helicopter and Nissan NV200 Van.

Batch C - British Roadways - 2018 Bentley Bentayga, 1970 Ford Capri, 1956 Jaguar XK140, 1983 Ford Fiesta Mk2 and Range Rover Evoque.

Batch D - Autobahn Express VII - 2018 Bugatti Divo, Porsche 911 Targa, 1972 Lotus Europa Special, 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman (scheduled to sport a Polizei theme) as well as a 5th model TBD.

Batch D - Italian Roads - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Polizia, Maserati MC12, Alfa Romeo Tonale, Alfa Romeo 4C and 1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto.

Batch E - Rescue - Ford Taurus Police Interceptor, Hazard Squad, 2023 Dodge Charger Pursuit, 2016 Ford Interceptor Utility and Road Raider.

Batch F - Electric Drivers - Nissan Leaf, Citroen Ami, Rivian R1T, 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning and Alfa Romeo Tonale.

8-packs were next. They will see 12 new assortments, with 12 exclusives through the year.

Pack 1 - Lotus Evora

Pack 2 - Volvo V60 Wagon

Pack 3 - Scania P360 Fire Truck

Pack 4 Porsche Cayenne Turbo

Pack 5 - International WorkStar Brush Fire Truck

Pack 6 - Nissan NV200

Pack 7 - Ford Explorer BEV

Pack 8 - Audi E-tron

Pack 9 - MBXcavator

Pack 10 - Jeep Wagoneer

Pack 11 - Ford F-series w/raft

Pack 12 - Aston Martin DBS Volante

After this, we moved on to Moving Parts. Until now, Tyler had been doing the talking. But, Gaurav Gopinath (known as Garry) took over. Garry does the majority of the new tooling for Moving Parts. As before, we are still limited to just 50 releases during the year (I really hope they increase this as 50 is nowhere near enough), and there will be 23 new tools coming.

Again, they went with a planned mix release, with the first batch seeing the 1964 Porsche 911 with opening rear hatch. It will debut in blue, and I think I am already calling this is my model of the year. It is gorgeous!

Batch B will see the debut of the 2024 Acura Integra Type S HRC. This is due to arrive in a golden yellow hue, although was still in early form at the Gathering.

It will also see the debut of the 2004 Lexus GS400 in black with an opening hood.

It also aims to introduce us to the 2024 McLaren GTS in blue, which will have an opening rear hatch.

Still on batch B, as we also aim to see the 2024 Ford Bronco Raptor debuting with an opening hood. And, yes, it is a version with no doors.

The chase model for batch B, as this is also staying with the same Super Chase scenario as 2025, will be the Porsche 356.

Moving on to batch C sees another Lexus debuting. This is the 2024 Lexus IS500 in blue, which will also have an opening hood.

We also get a 1994 Lotus Esprit Sport 300, which is due to arrive in yellow with an opening hatch.

On to batch D, where a 1977 Pontiac Firebird is scheduled to arrive like a bandit in black (it even has that as the license plate). It will feature an opening hood.

Batch D also is looking to debut the 1993 Subaru Legacy RS in white with an opening hood.

For batch D, the chase model will be the 1984 Rover SD1 Vitesse in a police livery, reminiscent of one used back in the 1980s. 

This is one that Garry is particularly happy about. The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser 78, which will be made up, Ambulance style for the debut. And it has Matchbox written on the side in Arabic. It has an opening hood, but I was surprised they didn't go with an opening rear for it.

And, as with basics, as we head into the second half, only the Toyota had a design set out. All the rest are still in early stages. Batch E is also scheduled to see the 2024 Toyota Yaris GR Rally 2 arrive with opening hood.

And is also looking at debuting the 1986 VW Vanagon Synchro 4x4. It will feature an opening roof camper element, but they have to be careful, as certain ways of opening are licensed. The most obvious being the Westfalia style. It is not a Westfalia. 

Matchbox is also aiming to debut the 2025 BMW M5 Touring in batch E with an opening hood.

Batch F now. The 2025 Bentley Batur Coupe is currently scheduled to arrive in this batch.

As is a 1994 Acura Legend Coupe. This will feature an opening hood.

We also get another Mustang. A 1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R with an opening hood.

Also in batch F will be a Dodge Powerwagon, with an opening left hood section. This model will also debut a new larger wheel that is being created. It is actually a little smaller in diameter to the large 4x4 wheels we are used to, and will also be a little narrower. Something for models that a full 4x4 wheel is too large for.

There was no mention of what was being planned as the Batch F chase vehicle. I can exclusively reveal that it is currently scheduled to be a 1978 Ford Bronco. However, things are always subject to change, so it is not a 100% guarantee yet.

Heading into batch G now, with a 1992 Dodge Viper RT10 arriving with an opening hood.

There is also a plan to debut the 2024 Maserati MC20 Cielo with opening doors in this batch. A-ha! Opening doors. It is the first Moving Parts model casting this year to see them. 

The final batch of the year is currently scheduled to see 3 new castings. A 2002 Chevy S10 Blazer ZR2 4x4 with an opening hood.

A 1991 Nissan Figaro, which they are currently working on to see if they can get the roof to open. This may change, if they can't get it done correctly.

And a 1975 Lancia Stratos with an opening rear engine bay. And, always remember, these are subject to change. Models may move assortments, may change what opens, perhaps even get switched for other castings. The end of 2026 is still a way away, and anything can happen before then. Now, you may have noticed (if you were counting) that this is only 22 new castings. A 23rd was actually shown.

They had in their display case a 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S with opening doors. This is also due to debut in 2025, but no slide was shown for it. Number 23 new tooling. A little extra nugget.

Also, again, there was no mention of what is currently scheduled to be the batch H chase model. As of this moment, they are looking at doing the Nissan Nismo GT-R (R35). Again, it could change. There are still a number of moving parts, to the Moving Parts range. 

And up next is Collectors. This will continue for 2026, and will be increased slightly to 24 new releases. There will be 8 new tools created, many of which will be exclusively for premium uses.

Batch A will contain the new 2024 Ford GT MkIII. This will not have anything moving, but will feature a diecast body and base, which means it will only see premium usage.

A 1988 Porsche 911 Turbo Slantnose is due to arrive in batch B. Again, this has nothing moving, but will feature a diecast body and base. This means premium only.

A 1990 Chevy Corvette ZR1 is also scheduled to arrive in batch B. As with the others, nothing moving, metal body and base for premium use only.

Moving on to batch C now, and a 1972 Datsun 240Z Rally is planned, with an opening hood. This means it sounds as if it could also see action in Moving Parts down the road.

A Mazda Autozam AZ1 is also aimed at a batch C introduction. This is sporting opening doors, which they have cleverly managed to create to give the illusion of them opening at the middle. Again, it looks like this could go to Moving Parts down the line.

The last batch of the year is also looking at introducing 3 new castings. The first is the 1994 Honda Prelude Si, which is another in the "nothing opens, but has diecast body and chassis" group.

The next model they have gone all-out on. This is the 1984 Audi Quattro Rally. It will be a premium only model, as it will come with a diecast body and base. But, as you can see, it also has an opening hood. 

Finally, another all-diecast model, as the 2025 Bugatti Tourbillon will be looking at debuting as the final premium only model of the year.

After this, we moved on to the Working Rigs. There are going to be 18 models in the series this year, and it sounds like they will be all new liveries. That is good to hear. I was sad to see how poorly Working Rigs were being released.Out of these 18 models, 3 will be new castings. But, as of this moment, they are only able to let us know about one.

This is the 2024 Freightliner Crew Cab Aerial Platform, which is currently scheduled to arrive in batch C. The other 2 will be unveiled at a later date. I wonder if they are somehow connected to the Matchbox movie that is coming in 2026. They were not able to tell us about the models being made for it, as it is too early. But, I expect a lot of Matchbox movie mania as we get close to the film debuting. 

Finally, Skybusters. For 2026, there will be 32 released, and 4 of them will be new castings.

These will be a Bell 205 Helicopter in batch A, which will debut in white with a fire theme.

A Boeing 787 9/10 is planned for batch B in an American Airlines livery.

A Sikorsky S-70 is currently being aimed at a debut in batch C.

And an Airbus A380 is being planned for the final batch of the year. And with that, the preview was over. As I noted, there was no talk about the Matchbox movie. It is close to finishing filming, and is currently planned for a release in the 3rd quarter of 2026. So, it is about a year away. So, obviously they can't give us a rundown of what to expect as a tie-in. It may spoil a few things. So, we will have to bide our time on that one. I am seriously hoping that this will give the Matchbox brand a real boost in toy departments around the world. As I did notice during my time in the USA and Canada recently, they are not faring much better than we are in the UK. It is really upsetting to see. But, with so much awesome stuff to look forward to, I hope we start seeing more space. And hopefully more Moving Parts after 2026. 50 is not enough! Ha ha! 75 minimum!