Matchbox Monday presents the 2027 Line Preview

Well, here we are. It is early August, and I am finally able to write-up about the events of the last trip to the USA, and the details of the 2027 Line Preview. I am already missing being there. I can't wait to return next July. You may notice, that this event is the 24th event from Albuquerque. Next year will mark the convention's 25th Anniversary, and they are planning to go even bigger next time. I will definitely not want to miss that one. Speaking with Jim, the Mattel guys and Michael Heralda, all I can say is that they have plans brewing in the pipeline. It is going to be the best convention yet, if everything goes to plan. It will be taking place from July 16-18 in 2027, and I will be one of the first to book my tickets when they go on sale January 1. 

Each year, recently, I have been taking Tayla with me on various road trips around the USA. This year, we did Texas. Houston mainly, and then drove over to Albuquerque for the event. I tell you, it almost feels like home when you walk into the Marriott in Albuquerque. You see the banner, you see other friends, and you just feel good about yourself. The Gathering is more than just a convention. We do have a real sense of friendliness about the whole event. We stop, we chat, we hang about and just have lots of fun. Oh, and we find a few new models for our collections. As is always the case, there are a number of events going on at the convention. 

They do put up an easel in the lobby to tell us what is going on. 

Plus the usual list of people who are selling. I don't. I am purely there to add to my collection. I picked up over 100 models, and if you follow me on Instagram, at @davidjtilley, you will see me starting to run through my haul later in the year. Furthermore, I am still about 3 months away from getting to them. In fact, most of them I have not even photographed ready yet. I was straight back home, and straight off to work again. The majority are still piled up ready for some photography. 

I do enjoy visiting the annual car show in the parking lot. Seeing all the cool classics is always a lot of fun. Here are a bunch of cars that were there this year. A 1968 Shelby GT500.

2x Pontiac GTOs. The red one is from 1968, the green from 1970.

I do like a TransAm. This 1976 Pontiac Firebird TransAm with screaming eagle was awesome!

A 1967 Pontiac GTO.

A 1950 Mercury 8.

A 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1.

A 1979 Ford Ranchero.

A 1963 Chevy C20.

1940 Chrysler Windsor.

1950 Ford F-1.

1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE.

1966 Chevy SS396.

1963.5 Ford Galaxie.

1968 Mustang Convertible.

1955 Chevy Tador Belair.

1972 Buick Skylark.

1952 Chevy Panel Van.

1957 Chevy Pickup. 

1969 Ford Bronco.

1969 Chevy Nova SS.

1973 Chevy El Camino 4x4.

1928 Ford Truck.

This one was crazy. It is a 1954 Ford Mad Max Custom.

1965 Oldsmobile 442.

1987 Buick Grand National.

1979 Chevy Camaro Z28.

1970 Chevy Chevelle SS450.

1972 Ford Bronco.

1978 Chevy Corvette T-top.

1983 Chevy Camaro Convertible.

1957 Chevy Belair Convertible.

1979 Chevy Corvette.

1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Convertible. Can you believe this was my favourite of the bunch?

1963 Chevy Corvette Split Window.

1972 Plymouth Duster.

1933 Plymouth Coupe PC.

1968 Dodge Charger.

1961 Chevy Impala.

1967 VW Beetle.

1965 Mercury Caliente.

1958 Chevy Belair.

This is not everything. Just some of the cool classics on display. Many of which I would love to see Matchbox tackle as a model. Any stick out to you guys? This 2010 Ford Lariat was sitting where we would normally see a certain Ford Superlift with Matchbox logos. It was not there this year. Hopefully it will make a return for 2027. Jim is talking about it.

There are also the get togethers. Friday has a Meet and Greet.

Where we now have a new tradition. The pocket car giveaway. You bring in a pocket car, you place it on the car-o-rama, and they draw a number at random. If you win, you get the dealer model early.

The winner this year was James Haight. He was the first recipient of the MB1573 '86 VW T3 Vanagon. Of course, we knew what was coming in the way of promotionals.

As they set up 2 cakes for us to eat. One with the MB1579 '64 Porsche 911 on it.

The other featuring the Vanagon.

The Saturday Mattel chat was productive, as usual. We have questions. They have answers. And notepads to obviously make notes. As always, it ran long. We have MANY questions.

But, of course, we know the Saturday evening meal is the big one. Jim gives us a rundown of various things, and keeps the momentum going. 

Then we get some information from the ladies from Alta Mira remind us about the charity that is being supported by the Gathering. 

And then it was the turn of the Mattel guys to take to the stage. The moment many of us were waiting for. News about 2027. Of course, earlier in the day, they had explained to us that 2027 is a year of big changes for Matchbox. In fact, because of this big change, which is a positive one (still real, still realistic designs, no fantasy or anything like that, we are not moving to Hero City or the mid 2010s, when things went funky), they are unable to provide us with a full line preview. We are basically only able to see the first half of the year. The second half will see a bigger push for the Matchbox brand. The guys are hoping that after the film has settled down, that retailers will be willing to provide a little more space. Premiums are going to be more premium-y. Core models will begin to see a little more detailing. We have seen a few with Walmart exclusives seeing more than the usual 2-pass rule being applied. But, we will see some more basics with further detailing. So, sadly, they are only able to show off the first half of the year. The later 2027 stuff will be showcased at a time shortly, when they are able to do it justice. A few last minute tweaks are still being sorted. 

But, before we got to the 2027 stuff, there was a reminder about the upcoming film. They were unable to show us the preview at the Gathering. San Diego Comic Con had already got the exclusive. If you are online, you are now able to see the trailer. They then ran through the models that are being released for the movie.

There are 12 basic range releases.

1. MB1631 '07 Land Rover 6x6 (clean)

2. MB629 '69 Chevy Camaro (clean)

3. MB1620 '20 Nissan NISMO GT-R

4. MB1628 '24 Triumph Scrambler (I had the MAN confirmed)

5. MB1638 '19 RAM Ambulance

6. MB1637 Chevy Stock Car

7. MB1596 Ford Mustang Fastback (clean)

8. MB1616 '24 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Ambulance

9. MB1275 '86 Ford F-150

10. MB1639 '73 VW T2b 

11. MB032 MBX Excavator

12. MB984 Rescue Helicopter

When it comes to 5-packs, there are 2 packs. Heroes is quite a simple one. 4 from the singles, with 1 exclusive. MB1631 '07 Land Rover 6x6 (muddy) - exclusive, together with the MB1628 '24 Triumph Scrambler, MB1637 Chevy Stock Car, MB032 MBX Excavator & MB984 Rescue Helicopter. Pack 2, Villain Pursuit, is all-exclusive. MB1203 Polaris RZR, MB947 Porsche 911GT3, MB629 '69 Chevy Camaro (scratched), MB1266 '18 Dodge Durango and MB1555 '16 Toyota Tacoma (which comes with or without a spare wheel in the back).

Then we have the 4 Moving Parts models. I already previewed these on the blog, but are....

1. MB1564 '73 VW T2b

2. MB1258 '20 Nissan NISMO GT-R

3. MB1310 '19 Ram Ambulance

4. MB1313 Ford GT40

Next up is the Collectors models. Again, 4 like the Moving Parts.

1. MB1632 '71 Dodge Challenger

2. MB629 '69 Chevy Camaro

3. MB1633 '07 Land Rover 6x6 (clean)

4. MB1634 '68 Ford Mustang Fastback

We also had 2 Working Rigs

1. RW058 Mercedes-Benz Actros and Trailer

2. RW057 Ford F-650 Rollback

And 2 Skybusters.

1. SB-145 Airbus H130

2. SB-174 Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules

There were some Movie items not mentioned. The Desert Escape multipack I reviewed last week with MB1633 '07 Land Rover 6x6 (dirty), 2x MB1555 '16 Toyota Tacoma (with or without wheel in rear) and MB1603 '19 Toyota 4Runner. There are 3 playsets, Transforming Mobile Command, Smalley's Launch & Crush and Mountain Helicopter Chase. Check the last one, as the '68 Ford Mustang Fastback included is exclusive with scratches. We will also see 2 Movie related Mattel Creations releases. A '1969 Chevy Camaro "Prop Car", which is with a worn out roof. Plus, a second release will see the Mercedes-Benz G-Class with camera prop on the roof in black, and a new casting of the '68 Ford Mustang Fastback. New? With a core and an opening doors version? What else could there be? Well, how about one with the roof torn off? Yes, a severely damaged Mustang with no window or roof. I think that is a movie spoiler. Ha ha! Finally, although it was never specified, I have had it confirmed that a proposed R/C toy of the Land Rover is not going to production.

After this, it was time to move on to the 2027 items that they were able to showcase. The basic range will continue to feature 125 models. But, when it comes to Super Chase models, be prepared to be surprised a little more. We were in a routine of every third batch. Well, for 2027, there are going to be 5 in total. Batch A will not see one. They are mixing things up a little. Talking of batch A, this (along with B & C) will not see any of the new tools for 2027, of which there are 40 planned for the basics. These batches will all see older models in new colours. 

Before we started on the models, there was a quick interlude to talk about the team. The Matchbox team is building. As I mentioned, there is a push for the brand, of which I am very happy to hear. The team is expanding, and this is where we are on the guys who design the models, with Jason Cruz (who loves the number 37, keep an eye out for it) and Matthew Barker. Where the guys who are mainly creating castings see Tyler Charest overseeing Kevin Yang, Sergio Martin, Kevin Cao (who is mainly Moving Parts) and Garry Gopinath (moving in to the premium segment). Hopefully we will meet more of them next year. Will Mattel allow the whole Matchbox team to attend next year?

And then it was on to the models. Batch A, all older castings. We will see 7 models....

Audi RS5 Sportback - red

'85 Porsche 911 Rally - yellow

GMC 3500 Utillity Truck - white

'23 BMW i4 Police - white (Pirihimana Police Force, New Zealand)

'90 VW Golf Country (purple)

'02 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R - black

'19 Toyota 4Runner - blue

Batch B is larger. 13 models here, along with the first Super Chase of the year.

'71 MGB GT Coupe - blue

'64 Jeep Wagoneer - teal

'19 Volvo V90 Cross Country - red

Jeep Wrangler Superlift - grey

'74 Ford F-100 Ranger - black

Jeep 4x4 tan

'24 Glickenhaus SCG004 - blue

'97 McLaren F1 GT - grey

'23 BMW M2 - blue

Baja Bullet - black

'80 Jeep J10 Stepside - blue

'24 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - red (Matchbox Fire Dept)

Skidster - mint (National Parks)

Aston Martin Vanquish - silver (Super Chase)

Batch C will consist of 8 vehicles. One of which is very special. The MBX Field Car will appear in white, and this Michael Heralda designed model is a special livery to advertise the 25th Gathering next July. That is really cool! Then we also get...

'24 Range Rover - red

'23 Toyota GR Supra - pink

Koenigsegg Gemera - purple

'97 Toyota RAV4 - white

'25 Honda Ridgeline - blue

'24 Subaru STi - blue

'68 Ford Mustang Fastback - red

Now, there were only 12 new castings to show off, as things are still being worked on. batches A through C all feature no new castings, and all are ready to go. Batch D is still being ticked off, and is the first batch to see new castings debut. We did notice that there was a push for rally stuff. I am loving it. I grew up in the 1980s where Universal went into a rally mindspace. I enjoyed it, so this is bringing back some great memories for me. Some of the new tools were available to show, but some were just being talked about. 

The first new casting is a 1984 Renault R5 Turbo, which is a part of batch D as it stands.

Along with a 2024 Ford Bronco Raptor.

Mercedes-Benz Unimog U5023 Fire Engine. This model will feature one of 6 planned new wheels for 2027.

We also appear to be getting new "steelie" wheels for the Meyers Manx EV 2.0.

We also plan to see the '24 Ford Raptor T1+ in batch D as well.

And also a Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32). 

And we are still in batch D with the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser 250.

We also have a new Scout Traveler casting. 

And this is a new '86 Ford RS200 casting, also currently slated for batch D. 

And a 2027 RAM 1500 SRT. 

We will also be seeing a new Slate Truck. I spoke with Tyler about how the Slate will work. It is actually a triple casting, as it will feature 3 different rear sections. However, each rear section will be permanently fixed at the time of manufacture, so you will not be able to switch them around once you have them. But, they have 3 different looks they can create, based on the 1 casting. I do not know yet if they will use just the one MAN number for it, or assign it 2 numbers, based on which rear is attached. And, if you were keeping tabs, that is 11 proposed new castings all slated for batch D alone. Wow! I don't think there will be any older castings mixed in. 

We move on to batch E now, and another Porsche rally vehicle. Not that I mind. I love a Porsche. This is the 1984 Porsche 953.

We saw a new Scout, so why not an older one? The 1976 Scout Terra is a pickup truck, which is a lovely contrast to the SUV of the modern Scout. Oh, and this one is also slated to be debuting a new wheel type.

And we are not getting just the 1 Porsche either, with a classic 356 also slated to arrive in batch E.

And we also see a new 2024 Nissan Skyline GT-R in the batch. That is a total of 4 new castings in this batch, bringing us up to 15 in total so far out of 40 planned. I guess this batch will have more of a mix of older castings again. 

On to batch F, which sees a further 6 new castings. These include, all going to plan, the 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX.

A 1973 Chevy Nova is also due in the batch, and this is another casting that is scheduled to debut a new wheel.

A 2025 Toyota GR86 Rally Car is also planned for the batch.

They are also planning a 1973 Dodge B200 Tradesman.

We also plan to see the debut of the 2024 Audi RS Q E-tron E2.

And we also get the 1987 MG Metro 6R4. That will bring us up to 21 out of the 40 new castings for 2027 that are being planned. I look forward to seeing what the other 19 will be later on. As I said, they are unable to show beyond the first half of the year, as the second half is still being tidied up.

Target has had a few blips recently, as they accidentally started ordering the wrong batches. Oops! Well, they are sorting things out, and hopefully by the end of the year, we will be back to regular exclusive Red Editions. As a little bonus, the first of the 2027 Reds will actually be a double Red. Batch B is scheduled to see both the 1997 McLaren F1 GT and '24 Honda Civic Type R in the series. After this, the other 5 batches that they usually appear in will only see the 1 Red again. 

Now, they did not specify that these are Walmart exclusives, but if you live in the USA, that is where you will find the Themed assortments. Again, each batch will consist of 5 models, and each model will be in an exclusive look. They have really upped their themed assortments recently. Only the first 2 batches were showcased. Batch A is called Off Road, and consists of the VW Beetle 4x4 in black, '70 Datsun 510 Rally in blue, MBX Field Car in yellow, '48 Jeep Willys in orange and Baja Bullet in white. Batch B is simply known as European, and sees the Porsche 911 Targa in yellow, '69 BMW 2002 in grey, '25 Aston Martin Vanquish in blue, Mercedes-Benz G550 in black and '85 Porsche 911 Rally in white.

Next up was 5-packs. Again, we did not see all the packs planned for release, as we saw the first 5. These are....

Batch A - MBX Truckin - '80 Jeep J10 Stepside in tan, '19 Toyota 4Runner in red, Sonora Shredder in black, '18 Toyota Hilux in beige and '74 Ford F-100 Ranger in white with blue siding.

Batch A - Import Classics - '02 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R in red, '92 Mazda Autozam AZ-1 in silver, '90 Nissan 180SX Turbo in yellow, '97 Acura Integra Type R in black and '85 Nissan Pathfinder in blue. Good to see the Pathfinder back, and remember we will need 2 packs due to the Acura. 

Batch A - Rough & Rugged - '93 Ford Ranger PreRunner in black, '20 Jeep Gladiator in grey, Polariz RZR Pro R4 Sport in white, '85 Porsche 911 Rally in brown and '16 Toyota Tacoma in green. Again, 2 packs will be required due to the Tacoma.

Batch B - European Motorway - Volvo V60 in white, '23 BMW M2 in grey, '19 Audi TT RS in charcoal, Porsche Cayenne Turbo in dark green and Bugatti Divo in lime yellow. 

Batch B - British Roadways - '24 Range Rover PHEV in gunmetal grey, '97 McLaren G1 GT in black, '63 Austin Healy 3000 MK2 in blue with white side, '71 MGB GT in yellow and '20 Land Rover Defender 90 in bronze.

When it comes to 8-packs, just like with 5-packs, we saw the first 5 planned exclusives for the year. Pack 1 - '68 Ford Mustang Fastback in red, pack 2 - '20 Jeep Gladiator in army green, pack 3 - '24 Chevy Silverado PPV in red, pack 4 - Karma Revero in grey and pack 5 - '26 Chevy Colorado Xtreme in beige. The others are still being finished up.

Working Rigs did not see much. They mentioned 1 new deco, which will be the RW058 Mercedes-Benz Actros and Trailer in teal. It is due in batch C. Hopefully we will get some more information about what is happening with the range soon.  

As was the case with Skybusters. They mentioned just one new deco, a mint green Bell 205. It does appear to be National Parks related, but not the standard NP look. 

Tyler than passed the microphone to Garry to run through the rest. Garry has specified that he is mainly going to be doing premium products, and Kevin Cao is handling the majority of Moving Parts moving forward. But, Kevin wasn't there, so Garry got the audience hyped for what they could showcase for 2027 so far. They mentioned 38 SKU. I am waiting to find out if that means the series is being reduced. Again, 20 new tools are being planned for the range. These are looking at making appearances later in the assortments. As the first 2 batches were run through, and all contained older castings. 

Batch A is only looking at containing 4 models. The '24 Ford Bronco Raptor in greenish grey, '24 Acura Integra Type S HRC in white, Lotus Esprit Sport 300 in red and '91 Mitsubishi Pajero in black.

Batch B is slated to include 6 along with the first Super Chase. The '64 Porsche 911 returns in black. The '24 Toyota Yaris GR Rally 2 also appears in black. The '77 Pontiac Firebird is in red. The '93 Subaru Legacy RS is in yellow. The '86 VW T3 Vanagon is in blue. The '16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is in white. Finally, the Land Rover Defender 130 is the Super Chase in orange.

We then moved to Batch C, where we saw the first new casting out of 20. The Land Rover Defender D7X-R. This will feature an opening hood. 

Batch C is also scheduled to see the '75 Mercedes-Benz W123 300CD arrive. This is due to have opening doors.

It also plans to see the debut of the '75 Lancia Stratos with an opening rear engine compartment. 

We never mentioned any for batch D, but did show some batch E newbies. A 2025 Toyota Tacoma, which will sport an opening hood.

We will also see a 2021 Honda Acty with a moving bed in the E batch, all being well. 

A 2013 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U530 is also slated to appear in this batch with opening doors. However, that is only 6 castings mentioned out of the proposed 20 for the year. So, still a lot of these to be unveiled.

Garry then rolled into the Matchbox Collector series. There does appear to be more of a push for these. Garry is the main man behind the castings on these, and he has also stated that there will be some cool specifics for 2027. All premium releases for 2027 will feature metal bases. This includes anything pulled from basics, and Moving Parts. All of them will see upgraded bases. We also see 5 new wheel types (both with tyres and rims). I have had it confirmed that the series will consists of 26 models for the year (up from 20), and there are 2 further DTC models after the Movie stuff has been run through Mattel Creations. So keep an eye out for those 2 as well. There are 10 planned new castings for premiums, and none will appear in batch A, which consists of....

'84 Audi Quattro in white, '88 Porsche 911 Turbo Slantnose in dark blue, '90 Chevy Corvette ZR1 in yellow, '72 Datsun 240Z Rally in grey, '07 Land Rover 6x6 in grey and '93 Jaguar ZJ220S in blue.

After showing the 6 slated for batch A, he then got into showcasing new castings. 2 of them were available in mockup form. The '25 Toyota 4Runner, which is going to be sporting a removable rear section, which has a surfboard on it.

And a gorgeous '91 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa which also has a removable surfboard. 

We will also see an '86 Toyota Corolla AE86 Trueno.

A 1969 Land Rover Series IIa SWB (woman not included). 

A 2007 Porsche Cayenne.

A 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser.

A 2003 Subaru Impreza.

A 1973 Volvo C303.

A 1971 Jeepster.

And finally, a 1966 Jaguar XK-E. Which, by my calculations is a total of 10 new castings. Yes, the final part of the presentation showcased all of the new premium models for the Collector series. Of course, we do not know the 2x DTC models yet. These may also be new items. 

After the slide show finished, they unveiled the stuff that they brought. Many of the new colours for new year. Yes, I know some were disappointed that we did not see all new castings for the year. We appear to have seen all the Collector ones. But, basics have seen 21 out of 40, and Moving Parts just 6 out of 20. There are still a lot of new items to unveil. There are other uncertainties, like how Working Rigs and Skybusters will be sold in 2027. As is often the case, what they show now is often changed before the end of the model year, so by cutting a lot of it in half, means that they can still surprise us with more items later on. As I mentioned at the start, the middle of next year will see a behind the scenes push for the brand, which could change a few things as they go on. 2027 is a bit of a change. We are seeing much more rally stuff in there. This is something that they are planning to really make their own. I think this will also include more Rally Raid stuff as well, and I am excited to see how they are moving the brand forward. 

But, for now, this is what we know to date. As more information becomes available, they will continue to unveil new items. But, for now, I am happy with the slight tweak to the direction. I like rally stuff. If you don't you may be disappointed. Obviously, they can't please everyone. Next week, I return to my regularly scheduled reports, as I think I had another half of a basics set to finish off. Until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.