Matchbox Monday sees a very German looking Collectors batch

I was hoping to do a rundown of the Leipzig models this week, but the box is still on its way over. It will be here in a matter of days (barring the UK Royal Mail being awkward), so my intention is to run through the contents for next week's report. In the meantime, I thought I would work my way through some more of the premium issues from Matchbox. Batch C of the Collectors series has recently debuted, and Wheel Collectors sent me over the batch very quickly. Thanks guys I have to say, considering I am not doing a very German-centric blog report this week, this does feel very German. I mean, 4 of the 5 models are German. Coincidence? Probably. Just the way things land. Anyway, without further ado, let's dive in to this batch.

And immediately, we hit a new casting. This is the MB1414 '69 Audi 100 Coupe S. It debuts in a dark grey look, and takes the number 11 slot in the series of 20.

I have to say, I have been bugging the Matchbox guys to make this for a few years now. I don't know if I was an influence, but I am very happy to see this appear. Audi had debuted the 100 in 1968, and the following year came out with a coupe version, which they called the 100 Coupe S. It was the only generation of 100 that had a coupe variant. The next 3 generations never saw a coupe variant. Audi later launched a Coupe model in 1980 as a simpler version of their new Quattro. This one is quite a unique model in that sense, being the only 100 Coupe. I am so happy to see it.

They have launched the model in a fairly dark grey with silver trim and detailing. Do you notice the little Audi on the front corner? Looking at the casting first, I am extremely impressed. This has captured the shape of the Coupe S amazingly well. I am so impressed with it. The lines are sharp, the details are where they need to be. I love the attention to the window wipers. And, I have to say, while holding it....

It has quite the weight to it. That is because it is all die-cast. It comes with a metal base.Of course, by doing this, it is limiting it to the premium side of the brand. No basic range outing for this. Which, to me, is a bit of a shame. I would love to see this in core outings. The one problem with the double die-cast models is that their usage is very limited. They will only see premium use. What premiums do we have? Collectors (one set of 20 per year) and perhaps a Mattel Creations. Look at last year's double die-cast models, the Lexus LFA, Porsche 910 and Jaguar D-type. No outings in 2024. Luckily the Porsche 910 was given a Leipzig promotional outing last year, so technically there are 5, but will we see any of them next year? This could become a very sporadic release. Core models could appear as singles, 5-packs, 8-packs, Walmart or Target exclusives, maybe even other random releases. Moving Parts only get a chance at a Collectors upgrade beyond their standard releases. I know many like the idea of the die-cast base and body, and I do admit to the weight and solid feel it gives. But, with such a small premium side, some really cool models may see very few releases. Which, I am sad about. Either create a plastic base to sell them elsewhere, or bring out more premium stuff! I am definitely up for more premium stuff.

I think the 100 Coupe S is such a great vehicle. Only a little over 30,000 real ones were made between 1969 and 1976, and I am not sure what this particular grey was called, but I see they did sell grey ones at the time. The rear of the vehicle is the only part that see any colour to it. The rear lights are depicted in orange and red.

I think they have done a terrific job with the model. The shape is perfect. The bumpers are depicted in chrome, which means that this is a larger piece build. Because the interior is in black. The base, as already seen, is grey. Which does mean that this would again struggle to be a basic range model. They tend to have a limit of 4 pieces. I have had a careful look at the model, and I think this is actually a 6-piece build. Do you notice how those chrome bumpers are not at the bottom of the body section? They are slotting in mid-way down. I have pulled one of the tyres off a wheel, and peered inside, and checked where rivets are, and I believe that the 2 bumpers are 2 pieces. One slotting in the front, and another slotting in the back. That is a very high level of casting detail for a toy car. I am seriously impressed with that! Kudos to the Matchbox team for the effort with this one. I believe this casting was created by Garry Gopinath at the Matchbox team. He has been creating a number of the new castings, and I am seriously loving the work he is doing. I said it with the Lincoln Continental in the basic range, and am repeating it here. This casting is awesome! Those side louvres behind the window are not just a tampo print. If you were to run your finger down them, they are finely detailed, and then enhanced by the tampo print.

So, is the final article perfect? No. There is one thing I am not keen on. Those windows. Why are they almost black? If you peer in through the side windows, you can just make out that they are not a solid black. But, very close. I don't think they should have been so dark. Smokey, yes. But not almost a solid black finish. For a premium product, I think it is the one thing that I would have changed. Lighten them up a little, so you can see in better at the front or rear.

Scores. Inclusion is easy. I have wanted this for years, so a very easy 10 to have it in the Matchbox portfolio. Casting is tough. Visually, the casting is brilliant. I think that they have done an amazing job. But, metal base and 2 chrome bumper inserts means no core outing. How do I feel? Sad, but I can't really knock it for it. Does that make sense? I am giving this a 10. Design. I'm loving the grey, and those wheels look fine. Detailing is absolutely spot on, but those windows are the sore point for me. So, a 9 for design. Doh! So close. A 29 out of 30.

Number 12 in the series is one we have seen before. The MB1326 '80 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL. It comes in a lovely golden hue.

Having seen a few releases before, I will get straight into the look. I love the gold. I see that there were golden looks to Mercs around that time, so I think it is a real look. The golden wheel hubs are a decent match for the body as well. I think that this was normal on the Mercs as well, although the middle of the golden hub would have had the tri-star on it. But because this is how wheels are constructed, I will forgive Matchbox for not doing that.

The model sees many passes through the tampo machine. The front grille is a different piece to the body, so with the full front-end detailing, that is 2 passes alone. Plus, with sides including opening doors, all detailed, that is another 4 passes.

And, along with the rear being detailed, I am counting 7 passes through the tampo machine. Front, front grille, sides x2, side doors x2, rear. Yep, 7 passes. That is definitely premium level. And, just look at the rear licence plate. I love these coded plates. 3L1SSY80 = classy 80. Plus, with this US style plate, there is a Matchbox line at the top, and Corrales NM across the bottom. Hmm! Does Michael Heralda come from Corrales? I think this is an Adlar58 design, even without a 58 anywhere. I am breaking your codes, Michael!

I think this is the nicest look for the model so far, although it does have a premium advantage. I am giving it a 10 out of 10, as I can't find anything to fault about it. Great work!

As a reminder, these are the ones release to date. It debuted in the 2022 Moving Parts series in blue (a nod to the Lesney classic).

While 2023 gave us a green release. Something I did see 2 distinct shades of green on.

With no Moving Parts release this year, it does mean it is coming at a rate of 1 per year. I did notice that the rear bumper in grey has the exact same grey issue as the 2 earlier issues. This is something to do with the way they make the grey plastic, causing a dark spot in the swirling process. It is not great, and is most evident on the mid-greys. But, that caused me to notice something else, that I had previously missed on this model.

This premium issue has a dark grey base. Wait a second. That means that this is built similarly to the Audi. The bumpers are a unique piece. They are under the body line, so I cannot tell if this is one additional piece that gets dropped in and runs the whole length of the model or not, during an upside-down construction method. I would imagine that to be the case here, as the Audi would see the 2 bumper sections slotted in, and it will stay in place while they pop a rivet through. But, 2 pieces just laying on top of the body (again, while it is upside down), would be a struggle to finish construction, so I imagine a thin strip running through the middle holding it in place. I am genuinely surprised it was built like this. Especially because it took me 3 years to notice it. Again, kudos to the Matchbox team for this construction method.

The closest "classic" to this is the 1981-82 basic range outing of the old MB056 casting. This was beige, about as close to the gold as it went, although that had a taxi sign added to the roof.

That did see metal bases left unpainted or painted silver. As well, it had a brown interior or tan interior. Look, the tan is pretty close to the new one as well. So cool! I am loving this release.

Next up is a casting that we have only seen this year, but not quite a new one. The MB1312 '93 BMW E30 M3. It takes the number 13 slot in the range, and sees a white "Shell" outing.

Now, I am positive this is an Adlar58 design. The race number on the side is the best giveaway.

I can see where he was getting his inspiration from with the design. It appears there are a number of real racing vehicles from BMW at the time with a Shell livery.

Of course, he has taken a few liberties. There was never an El Segundo team. But, I am not overly concerned about it being an exact representation. I think having a little fun, like Michael was clearly having with this, is working perfectly.

Again, we are seeing plenty of tampo passes across the model. I love that they managed to get the rear print to go all the way down to the lower section as it starts to curve into the base.

All the logos are real. Obviously, we get Shell, as well as Matchbox, BMW M Power, and Goodyear is along the bottom of the side as well. I think this is working very well. White wheel hubs? I think they work. They could have gone with yellow. That could have worked just as well, and perhaps blended in to the bottom yellow strip a bit better. Or one of each. Hey, they could have done that for something a little different. But, I don't think it is point dropping for being white. They work.

But, the engine bay wasn't detailed. This is a premium release. Sure, front, back, top, bonnet (or hood), sides x2. That is 6 passes. But, we saw the Mercedes-Benz get 7. So, why was it not given a tampo hit? Is it a mega point deducter? No, not really. It is not a major thing, as you do have to lift the front to see it. So, I am giving this a 9.5. It is a minor drop for it. Why?

We saw this model debut just recently as a Mattel Creations release.

If you lift the front of that one, oh look, a lovely detailed engine tampo print. Did they forget that they could do that in the 9 months or so between production?

Yes, 9 or so months. In fact, 42 weeks. That is closer to 10 months. The Mattel Creations model was actually made in the 34th week of 2023. It was simply switched around in the release schedule (I believe to slot in the new Mercedes-Benz electric G-Class model). Some Mattel Creations models get shuffled around at times. I mean, it is now October, and I am still waiting on the one that was coming in September (as noted at this year's Gathering in July). They showed us a brand new 1979 Chevy Blazer that was due to debut in September, with a harlequin VW Golf Mk3 coming in October. So, shuffling again! I posted the models showing the back of the blister, as since the start of 2024, they no longer batch date models. Only the packaging.S34 to T24 equates to 42 weeks. In that time, they forgot you can tampo print an engine. Ha ha!

So, we had an Audi, a Mercedes-Benz, a BMW, and now another Mercedes-Benz. I told you this was very German-centric. 5 models, and 4 of them come from Germany. We had a Porsche in the last batch. Should that have come in this batch for an all-German batch? Or perhaps switch one of these German models with something from the last batch (spoiler alert, 3 from the USA, 1 from the UK and 1 from Japan). Does it really matter? Probably not. But, this is a rather surprising addition. The MB728 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U300. This is a model that first appeared back in 2007. It had a premium outing once before, a long time ago. This is the second time we see a premium look on it. It is number 14 in the set.

This comes in a camouflage look with extra detailing where needed. It reminds me a little of the camouflage series of the late 2010s as well as the Premier Collectibles series of 1999.

I'm not sure why the M was added to the side. It doesn't really fit in with the design. Not on the side anyway.

They should have left it off. The MBX logo on the rear is fine, and I see Michael Heralda was busy again. Another of his handiwork. Although, again, we are missing something. Where are the rear lights?

Again, front lights in the body section are depicted, but for a premium issue, I would have thought the base front part would have been a bit better detailed as well. I like the camouflage design, but am a little underwhelmed by this one. Which is a shame, as I like Unimogs, and love this casting. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

This deserves a dive back. This is a model of 2 halves. It debuted in the 2007 basic range, and was immediately given a dual outing. Both were simple designs, with an orange model later being joined by a silvery green one.

This casting has seen a number of outings, where it is a part of a greater recurring theme. The first, was on the 2008 basic range model. The blue model was part of the CarGo theme.

2008 was a busy year, as it was given a green Euro Editions outing as well. I did spot a little shading to it.

It was also given a premium release in the Superfast series in green. This saw tampo printing to the front and rear base section as expected. It was also a part of the Action 10-pack in blue.

In 2009, the model was released in the basic range in teal, with an HDR side design.

And was given another Euro Edition outing. This black model was given either a maroon or brown interior, which is used extensively outside as well. But, after 2009, the model lay dormant, gathering dust.

Until 2017, when it finally returned in the Explore The River 5-pack in tan. However, this featured the same side design as the 2009 basic range model.

Then we started to see more of the recurring themes. 2018 saw a National Parks release in the Walmart exclusive Mercedes-Benz set.

With 2019 seeing a return to the basic range in red, with the Melton side design. This was at the start of a recurring theme, although I am trying to remember if we have had more than 3 (Mini Cargo Truck and Working Rigs MAN TGS Flatbed Cargo Hauler, being the others).

It was also in the 2020 basic range in green with a farming style livery.

After taking 2021 off (unless you include carry forwards, as it was in the Best of Germany series in the 2009 basic's look again), the model popped up in the 2022 Autobahn Express III 5-pack in white, with the recurring Ranec theme.

And 2024 saw a blue farming theme (which is a recurring design) in a 9-pack.

So, not including carry forwards (the original orange came back in this year's Best of Germany as well), we are now up to 15 different looks on the model. 8 from the original 3-year run, and another 7 from the last 8 years.I wonder how many more it will get?

It's time for the final model. And it is not German. Or is it? Well, in the early days of the American Ford Motor Company, they used to sell the same models worldwide, and the 1932 Model B was made in 31 different factories in the USA, as well as 2 in Canada. Then, parts were shipped to many, MANY other countries for local production. One of those was in Cologne, Germany. So, it may not be German as a rule, but the 1932 Ford Model B was actually built there. So, there you go. A German link to the final model. As I have been mentioning, this is the MB1408 '32 Ford Roadster.

Now, this model is debuting as number 15 in the set of 20. However, some may not know that this was originally scheduled to debut in the 2023 series as number 17 of 22. And, for that debut, it was actually going to be black with flames. However, there was an issue with the tooling, and it had to be pulled. So, we never got a number 17 release last year. When they fixed it and the model finally arrived, it is no longer in black with flames. It is now green with a tan accent.

I don't exactly know what the issue is, but I have a feeling that it may be something to do with the front end. Do you notice this small front section with the lights on top of it? It also forms the front grille of the model. It is a small section, and the 1 picture I have seen of the 2023 model had what appeared to be front lights formed as part of the base section.

And, with this model also sporting a metal base, this front section is a small part that is included on the model. It appears we have another 5-part build. And another that will only see premium outings. They are definitely building up a stock of metal base/metal body models, but this means sporadic outings. I am not going through it again.

It is a simple casting. With the larger wheels are the way the rear sticks out, I would say that this is a lightly modified hot rod model. And, I think very tastefully done.

Again, the side profile is very clean on this model. It is a nice little casting.

The design is also nice. Green with beige accents, and simple front and rear details. The rear lights and licence plate here.

I am not a massive hot rod fan. I think people in the USA tend to be more into that sort of thing than in other countries, but I do see the need to have them. I do wonder if we will see the black with flames model?

So, how do I score this one? Inclusion. Not my thing personally, but I think it has a place in the range. It is a bit different to other premium castings that they have. I am going to say 8. Casting? For what it is, I can't really fault it. 10. Design. I like the design. Green and beige, white wheels. Yeah, there is nothing I would change about this. A nice light smoke window. Dig at the Audi.... Ha ha! I am giving this a 10. So, it is weird. The Audi I scored 29 out of 30 and love it. This I score 28 out of 30 and am blasé about it. It is partly down to me trying to think of the bigger picture than just my own personal tastes.

And on that shocker, I am done for another week. Out of the 5 models, 3 were new. Well, sort of. 1 definitely was. 1 is a year out of date, and the last one did appear already this year. But, all are new for us in 2024.

And a pair of older Mercedes-Benz castings fill up the quintet.

Next week I do hope to finally show off what came from Leipzig this year. I just hope the package doesn't get lost in the mail. I had better not have jinxed myself by saying that. Anyway, until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.