Matchbox Monday starts 2025 with basics A

I know this is weird, but I am just making a start on 2025 Matchbox items with the first batch of 12 basic range issues. However, as I write this, Wheel Collectors are busy sending me the third batch. This means, technically, we are a quarter of the way through the year already, and I am just starting to review it. That's the way things go sometimes. I hope people still enjoy my rambles, as I am sort of a quarter of a year behind the curve. Talking of, it's time to ramble on about the first batch. The standard set of models is 8, which means I am able to do this in one go. Even with a Super Chase, it still sits under my 10-per-blog limit. I know that as the basic range has been upped to 125 for 2025, a number of batches will end up being split into 2 reports.

The fun thing is, Wheel Collectors got the batch in, both as long car and in power grab box. They also sent me both, so this meant I was busy going through them to check for variations.

Because the boxes are dated T34 and long cards T35. Okay, it is only a 1 week difference, but you never know whether this will throw up a random difference. First up is a brand new casting, the MB1488 '24 Ford Explorer BEV. This takes the MB7 slot in the 2025 range, and debuts in pale blue.

Or not as pale a blue. This is a good start. The 2 are sporting a little shade. So, some may be thinking that this is another US SUV. Well, you are totally wrong. It is the complete opposite. The Ford Explorer that is sold in the US is a fuel and hybrid vehicle in its 6th generation. It has no electric counterpart as yet. The European market has added the Explorer Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV for short) as one of 3 electric offerings alongside the Mustang Mach-E and Capri EV. I do actually want Matchbox to make the Capri EV. I think it looks cool, especially as it takes inspiration from the classic Capri. I see no new Capri coming, as the European and UK markets sell the Mustang, which, when the Focus stops, will be the only regular car left in their range. As well as the electric SUVs, they have a Puma and Kuga SUV as well. The Explorer was given an American sounding name for this Euro model as a nod to their American roots. It is also officially a record breaker.

This particular Ford Explorer, in the same Arctic Blue as the model that Matchbox made, an official Ford colour option for the SUV, broke the record for the longest drive around the world. It was driven by Lexie Alford (clever, how her surname has "Ford" in it) broke the record for longest drive around the world. She covered over 30,000 kilometres, hitting 6 continents and 27 different countries on her journey. There were struggles, as power was an issue in Africa, and while driving through Chile, she had a few recharging issues. But, she made it, and when arriving in France to finish the journey, she was officially classified as the first person to circumnavigate the world in an electric vehicle. For those who remember things, later this year, Matchbox will be releasing a special Pole to Pole version of the Nissan Ariya. This was a different test. Going from one pole to the other in an electric car. It needed a lot of modifications for the freezing conditions. The Explorer was fine as was.

So, let's get up close with this new casting. My first impression is "another with the roof as part of the window". This was one of Abe Lugo's creations. I am guessing this is all part of the weight issues with models. One of the things you don't realize, the team have massive headaches trying to keep everything within certain budgets. Parts? Yep, there are limits. Tampo prints? Again, limits. Weight? Yes, there is a limit. But, making the roof metal is not going to make this too heavy, I hear you say. It is not about making this too heavy. It is about the models across the batch. When they all get piled into the box, and then these boxes are all piled up to be shipped out, they are looking at the total weight for everything. So, by ensuring that some models are a little light, they can afford to add a bit more heft to some of the others. It's a trade off. I wish they would just up the price point and bring a few things back. But, it's not up to me. It's up to Walmart. And others as well. But, Walmart are such a huge player in the game, that Mattel will listen a lot to their desires, and accommodate as much as they can. Mattel is a massive company, but nowhere near as big as Walmart, so Walmart will be able to influence things. It is annoying. We wish it wasn't that way. But, we are not in a position to argue.

Knowing that he was likely a little compromised in how he was making the model, I will ignore the roof element, and check out the rest. From the side, it does look very good. Obviously, the window section is pretty dark, as it does look even weirder when done in almost clear. The side detailing across the rear end is well executed. And, to be honest, if the roof was simply painted, it would actually look decent. Because, those side details along the window area are usually black, regardless of the body colour. So, from this angle, it is good.

The front end is very well done. This is exactly how the real vehicle looks. And the detailing is spot on. You may actually notice, there is silver trim around the bottom edge of the model. That is a part of the interior piece. Which means that they have had to do a 3rd pass through the tampo machine, as parts get tampo printed before construction. This may have also had a little influence on this model getting the roof done this way.

The rear end is spot on. This is just a single pass, as the body extends to the lower edge in this area. Could the front end have been extended to the bottom and then they tampo print the lower section black? That could have been an option. Perhaps a better one?

Visually, they have done a very good job. It looks just like the real one. But, I am still not a fan of the way they do the roof on these models.

So, scoring this is a little tough. Inclusion. I think it is great that they have gone with a European Ford. As I said, I want the Capri EV as well to have the full trio. So, for this category, I am giving it a 10. Casting. I can't score a 10 to a model with a roof being part of the window. It is very well done, but I also wonder if the front end could have been done slightly different, and then tampo printed accordingly. So here, I am giving it a 7. Design. I can't argue with this. Arctic Blue, and with full front and rear detailing in place. It deserves a 10. So, that is a respectable 27 out of 30. One of the better castings with a roof made from the window in their recent history.

As it is a new casting, I show off the base details as well.

The second model in the batch is the MB1437 '63 Mercedes-Benz 230SL. It takes the MB46 slot in the set, and comes in gold.

I am enjoying this. There is a small shade between the 2 gold issues in box and blister.

Mind you, as this model rolls over into batch B, made a number of weeks later, the shade varies even more. I have 3 of them. Am I crazy? Why are you even asking that any longer? Of course I am.

This does appear to be a close facsimile of the Tunis Beige Metallic option that Mercedes-Benz had at the time. So, I do believe it is a correct colour for the model. And it looks lovely. It really stands out. We see simple front and rear tampo printing.

Adding a light smoke window, disc wheels and a chrome base, I think they have absolutely nailed this one. I would not expect anything more in miniature. They could have gone with a brown interior, which is something real ones came with, but they do appear to sometimes sport a black interior. And I think that works better on this one. So, this is easy to score. A perfect 10. Keep giving us more like this, and I will be very happy.

As we know, this only debuted last year. It was in white, and had a red interior and a pale blue window. Real classic vehicles had a very pale blue (or green) window tint. However, they are less noticeable until you sit inside, and look specifically at them, not through them. But, I quite like the pale blue window tint on classics. Of course, it would not have worked on this one. It needs the right basic colour to blend in well.

And, as we know, Dirk Schleuer commissioned the model for the Leipzig convention last year. It came in red with a special pagoda added, that was designed by Abe Lugo. Most pagodas were in red, but some were also in pink. A very small run was made in pink and came with a white pagoda. But, as we know, these pagodas are simply placed on top.

So, you can have a little fun switching them around models. Doesn't the white roof look amazing on this model?

I look forward to what colour they come up with next. Of course, that will lead to more pagoda swapping. This is a fun little model.

Next up, the MB1023 '70 Datsun 510 Rally returns to the basic range as MB51 in blue.

I don't know if you remember my last review of this one, when it was a part of the 2024 Mattel Creations. I mentioned how it has been a sort of Matchbox Ambassador model. Each release tends to showcase at least one former Ambassador. You could sort of say it has 2. You might notice the Lamley logo sitting on the side. Technically, that is the logo for both John Lambert (Lam) and myself (ley), as I came up with the Lesney-esque way of calling ourselves back in the mid noughties, when we were both members of an old Matchbox message board. However, John did run with it, creating the blog, social media channels etc. He even came up with the logo. Well, with a team who make logos. So, this is more him than me. But, I like to think I came up with the Lamley name for the pair of us, the best part of 20 years ago. But, either way, that continues the tradition of each model sporting a reference to at least one ambassador.

It is also the first of the batch I have not found a variation on. The blue seemed consistent, even against a later run in batch B. The brown in the tampo I thought might shade. Nope! Not that I found, anyway. So, just the one. And it looks fantastic. I am used to the 2 sides getting prints in most cases, and the front and rear only seeing detailing on premium guises. I do have to point out, does the BS writing on the side give some people (especially in English-speaking countries) the wrong impression? It comes up just before the number 25. I am not calling BS on this type of tampo. But, in English, the shorthand BS does give off certain connotations. Hopefully, none of the kids who get this will even think of that. Is this where my mind is? Ha ha! But, that aside, I do love this look, and the light blue colour. Plus the gold wheel rims. Very toy fair-esque. The wheels, that is. So, I am giving this a 10 out of 10. And that is very nice on only its third basic range outing (after the 2017 debut in orange and red 2018 follow-up).

The 4th model in the batch is the MB1231 '20 Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake. The second Merc in the batch. It comes in dark blue as MB61 for 2025.

Again, I was unable to find a shade to this. Plus, it only appeared in the 1 batch. It never rolled over into batch B. I don't know if that is because the BMW 3-series Touring is in that batch, also in blue. 2 different blue wagons in 2 consecutive batches. They should have spaced them out a bit further. But, that does not deter from how lovely this is. It is called Starling Blue Metallic. A nice, shiny dark blue. And, as we know, Mercedes-Benz modern cars are now sporting exclusive Merc wheels. This was a vendor request, as Mattel tend to refer to the people they get their licences from. Mercedes-Benz asked if they could see cars with a wheel style that better resembles what their vehicles have in real life. So, Matchbox abided by their request. I have no idea if this wheel is allowed to be used outside the Mercedes-Benz licence, but so far, we have not seen them on any other model. So, they may only be seen on them. Which, gets me wondering. Will more vendors ask for wheels? I am asking because I have mentioned a few times about a certain Volvo that needs better wheels. I think the more variety we get in the wheels, the better it will be.

I cannot fault this model in any way. I love the colour, and the front and rear tampos are perfect. The wheels? Obviously perfect. A pale smoke window and black window are the icing on the cake. A perfect 10.

I do think it vastly improves the model getting these wheels on them. Only the 2021 debut in black saw a common wheel type.

We saw no modern Mercs in 2022 as they were working on these wheels, but as they didn't arrive until late 2023, the earlier in the year Super Chase did see some premium wheels, that were actually fairly close. Mercedes-Benz were okay with that.

And, as we saw in 2024, the first of the CLAs with the new wheel arrive in red.

As much as I like having wagons in the range (and more new wagons are coming in 2025), I do want to know when we are going to see a new release of the MB1201 '19 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT63S. It debuted in white in 2020, then switched to black for 2021 and has not been seen since. I thought it would return once the wheels were up and running. I am still waiting. Mattel, if you are reading, MB1201!!!!

As I move on to the next model, I thought I would do a closer shot of the power grab box. You see, blisters show a scene of a model, which gets replicated on the power grab box, albeit with a few corners cut. But, on the bottom of the box, we actually get the model without the background. But, if it is a model which is kicking up mud in the picture, the mud is still being kicked up. I notice weird things, don't I!

As you can see on the front of the power grab box, with a full background, this is another new casting. The MB1519 '24 Toyota Tacoma. It makes its debut in white as MB65.

Hello shade. Bright white or creamy white? Fantastic. That is 3 out of 5 so far, sporting a shade between power grab box and large blister.

Did you know that the Tacoma gets its name from Mount Rainier? Yes, just like the nearby city of Tacoma, Washington, which also took its name from the nearby mountain, Tacoma is based on the Anglicized version of how the indigenous people of the area used to pronounce the name. The Lushootseed speakers called the mountain "Sky Wiper", which when pronounced in their own language was sort of similar to Tacoma. The Tacoma first appeared in 1995, but it took until the 3rd generation for Matchbox to make a model. In fact, they made 2. One with a tent on the back, the other as a lifeguard vehicle. And now, as it is on its 4th generation, this is the first one that has been made stock. Abe Lugo is the mastermind behind the casting here, and he has worked wonders. When he is allowed to put a roof in, he can create some masterpieces. The Tacoma's 4th generation was designed in the USA, as the Tacoma does not sell outside of the Americas much. Europe and the UK definitely does not see it. It was designed to be for rugged outdoor fun. Hence, the quite boxy and tall stance. It is definitely rugged. Abe has captured the essence of the real vehicle beautifully.

It is big, beefy, and so well done. All the details are sharp, and bold. Just like the real vehicle is. This is a great casting.

Toyota calls this Ice Cap. I guess it is the whiter of the 2 I have. The creamier one is actually closer to the Wind Chill Pearl colour option. So, either way, they have nailed it. Oh, this is brilliant.

I am used to this way of creating the rear bed on a basic range pickup truck I have not seen any with anything inside, so I guess we have no Easter Eggs. Wouldn't it have funny if they had a secondary one with a small tent and a lifebelt in the rear? A nod to both the 2 previous Tacoma castings? That would have been a serious Easter Egg. But, an empty bed on them all is perfectly fine. It saves money, well for some. I am already up to 2.

This is going to be easy to score. Inclusion. A perfect 10. It is about time we had a stock Tacoma with nothing unique. Casting. Cannot be faulted by me. Again, a perfect 10. Design. There are 2 shades, and both match official Toyota colours. And with simple front and rear tampo, again, a 10 is all I can give for this. A perfect debut. Top marks. I am already wondering if this could actually make the year-end Top 10 new castings list. We have a long way to go yet, but we are starting with a bang.

And before I move on to model 6, a quick base shot of the new casting.

Whoa! I was not expecting the MB1446 '83 Ford Fiesta Mk2 to come in a new colour already. I only previewed the debut last week. And, obviously, that red only lasted the 1 batch, as it has been immediately replaced by this green one as MB84 in the next batch.

And, this one gets a shade as well!  Woohoo! 4 out of 6 so far getting a shade, and this is on my favourite new casting of 2024. Will this end up as my favourite colour of 2025? Again, a long way to go for me to make that decision, but seriously, this batch is coming with some awesome additions.

As with the debut, this model sports simple front and rear tampo prints.

This was a real colour option for the Mk2 Fiesta. Known as Light Spruce Metallic, it really looks cool on the model as well.

What that real picture shows is that the wheels are still the sore point. I mentioned it with the Volvo 240 post a few reports ago when I reviewed that one. These 1980s and 1990s models often sported simple wheel hubs, that were often mainly plain with a small patterned area around the outside. Where it would have worked on the Volvo, that type of wheel would look very at home on this Fiesta as well. I still love it, and I am still giving a 10 out of 10. The wheel they chose out of the ones they have available is the best one. But, I am really thinking they need to look at creating a very '80s and '90s wheel hub. Mainly plain with a pattern going around the outside. And models like the Volvo 240 and Ford Fiesta would really benefit from it.

I can't believe my favourite new casting only ran for 1 batch. The recolour in green appeared for 2 batches.

I honestly do believe that this model will see a reappearance at the end of the year when I do my Top 10s again. I absolutely love it!

And, now, for something a little unusual. The MB1494 MBX Field Car Convertible. Well, perhaps not. This is something we have seen multiple times. VW Golf LS to Romping Rabbit. Chevy Van to 4x4 Chevy Van. '99 Chevy Silverado to '99 Chevy Silverado 4x4. '68 Ford Mustang GT/CS to '68 Ford Mustang GT/CS "Mudstanger". Yes, Matchbox has had a habit of making a vehicle with standard road wheels, and then turning it into a large 4x4. This arrives in the first batch of 2025 as MB93 in metallic orange.

And, as I got 2 sent over by Wheel Collectors, I checked them. Yes, sure enough, I saw a shade variation between the 2. Good enough for me.

So, as you will all be able to tell, this has been adapted from the MB1243 MBX Field Car casting. Now, here is where things get perhaps a little interesting, if you are a bit of a nerd. So, it interested me. The MBX Field Car casting was created by Abe Lugo as a model that paid homage to the original Field Car from the end of the 1960s, that ran through 1972 in the basic range, and returned later in the decade in twin packs and as a USA limited edition.  Well, that car was made due to an issue in creating an International Scout. I don't know what that was. Well, this new offshoot has been created as a sort of replacement for the MB864 '74 International Scout 4x4, which is being retired. There is an issue with the casting, and it was decided to retire it and adapt the Field Car. So, we keep getting Field Cars due to International Scout issues. I told you it was interesting. Wake up!!!!

The original MBX Field Car was the brainchild of Abe Lugo, and I have to admit, I am a bit of a fan of it. I know many are not keen on the Matchbox originals castings, but if they are nice, they are nice. At the end of the day, these guys are designers, just like those who design real vehicles. They just design in miniature. Of course, this means Abe created this as well. So, we see many visual elements of the earlier Field Car casting (which isn't being retired) carried over to the new casting.

We also have a spare wheel in the back of this, much like the International Scout 4x4 had in that back.

However, there are a few things I do think were a little wrong here. Firstly, it has a tow hook. The older MBX Field Car has a tow hook. So, yes, it sort of seemed logical to bring it over. Except....

Due to the tow hook being so high up, it means if it is towing anything, that item is being lifted up very high at the front. The Trailer Trawler is short, so can just about manage, but some trailer units are too long, so the back end will be dragging on the ground and wheels up in the air. But, even this one looks a bit silly. I remember the way the '72 Ford Bronco 4x4 was created with a huge hook section that was dragged down low, and it looked weird. To be honest, I think this should have excluded the tow hook.

Another thing I noticed was, if I was to bring in the older MBX Field Car, was the sizing of the new model.

The new casting is noticeably narrower than the older one. This means the wheels stick out a lot. Is it me, or should this have been a little wider, closer to the width of the original so it is not as noticeable? The wheels would still have stuck out a little, but it wouldn't look so thin.

It is also slightly shorter. But, not as noticeable as the width. So, in ratio to the other one, the dimensions are all out. Remember me talking of the VW Golf LS, Chevy Van and '99 Chevy Silverado? These were all created with the same body section for both stock wheels and large 4x4 wheels. However, the '68 Ford Mustang GT/CS was altered in size while being given 4x4 wheels. I would have much preferred this to have simply been the original with a new base section. And the wheels. Chop off the roof, and add a new interior with spare wheel. Not create a similar body. Use the same and chop it.

I just think this is too narrow compared to the original. Which is a shame, as I was actually looking forward to it.

Finally, as people know, I do like recurring themes. This has debuted in the same metallic orange as the earlier Field Car. However, although wheels have the same rim detail, the tampo print is not the same. It is similar. You can see the same elements in play. But, I think they should have replicated the look properly.

It is close, but no cigar. As the saying goes.

So, scoring this one. When it comes to inclusion, I actually like it. As shocking as it sounds, I am actually going to score this a 10. Casting is tougher. The shape is good. But, with it being too narrow, slightly short, and the tow hook being too high/not needed, I am going losing some points. I am giving it a 7. Design. As much as I like it, I would still have preferred a better duplication of the earlier casting's look. So, here it gets an 8. This gives it a fairly respectable 25 out of 30. It may not be perfect, but it is still a nice little model.

Had there been no earlier MBX Field Car casting, I think it could have got higher scores. That tow hook would still be an issue. Oh, right, base shot.

And, finally, as provided by Wheel Collectors, we get the MB1179 '16 Ford interceptor Utility. This takes the MB93 slot in the set of 125, and comes in white for 2025.

Now, this model has me confused. Which I will get to. But, first, this design? It is the same as was used on a Working Rig RW047 Scania Tactical Command Center. It's the same as the RW003 Pierce Quantum Aerial Ladder Truck. It's the same as the MB1310 '19 Ram Ambulance. This is the 4th release of this design. So, yes, it is a recurring theme. I love a recurring theme.

So, based on the recurring theme alone, you know I am going to be giving this a 10. I love recurring themes. So, why was I confused?

I was surprised that it is still going as a basic range model. This is because it ran from 2019 through 2023. Then, in 2024, it was replaced by the MB1440 '23 Ford Interceptor utility. An updated version. So, when I first saw it, I thought it was the new casting.

Then it dawned on me. It was the older one. The new one is coming later in the year. That surprised me. I thought this might see an odd multipack release for a few years, but the '23 getting the basic push. But, stranger things happen. Talking of which....

Wheel Collectors never got this in. The first batch of the year in basics provides us with the first Super Chase. This is the MB726 Audi R8 in orange. I do need to point out. There has been a small mistake. Do you notice the number? 1/6? There are only 4. They have made a booboo and accidentally marked down that there will be 6 this year. It reminds me of the Target Red 2024 issue, except in reverse. They have a lot of fun with these errors on packaging. Now, I got the news that Wheel Collectors had missed out on the chase. So, as has always been the case, I have had to chase. And chase. Some have come all the way from Australia (which is often a good place to find things). However, this short card issue? Well, I walked into a Tesco store in the UK which had just put out a lot of batch A 2025. I rummaged through and pulled out a super chase! Woohoo! My first ever super chase find in the wild. I have never ever found one in a store before. I was so happy, I almost missed that there was a second one in the same assortment at this Tesco store. What the? I found 2 together? No. There was a 3rd one in there! Holy smokes! i was like a kid in a candy store. I almost passed out with giddiness. The first Super Chase appeared in 2021. That means, I have spent 4 years in a fruitless hunt for a chase, and then go and find 3 in one go. One of them was sent to a friend of mine, Charlie Mack. If you are a member of Matchbox USA, the club he runs, you might have seen it in a recent magazine. The other 2?

Both mine. I could see one was a little bit darker than the other. My guess, as was described by Michael Heralda years ago, the paint process for models has the parts on a "tree", which then goes through the paint room, with sprayers running up and down the trees spraying the paint on them. As the sprayer hits the bottom or top, it then stops and returns the opposite way. If a part is just in the right place, at that point of change, it will receive a thicker spray, which will cause a slight difference in the final hue. Michael jokingly referred to it as the Tilley zone at that time. We all laughed. I am trying to get it trademarked. Ha ha! The other models I have seen shades on could just be flukes, based on this theory. Or, because they were run at different times, actually different shades. This only had a single run. A short run. This has to be just the end of tree catch. But, what this also means is that out of 9 models in this batch, 6 of them I have more than 1 of. Only the Datsun, Mercedes-Benz CLA and Ford Interceptor let me down. Which is pretty good going. Oh, I haven't actually chatted about how this looks yet.

Well, what can be said about this? It is simple, understated, but still highly detailed. We get front and rear tampo detailing. We get the side blades in black. A little SC appears to denote the Super Chase. and, the very German-esque licence plate has SC Audi R8 as well. Very cool.

And it has a stripe going over the top. The cherry on the cake, so to speak. I do love a stripe. This looks fantastic, and is pretty much my favourite look on the R8 they have done. Although, I am tired out after all this, and am not pulling them all out again. This gets an easy 10 from me.

Which does mean I am done for this week. 9 models, a third of which were new castings. That is a solid start to the new year.

With some models I was surprised to see so quick, or at all.

Actually, scratch that, all the others were quite surprising to see in this batch. Some because they had only just seen a 2024 outing, and others because they had not been seen recently. Nothing is ever straight forward. Except for me doing another batch of 2025 stuff next week.

As these head off to join my collection, I start my plans for next week, and hope you enjoyed my latest ramblings. Until next time, I hope you all have a safe and happy week.