As the dust begins to settle on this year’s Matchbox line preview, I’m left with a feeling of optimism for the future of the brand. Despite my mixed feelings about the Moving Parts series, I’m glad to see the line continuing to grow and add new toolings, and there’s some absolute gems in the basics line as well. I’ll save the full rundown for David Tilley (or you can watch the full line preview for yourself here). Instead, I will focus on some of my favorite reveals, as well as some of the models you might have missed in all the excitement.
First up, Matchbox showed off many new models and recolors in near-production states.
Mainline:
The McLaren 720S in lime green/yellow that was previewed several weeks ago is now confirmed for Mix 6, which is great news. After the gray recolor appeared in the Best of France series, I was concerned that this lime green recolor would be another overseas exclusive model.
The VW ID.4 was shown in final production spec, unexpectedly in what appears to be more purple than blue. The press vehicle for the ID.4 used in all their marketing images was a dark Lapis blue, and is not available in purple. However, the ID.6 crossover debuted in a dark metallic purple, so it’s possible the Matchbox team was trying to emulate that paint color.
We now know, as I suspected, the debut color for the new Ford Mustang Mach-e casting will be red. This is an excellent color choice for this model, and is perhaps the EV model I’m most excited about for 2022.
Finally, the Audi e-tron (crossover) is debuting in electric blue. Again, fantastic color choice.
Moving Parts:
The Pagani Huayra is getting a recolor in red, which may be an even better choice than the debut blue!
The Hummer EV appeared in white with an opening hood.
We are also seeing a red recolor of the BMW M4, now sporting the split ten-spoke wheels rather than the five spokes it debuted on. These new wheels look to suit the model surprisingly well.
The Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody with an opening hood made an appearance in bright orange. We’ve seen prototype versions of this casting before, but this is the first time the (presumably) final color has been shown. I’m a big fan of it, as the orange is appropriately brash and in-your-face, but the widebody is not as comically exaggerated as the Hot Wheels version.
The Nissan Z Proto that debuted in gold as a Mattel Creations model is making another appearance, this time in blue. It looks to be sporting gray wheels with rubber tires, so presumably this will be a collector series model.
Perhaps the most interesting model in the case was what appears to be a black recolor of the Tesla Model X with opening doors from 2019. Popular wisdom suggested that Tesla was not happy with the way the original red Model X casting turned out, which is why that casting was one-and-done. So why does it appear to be making a return?
2023 Previews – Mainline:
The most exciting mainline announcement of the show was the Holden Commodore (sold as a Chevy SS in America). Perhaps the most subtle sleeper car of all time, the Commodore/SS has always been a source of intrigue for me – and one that I wouldn’t mind having in my real garage – so I’m absolutely thrilled to see this added to the mainline collection. Hopefully we see it in the amazing green color we get on the US Chevy SS.
The Koenigsegg Gemera got a big reaction at the Gathering, as it’s the first car from the Swedish supercar maker to appear in the Matchbox line. Given how I lambasted the Matchbox team for their decision to make the Porsche 918 Spyder that Hot Wheels had already made, it might shock you to learn of my excitement for the Matchbox Gemera. The early prototype they showed appears to fix the proportion problems that bothered me when Hot Wheels produced their version of the Gemera. The Matchbox looks to be both longer and wider, which is much more accurate to the real car…the Hot Wheels looks too tall to my eye. There’s a lot of potential in this model, though I certainly still agree with the critics who pointed out that we still don’t have a good 1:64 model of cars like the Agera.
As a fan of modern German cars, I’m glad to see the Mercedes license getting a workout. The Mercedes AMG SL looks to be an awesome model, let’s just hope we actually get front end detailing for that massive panamericana grill. Interestingly, the grill actually appears to have the detailing of the vertical strakes as part of the casting, which was not the case for the AMG GT63S or CLA wagon. I also love how angular and sharp the headlight section is.
Of all the cars I expected to see as part of the line preview, the successor to the Fisker Karma would have been dead last at the bottom of that list. After the implosion of Fisker, the Karma casting disappeared, so it’s very exciting to see its successor, the Karma GS-6, made as a companion piece. I’m quite excited to get those two models next to each other next year and compare.
The Volvo 240 may have won more cheers from the crowd than any other announcement at this year’s Gathering, and for good reason. Though it’s not among my favorite cars, it’s a perfect fit for the Matchbox brand. A slightly oddball car with a cult following is a classic Matchbox recipe and I can’t wait to see what the team does with this one.
2023 Previews – Moving Parts:
A Lamborghini with vertically opening doors is what the moving parts line was made for. I’m thrilled to see the Aventador SVJ Roadster making an appearance in the Matchbox line, and it’s a rare casting that I believe will be made better by its moving parts. The casting itself appears to be on the bigger side, but that’s fitting for a V12 Lamborghini. The way the windshield piece leads into the engine cover is stunningly well executed on this prototype, and the front end detail looks spot on! The spoiler appears rather exaggerated, but that may be toned down for the final production version.
We’re also getting another Bentley in the Matchbox collection – an updated Bentley Continental. This should pair very well with the old “golden era” Continental casting. I’m a fan of the sizing of this casting, as it makes it look both imposing and athletic. The body lines look good but this is definitely a casting that will always need front end tampos.
I wouldn’t normally go for a utility vehicle as a star of the show, but I am very impressed with this Unimog 5023. It has an articulating middle section, similar to what we saw on the Hot Wheels Dodge Power Wagon earlier this year. This is another excellent use of a moving part, adding both play value and display value without negatively impacting the overall look of the casting in the way opening doors would.
Though there was no prototype of it available yet, the 2019 Chevy Tahoe is a very intriguing model. I could see this model serving double duty as a civilian and police casting, given its prevalence in police forces throughout the US.
Other News:
Target may finally be getting some worthwhile exclusives! I have never been a fan of the retro series, as I have a strong preference for modern cars. After being teased with the suggestions that Target would stock the Global Series last year, I’m hopeful that this Red series will come to fruition. The work-in-progress mockup shows some great cars, including a Porsche 911, Bugatti Divo, and Ford Raptor. I can’t wait to see this one hit stores next year.
We are also getting some 70th anniversary models that are going to be randomly inserted into cases throughout the year, making them mini-chase cars. This is a novel and exciting way to change up the contents of each case!
Finally, Matchbox is changing the case counts from 6 per year to 13 per year, which should help solve some of the distribution issues that have been plaguing the brand for the past few years. To fill out these extra cases, the Matchbox team will start doing carry-forward models, which I think is an excellent idea because it allows more people to find the models they want after the initial hype has died down. This strategy also allows Matchbox to no longer double up on models in a case, which should help reduce the number of pegwarmers we see on the shelves.
Overall, this year’s line preview left me excited for the next year of Matchbox vehicles. I love that the team is finally listening to what the fans want, and I eagerly await the release of these new models!
diecastleno.com 
Fantastic stuff, diecastleno! Just discovered your posts, and appreciate the information. Somehow I missed the picture of the Hummer Moving Parts pickup, so very glad I caught it here! The Moving Parts models are the difference between “not buy” and “buy!” for me. I’m rather sick of certain cars that are overdone, but I’d pick up a Dodge Charger in orange, etc. I actually stumbled on the red Tesla Model X in the store when I happened to have a craving for a frozen pizza late on a Sunday evening. Diecast was an afterthought, but it was the only time I ever saw that Mix out in the store. It is interesting that you suggest Tesla was displeased with the final product. If that is the case, maybe it was the plastic doors and the design itself. We’ll see how similar the black version is, and if there are any improvements…..that is, if I can find it. I will make a point of pizza cravings around the time it is alleged to be in stores.
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