It’s the end of the year, which means it’s the perfect time to take a look back at some of the best models of the year. Plus, everyone loves a top five list, right? I plan to do this for the blue brand as well, but let’s start with my favorite: the Matchbox mainline.
Number 5: 2012 BMW 3-Series Touring
Matchbox and wagons go together like dark chocolate and a fine wine, so it’s no surprise that the debut of this BMW wagon would be one of my favorites of the year. I’m glad the Matchbox team decided to go with the 2012 model, as this represented somewhat of a golden era for BMW design. It looks modern while still looking clean and classy, without being overstyled like modern BMWs.
My biggest criticism is the color choice. Granted, I’m sure most of the BMW wagons in the world are black, but I’m almost never a fan of black for a debut color. Black paint hides detail. There’s a sharp body line running along the side of the model, but you can barely see it because the paint is so dark. Luckily, we can expect this to be solved with a future recolor.
Number 4: Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Following the 2022 Line Preview, this was the casting I was most excited for, so I expected it to come in at number one. I love the vehicle choice – like many collectors, I wished Matchbox had made CTS-V versions of the previous CTS Coupe and Wagon. However, this model ended up falling a bit short of my lofty expectations.
On every copy I’ve seen, the front end detailing is just a little bit too light and/or misaligned, which is my biggest problem with the execution of this CT5-V. This shouldn’t be nearly as much of an issue on the upcoming black recolor. Unfortunately, the recolor will likely still have wheels that stick out a bit too far from the fenders…
Despite those flaws, I still really like this model. I think it fits in wonderfully with Matchbox’s other modern Cadillacs, looking both aggressive and sophisticated. I just hope we get a recolor in electric blue!
Number 3: ‘21 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Troublesome branding aside, the Mustang Mach-E is one of the coolest EVs on the market today, and this Matchbox is a quite good model of it. Some people have complained about the wheels sticking out too far – a fair criticism, though I personally find it less offensive than on the Cadillac. That’s basically the only thing you could complain about on this model though. The paint color is perfect, the tampo application perfect, the casting proportions…wait for it…perfect. This is an excellent example of Matchbox’s ability to punch above its $1 price point.
One of my favorite details on the Mach-E is the design of the roofline. To make this SUV seem more sporty, Ford’s designers wanted to give it a coupe-like roofline. Instead of going the BMW X6 route, they decided to retain the interior space while relying on a visual trick. Look closely at this model from the side, and you’ll see how well the Matchbox team replicated it: this car has two rooflines. One is red and coupe-like, but the actual roof is black and boxy to give more headroom to the rear passengers. Brilliant!
Number 2: 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning
Oh look, it’s another EV. Only time will tell whether the EVs Matchbox has chosen to focus on will capture the attention of children the way the Matchbox Lotuses and Porsches of my youth captured my attention, but we certainly are getting some good models out of this brand shift. I’ve already done a full feature on the F-150 Lightning, so check that out for my full thoughts. In short, this is classic Matchbox “regular car” brilliance. Exactly the quality we’ve come to expect from Mattel’s orange brand.
Number 1: Porsche Cayenne Turbo
It was always going to be a Porsche, wasn’t it? Somehow, this model managed to surprise me twice: first when we saw sneaks of it on the Matchbox Instagram page, and again when it randomly appeared in Target stores under the Global line (a line I assumed was dead). However it ended up in the US, I’m so glad I was able to get one. This model is exactly what I wished we’d gotten when the Porsche 918 came out.
Porsches seem to be having a moment at Matchbox, and this is my current favorite of the bunch, as it’s a great spiritual successor to the old Cayenne model and a great modern Porsche. I love the attention to detail on this casting, like the radar sensor in the grille for the adaptive cruise control.
At the back, we get Porsche’s signature thin lightbar rendered perfectly, as well as the Porsche badge with Cayenne Turbo script. Check out those bulging quarter panels! I can’t wait to see the upcoming red version in person – again, black paint hides detail!
2022 has undeniably been one of the best years for Matchbox in the last decade. It really feels like we’re getting into another golden era, and 2023 appears poised to add some even cooler models. Bring it on!
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