Hightlights From The 2024 Matchbox Line Preview

Another year and another Gathering has passed, which means a slew of new Matchbox models to get excited about!  Overall, this year’s preview didn’t have quite as many exciting models as last year, but there’s definitely still some interesting cars here.  As usual, this isn’t an exhaustive list of models announced at the Gathering (I’ll leave that to David Tilley) but a showcase of the models I found most interesting/exciting/noteworthy.  Let’s jump right in with the mainline! 

2023 Mainline Previews:

We’ll start with the Porsche 911’s (naturally) and yes, that is 911’s plural.  In the 2024 mainline we are getting not one, but two 992 generation Porsche 911’s.  The first is a desperately needed update to the 996 Porsche 911 Cabriolet casting that’s nearly two decades old. I know these wheels aren’t final, but I kind of like the look of the steelies on a 911!  The second is a 911 Targa, which is perhaps the coolest model in the 911 range, though it will be very disappointing if the silver roof bar doesn’t get printed detailing on the final version.

I’m ultimately left with mixed feelings about these two Porsches.  The castings themselves look exemplary, even better than the Moving Parts Carrera 4, but did we really need two more 992 911’s in the Matchbox range?  Obviously, more Porsches equals more better, but I would rather have seen one of those production spots used for a Boxster Spyder to give a bit more variety to the range.  I suspected that perhaps this was a cost-cutting measure, allowing Matchbox to use the same base with a different roof section for two different models, but there are minor differences between the castings.  The gas cap is noticeably larger on the Targa and the Targa gets a radar cruise control sensor on the grill where the Cabriolet just has an intake. 

The 2020 VW Golf GTE might not be the hot hatch I’ve been wishing for, but it’s a fitting choice for the Matchbox range.  The prototype looks good too, with accurate scaling and tons of detail on the front end of the casting.  I can’t wait to pair this model with the old Mk5 Golf GTI casting.  Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and get a version of this casting with a GTI front end…if not, I’m sure it will make for some great customs. 

The 2023 Toyota Supra is a bit of an odd choice for a new model.  Granted, it’s a cool car, but it’s one that’s already been made by Hot Wheels in their premium line, and I actually think the Hot Wheels version looks better than this Matchbox prototype.  Perhaps it’s because of the big wheels, but this Matchbox Supra prototype looks a bit too tall and a bit too chunky, so hopefully they can dial it in a bit more before making the final mold.  Luckily, since this is a Matchbox model we’re likely to get a stock deco, something notably absent from Hot Wheels’ releases of the Supra. 

The Morgan Plus Four has to be my surprise of the show.  Given a thousand guesses, I never would have guessed this car for the Matchbox line, though it makes a great successor to the Morgan Aeromax casting from several years ago.  Despite being a car that I don’t personally care much about, I like seeing it in the line and I think it’s a great fit for the brand, especially given its British heritage. 

What’s the second biggest surprise of the show?  That’d be the Radical SR8, of course!  Matchbox is not known for their models of dedicated track cars, so I’m intrigued by the Radical’s inclusion in the line.  However, I don’t see any world where Mattel allows those small struts on a children’s toy, so we’ll have to wait and see what this model looks like once it gets closer to production. 

Another welcome surprise is the updated 2023 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor.  Matchbox easily could have gotten away with reusing the 2016 version of the Explorer Interceptor and nobody would have complained, but I appreciate the move to the updated model.  There actually looks to be more detailing in the front end of this new casting, which looks great.  I haven’t been able to find any pictures of the back of this casting to confirm whether it has the same trailer hitch as the 2016 version, but I’m hoping it doesn’t have one.  I have my fingers crossed that we get some of the same liveries on this 2023 model as we got on the 2016 model (CHP please!) so I can expand and update my diecast police forces.  

2024 seems to be the year of the SUV in the Matchbox lineup, so naturally they had to include the new Jeep Wagoneer.  Even though this is only a 3D printed prototype, this model already looks fantastic.  The detailing in the grill and front bumper is incredibly well done, and the model looks perfectly scaled for its wheels, with appropriately chunky side mirrors and door handles.  It looks long, big, and classy, just as it should.  

2023 Moving Parts Previews:

The Moving Parts line was clearly a focus for the Matchbox team this year, as they showed off some truly excellent models, starting with the Audi RS6 Avant.  This is the new C8 generation of the RS6, rather than the C7 that was already produced by Hot Wheels.  I’m glad they decided to make the newer generation, and it will make a great addition to some dream garage setups.  The prototype looks good, with lots of detail in the grill and a well defined crease along the top of the doors into the quarter panel.  The opening tailgate is lucky as well, because it will mean the front end of the car looks clean with no unsightly panel gaps (regular readers will know I’m not a fan of moving parts on 1/64 cars). 

Speaking of unsightly panel gaps, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio!  Admittedly, that’s not really fair, as this is only a prototype and the panel gaps around the doors don’t look any worse than any other Moving Parts cars.  I’m happy to see a Stelvio in the line to join the Alfa Romeo Giulia, which is one of my favorite Matchbox cars from the last few years.  

The Porsche Taycan SportTurismo is one of the cars I wished for on my Top 10 list, so it’s great to see it here!  Obviously, this is a very early prototype, so we don’t even know what the moving part will be, but the model looks good.  The headlights are more defined than on the Hot Wheels version of the Taycan, and the sizing looks about right.  

I have mixed feelings about this Ford Focus RS, as it’s a car that has already been made by Hot Wheels, but the Hot Wheels version never felt quite right.  It just never had enough detailing to make it feel right.  Matchbox decided to take a shot at the Focus RS and this prototype looks rather good.  Perhaps a bit on the big side, but there’s a ton of depth in the front end (something the Hot Wheels is noticeably lacking) and hopefully Matchbox will give us a stock color and deco.  

The Focus RS may be a bit on the big side, but it’s nothing compared to the Toyota Prius Prime.  This thing looks huge!  Other than the fact that it seems to dwarf a Chevy C10, the casting choice seems like a good one for the Matchbox lineup.  Assuming they modify it to be a similar size to the previous Matchbox Prius, this will be an obvious addition to the collection. 

Collectors and Exclusives:

Though this section represented only a couple minutes of the presentation, I think it had some of the most interesting announcements.  One of the most exciting new tools of the year is the Collectors Subaru BRZ.  I’ve been hoping for a model of the new GR86/BRZ ever since it came out, though I always figured Hot Wheels would be the one to make one.  Unfortunately, it seems like almost nobody at the Gathering noticed it, as I couldn’t find any close up pictures of the casting.  The prototype they had was already rendered in zamac, so hopefully it’s not too far away from production.  The model looks a little big, though not offensively so like the Prius prototype. 

The Bugatti Divo looks to be making its way to premium with a good looking deco similar to the final Divo that Bugatti produced (blue with gold wheels and possibly the French flag behind the front wheel).  

Target looks to be getting some good exclusives this year, including a Miata and a Holden Ute (great to see that casting return).  I’m curious to see the deco for the Miata, as the red editions from Matchbox have so far all been a bright red paint scheme, but that was the debut color for the Miata.  Perhaps they are going to add more variety to this line like Hot Wheels does, and we could see a white car with red wheels?  There’s also three police cars in the red edition lineup – will these be fire department liveries, or just a red version of a police livery? 

Walmarts exclusives look mercifully weak this year (I say mercifully because they are always so impossible to find), with relatively few new tools debuting as an exclusive.  I’ll be glad not to waste too much time trying to track down exclusive cars that are never stocked.  

The Others

As usual, the Matchbox team also brought out some samples of soon-to-be-released cars for this year’s lineup, including some Moving Parts cars we haven’t seen previews of yet.  The most notable is the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, which I was beginning to worry had been abandoned like the Kia Seltos.  It’s here, it’s orange, and it’s spectacularly detailed.  I’m still shocked to be getting Lamborghinis from Matchbox, and it looks even better than the premium Aventadors from Hot Wheels!  The vertical opening doors are trademark Lamborghini, and the low front splitter and the oodles of tampo detailing really tie this one together.  I can’t tell if the brake lights are detailed on this one, but even if they aren’t this will be one of the best models of the year.  Mercifully, it even has the same sized wheels on both axles – Hot Wheels, are you taking notes?!

Also new for the Gathering is a white recolor of the excellent Ram Rebel, looking even better with Matchbox’s excellent mainline truck wheels.  After debuting in the Collectors line in red, this casting just disappeared, so it’s great to see it back and this version looks even better than the first! 

Hot on the heels of the gray debut of the Koenigsegg Gemera, we have a yellow recolor that looks very good. The roof/window section really stands out with this bright yellow paint, and I can’t wait to add it to the collection!

The only new Convoy model shown was a Matchbox branded fuel tanker truck that will pair nicely with the Action Drivers gas station.  We also got another look at the 70 Years box truck, which I will definitely be picking up when it hits stores. 

In a rare turn of events, we actually got to see a prototype for an upcoming Real Working Rigs model.  This one is a small city bus, which seems like a great addition to the line.  This one looks like it would be at home at an airport, but I’m sure some customizers will turn it into a party bus in no time. 

The team at Matchbox also showed the rest of the upcoming mainline mixes for 2024, which the final mixes of 2023 page has been updated to reflect.  I will also update the list of upcoming Matchbox models over the coming days with all this new information.  

While there’s quite a few boring models coming into the line next year, there’s also some fantastic looking ones, and I can’t wait to see what these models end up looking like as they get closer to production.  Stay tuned, as I’ll be sure to share all the Matchbox News as we get it!