If you’re anything like me, the annual Matchbox line preview is the highlight of your diecast year. I was happy to see 3 more of the cars from my Matchbox wishlist were checked off this year! This preview had a noticeable shift back toward construction and emergency vehicles, but there were still some cool performance cars in the mix. According to Matchbox, this year’s line is 90% licensed, with most of the unlicensed cars being mercifully contained to the emergency and construction vehicles. There were a ton of new castings announced, so I will only be covering some of my favorites. If you haven’t already seen it, be sure to check out the full stream over on the Lamley Youtube channel! These pictures come from a variety of diecast creators, all of whom I’ve linked to, so be sure to show them some love too!
Mainlines:
Lexus LC500
The absolute highlight of the night was the announcement of the Lexus LC500 convertible. This is a model I’ve wanted in the Matchbox lineup for years, and I’m glad to see that Matchbox’s rapidly expanding lineup of Lexus models had room for the coolest car Lexus makes. It looks like I won’t have to wait too long to get my hands on this model, as it appears production-ready with paint and printed detailing already applied. I think the color choice for this debut version is perfect, featuring a rich-looking shade of red paint with a caramel brown interior befitting of a Lexus. Unlike the GX from last year, the LC’s grille looks to have a mesh pattern in the casting, which should give it a bit more depth and realism, and the LC500’s complicated headlight design looks well replicated here. This is a perfect example of the kind of model Matchbox is best at: a simple replica of a cool car that punches far above its $1 price point.
2015 Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon
Honestly, I can’t believe it took so long for Matchbox to get around to making this model. Given Matchbox’s affinity for wagons, the E63 wagon is a perfect fit for the lineup, and it should pair nicely with the recent Audi RS6 Avant and BMW 3 Series Touring. This Mercedes looks far less production-ready than the Lexus, but the overall shape looks good, and there’s a striking amount of depth to that front grille. This prototype looks like it rides a little high, but hopefully that gets sorted out by the time this model is closer to being put into production.
1997 Acura Integra Type R
The diecast brands really do chase each other in circles, don’t they? Luckily, this Matchbox Integra Type R will cost about 1/20th of what its Hot Wheels RLC counterpart costs, and it looks almost as good! It’s fully detailed, with the proper white wheels and red interior – what more can you ask for? If anything, the proportions of this model look slightly more realistic than the RLC version. I expect this will be a hard model to track down!
2023 BMW M2
Nobody ever said a car had to be good looking to be a Matchbox model! Despite its odd proportions (which Matchbox appears to have done a good job of capturing), the M2 is easily one of the coolest cars in the current BMW lineup. It’s hard to get a sense of the scale from these preview images, as we don’t really get to compare it to any similarly sized cars, but this M2 casting looks a bit on the big side to me. Obviously, this was going to be bigger than the old 1M casting, but I just hope the new M2 doesn’t end up dwarfing its M4 Cabriolet sibling!
2021 Morgan 3 Wheeler
One car that’s sure not to dwarf any part of the Matchbox lineup is the new Morgan 3 Wheeler! It’s a welcome surprise to see yet another Morgan added to the Matchbox lineup, and the Morgans don’t get much more iconic than the 3 Wheeler! These wheels are new, and I can’t help but be curious where else the Matchbox team plans to use these wheels…I can’t imagine they would create a new wheel design just for one car! Hopefully the production version of this casting gets a chrome base to really show off all the detail on the engine and the side pipes.
2004 Maserati MC12
The MC12 seems to be experiencing a bit of a renaissance lately. BBR is coming out with a premium version, and now Matchbox is following suit. A full 20 years has passed since the Hot Wheels version of the MC12 came out, and while that’s definitely still a cool model, the casting looks very dated by modern standards. This prototype of the Matchbox version looks much more accurate, though the spoiler is definitely a bit on the thick side. This casting really shows off just how small the windows of the MC12 are! I feel like the team at Matchbox deserves some credit for making the plastic prototype the correct white and blue color combo – clearly, someone at Matchbox is excited for this model too.
2023 Dodge Charger Pursuit
After updating the Ford Explorer police car last year, the Matchbox team have now decided it was time to give the aging Dodge Charger police car a refresh, and I’m glad they did! For whatever reason, they showed off both the prototype version and the production-ready version with a deco. The casting looks fantastic, though I find it a bit confusing. That hood is clearly not the normal Charger Pursuit hood – that’s straight off a Hellcat, as are the huge flared fenders and the decklid spoiler. Did Matchbox secretly make a Hellcat police car?
As exciting as the casting is, the debut deco is rather disappointing. Not only is it unlicensed, but it also gets red windows that dramatically detract from the realism of the model. Luckily, Matchbox has a good track record with their police cars, so I have faith that it won’t be long before we see this casting wearing a more iconic, licensed livery. My fingers are crossed for the California Highway Patrol!
Ram REV
While it may not be an exciting enthusiast car, the Ram pickup is exactly the kind of regular car that Matchbox is known for. Given the F-150 Lightning and Silverado EV already in the lineup, the Ram REV is a natural fit to complete the pickup lineup from the big 3. The prototype looks nice if a bit small, though that is almost always the case with Matchbox pickups.
2024 BMW 7 Series
I was quite surprised to see this luxo-barge in the lineup this year, as it’s not often we see this kind of car from Matchbox. I’m excited to see how this one turns out, as the 3D printed prototype looks promising with plenty of detail in the front end of the casting and a chunky, imposing size that looks fitting for an executive sedan like this. Hopefully, it turns out well so that Matchbox feels encouraged to give us an Audi S8 casting next year!
Moving Parts:
2024 Maserati Granturismo Folgore
It wasn’t just the mainline that was chock full of exciting models this year, as the Moving Parts line had just as much to get excited about! It’s no secret that a number of diecast enthusiasts (including myself) have been complaining about the lack of a good Maserati Granturismo casting in 1/64, even though the beautiful Italian sports coupe has existed since 2008. It seems Matchbox has been listening, and the new all-electric Folgore version was the perfect excuse to finally make a Granturismo casting. While I can’t imagine buying a Granturismo without the sonorous V8, the world of diecast has no motors, so the Folgore version works just as well to enjoy the beautiful design of the Granturismo. The prototype looks great, with a long hood and plenty of detailing in the grille. Hopefully the color match and fitment of the doors turns out well!
2023 Ford Maverick
Ever since the latest reincarnation of the Ford Maverick came out, I’ve been quite intrigued by it. The idea of a small pickup akin to the minitrucks of the 90’s is just inherently cool to me, and I’m glad to see the Maverick entering the Matchbox lineup. I was a bit worried that it would end up looking a bit too big, but it looks great on the small mainline wheels. It’s noticeably smaller than the Jeep next to it on the display, and it looks properly detailed as well. Matchbox even chose the correct light blue paint color for this truck’s debut! It looks production-ready, so hopefully we won’t have to wait long to see it on the pegs.
2024 Ford Mustang
The new Ford Mustang looks equally ready for production, with bright red paint and full front detailing! I’m a little surprised by the choice of red as the debut color for this casting, as almost all of the press images I’ve seen for the new Mustang are either blue or gray, but I think the red works well. It makes the casting pop and should help differentiate it from the upcoming Hot Wheels Mustang Dark Horse in blue. It’s hard to tell whether the engine is detailed, but at least the opening hood means we don’t need to worry about the bodylines of the casting being ruined by ill-fitting opening doors!
2023 Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato
A new Lamborghini Huracan certainly was not on my list of expectations for the 2025 line, but it’s definitely still a welcome addition! The prototype looks much better proportioned than the too-small Gallardo police car that Matchbox currently makes, and Abe Lugo claimed the goal was to make an opening rear engine cover for this casting to show off that glorious V10. I look forward to seeing how this casting turns out as it gets closer to production form.
2024 Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder RS
The Boxster Spyder checks another casting off my Matchbox wishlist, and it’s about time. It’s been too long since we’ve seen a Boxster in the Matchbox lineup, and they don’t get much cooler than the Boxster Spyder RS! As the most hardcore version of the Boxster, this model is adorned in scoops, intakes, and aero features, though I find the front splitter looks a bit too big on this prototype. Perhaps it’s just the pink color that makes it look out of place – I’ll have to wait until we see a proper deco on it to make a final determination. Here’s hoping for a yellow paint job!
2007 Ford Excursion
If I had made a line preview bingo card, there’s absolutely no way a 17-year-old diesel SUV would have been on it. This Ford Excursion is the best kind of surprise, because it came out of nowhere but it certainly gave me something to look forward to. The prototype looks just as big and long as it should, with an opening hood to show off that diesel engine! I can’t wait to see this one hit shelves, as it’s exactly the kind of obscure enthusiast vehicle that Matchbox is known for.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Honestly, I have no idea where this model came from. It didn’t seem to be previewed during the line preview presentation, and I don’t remember seeing it in any sneaks on the matchboxworld Instagram either. However it happened, it came out swinging wearing a National Parks livery, which is sure to make it a hit with collectors. From what I can tell, this looks to be a 2016-ish Grand Cherokee. I have no idea why it was given opening rear doors, as this isn’t a police car…surely an opening rear hatch would have made more sense? I do like the halfway rolled down rear windows, as they make the car look more lived-in. I’m not sure about those steel wheels though – while they make sense for a government fleet vehicle, they just look a bit weird on a Jeep and they look too small in the front wheel well.
Collectors:
2023 Aston Martin DB12
The DB12 is the third and final car that was checked off my Matchbox wishlist this year, and I’m thrilled to see another Aston Martin coming to the range to follow in the footsteps of the excellent DBS Volante casting. No prototype of this model was shown, and we have no details yet about what (if any) moving parts it will have, so I’ll be keeping a close eye on the matchboxworld Instagram account over the coming months to see what more we can learn about it.
1993 Jaguar XJ220S
What better way to honor Matchbox’s British heritage than with one of the most iconic British supercars of all time? Unlike the DB12, Matchbox actually has a prototype ready for the Jaaaaaaag, which looks to have no moving parts. I saw some people online complaining about the plastic roof, though it doesn’t bother me. Hopefully it gets a clean deco like the blue one they showed in the presentation slides!
2023 Porsche 911 Dakar
It seems inevitable at this point that every diecast company in the world will produce their take on the 911 Dakar. The car is barely out in the real world and I’m already growing tired of it, which means Matchbox will really have to nail this model to make it worth picking up. So far, the Hot Wheels version features a Rothmann’s livery, so if Matchbox comes out with a nice, clean example in a cool color, it might just make for a compelling offering. However, given that it is releasing in the Collectors line, I suspect there is a strong chance that this casting ends up being held back by its wheels.
1990 Honda Accord CB
Now that’s what I’m talking about! In a striking contrast to the played-out 911 Dakar, Matchbox also announced a “lightly tuned” ‘90 Accord! Matchbox is at their best when they go for obscure enthusiast cars, and that’s clear again here. There’s no prototype for this model yet, but my hopes for it are high!
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS
Originally announced at the Gathering last year, the delayed EQS is now going to debut in the first mix of 2025 in a rather handsome shade of red. The wheels look a tad small, but the rest of the detailing looks good.
Notably Absent:
A Recolor of the Lexus LFA
I’m growing increasingly concerned that the Lexus LFA that debuted in white in the Collectors series in 2023 is going to be a one-and-done casting. I hoped to see a Moving Parts version, ideally in yellow with silver 10 spokes, but we saw no such model this year. Even though it’s not an amazing casting, it’s still a very cool car and it would be a shame to lose it after only one release.
Any Update on the Kia Seltos
I think it’s fair to consider the Kia Seltos dead at this point, given that we’ve now gone two years without any update on it. There’s been some rumors about licensing issues behind the scenes, so I suspect that model will never see the light of day.
Any News About the Convoy Line
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the Convoy line, and it’s been sad to see it receive so little attention and marketing effort these last few years. We seem to get only a couple Convoy mixes a year, with mostly carry-forward models, which is a shame because the few new models that we get in the line have been truly excellent. A couple weeks ago, we saw a sneak of an upcoming recolor of the Car Carrier, so I was hopeful that we would get more information about the future of the line at the Gathering this year. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it at least manages to stay alive on life support for the next year!
Whew, now that’s a blog post! 2,700 words later and I still didn’t manage to cover everything that was unveiled this year, so I highly recommend you check out the full livestream and David Tilley’s writeup on WheelCollectors (once it’s posted). A huge thanks to all the great diecast creators who were at The Gathering this year taking pictures and sharing them so we could see everything great coming this year, including John from @lamleygroup, @davidjtilley, @matchboxluke, and @nms_collection_. There’s clearly a lot to look forward to in the Matchbox line over the coming months, and I can’t wait to start getting my hands on these models!
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