The Matchbox Convoy Line Deserves To Make A Comeback

I was lucky enough to grow up during Matchbox’s famous “golden era”. Collectors generally agree that Matchbox was at its peak during those years, when the company was churning out excellent models of modern classics like the Audi R8 and RS6 Avant, pinnacles of normalcy like the Toyota Prius and Volvo XC90, and everything in between. As much attention as the classic models of that era get, another fantastic Matchbox line from those years feels tragically underappreciated: Matchbox Convoy. 

That’s right, Matchbox’s golden era brilliance was not limited to cars! The team from the orange brand was also churning out some fantastic semi trucks that remain desirable today, at least to those in the know.  I recently featured the licensed DHL semi truck in my article celebrating that livery, but that was only one of a plethora of cool, licensed liveries that adorned the Convoy line at its peak.  They’ve become rather hard to get your hands on these days, but luckily I still have many of mine from back then (though they definitely show some wear). 

Box trucks made up the majority of releases in the Convoy line during the 2000’s, with a variety of mostly-licensed liveries.  There were some from companies in the automotive industry like Simpson, Land Rover, and Goodyear – presumably meant to appeal to collectors and car enthusiasts.  Then there were the licensed liveries meant to appeal to kids: McDonalds, Honey Nut Cheerios, etc.  No surprise that these make up the majority of my childhood collection…

There were also tanker trucks, complete with licensed real-world liveries from gas stations like Shell, Phillips 66, and Union 76.  I love that Matchbox bothered to license real gas station names and logos for these models, as it makes the trucks feel so much more realistic.  As a kid who was into cars, being able to imagine these trucks gassing up my fleet of cars added so much play value. 

Though when it comes to play value, it’s hard to compete with my favorite Convoy sets – the flatbeds.  These flatbeds could haul two varieties of cargo: pipes or shipping containers.  Both cargo types featured notches that would allow them to seat into the trailer to keep them in place (and allow the shipping containers to stack!).  It was a very clever design, and it paired perfectly with the Matchbox forklift design from the same era, which could unload and move around the cargo.  You’d better believe I spent hours of my childhood doing just that. 

Growing up, these trucks were among my favorite sets to play with.  There’s something about heavy machinery like semi trucks that just captures a kid’s attention, and I was enamored.  I’d load and unload cargo, practice maneuvering the trucks through tight spaces and construction zones (complete with tiny plastic cones), and reverse them up to their loading bays.  They were the perfect toy for a young car (and truck) enthusiast, because they had plenty of play value while also looking great on display thanks to their licensed liveries and well-executed castings. 

Sadly, as the 2000’s became the 2010’s, the Convoy line disappeared from shelves (as did many of the great Golden Era castings in the Matchbox lineup).  The Matchbox brand as a whole seemed to struggle during this era, never quite sure what it wanted to be.  Then, after years of absence, the Convoys returned.  

2020 saw the relaunch of the Convoy brand, and they came out swinging.  As expected, there was more plastic used in the construction of these newer models, but many of the things I loved about Convoys as a kid were still there.  There were several licensed liveries, licensed cab designs, and as a bonus the graphics on the trailers were now printed, rather than stickered.  The most exciting model made for Convoy’s relaunch was the Tesla Semi, which was a hotly anticipated 1:1 scale product at the time, and it offered a unique style among the rest of the Convoy lineup. 

The tanker trailer made a return as well, eventually sporting my beloved Shell livery with a licensed Western Star cab.  I wrote a whole blog post about this model when it was released, so I won’t wax poetic about it here, but it remains my all-time favorite tanker truck in the line. 

While my beloved flatbed trailer never returned, we did see a new car carrier trailer make its way into the line.  Initially released in orange with a European style cab design, this model got a lot of attention, but I always wished for a transporter that looked like the ones I see cruising the Interstate in the US.

In 2024, I finally got my wish.  The car carrier trailer was released in a much more realistic green and towed by licensed Western Star cab.  This model was a masterclass in everything I want the Convoy line to be, and it seems like I’m not alone.  Every time I use this car carrier in a social media post, everyone seems to want to know how to find one.  Sadly, distribution of this model was lackluster, as it was released in the final Convoy mix before the line was put on hiatus at the end of 2024. 

Frankly, while Convoy’s cancellation was disappointing, it was not surprising.  When the line was relaunched in 2020, it saw retail distribution at Walmarts, but Target never picked up the line.  By 2023, the line had been dropped by Walmart and was relegated to distribution at hobby stores and auto parts chains.  The writing was on the wall, but that didn’t reduce my disappointment when the call came. 

While the 2020-2024 Convoy line saw some fantastic releases, Matchbox also made some considerable errors with the line.  For every excellent, licensed truck design, there was an unlicensed, generic truck design.  That wouldn’t have been the end of the world, had the release cadence been better.  Convoys were limited to only a few waves per year, and those waves were often filled with repeats from the previous mixes.  Unsurprisingly, those mixes rarely moved well, as the same pegwarmers had a tendency to be released over and over again.  The 2020-2024 Convoy line never felt like it received the same level of attention and care from the designers that the Convoys of my childhood did, and the product suffered as a result. 

Convoys deserved better.  It’s a beloved product line, and I believe there is plenty of consumer appetite for great, licensed truck designs.  Whenever Matchbox chooses to relaunch the Convoy line (and I do believe it will return someday), I hope they give it the treatment it deserves with a robust lineup of cool, unique castings and liveries.  Bring back the flatbed trailer for good measure! 

I understand and appreciate Matchbox’s current focus on “kidults” and the collector market, but products with high play value like semi trucks are essential to capturing the attention of kids who will someday become their future collectors.  I was into trucks far before I was into performance cars, and I know I’m not alone.  The excellent Convoy trucks of my childhood are a significant part of how I fell in love with the Matchbox brand, and the kids growing up today deserve to be able to have the same great experiences I did.  What do you say, Matchbox?