The Maserati Granturismo is one of the longest running car designs in the auto industry, yet it still manages to look great some 18 years after its 2007 debut. Despite almost two decades of opportunity, the Granturismo has been almost entirely absent from the diecast world (at least from the mainstream brands). Now, with the... Continue Reading →
Back in the day, I used to regularly cover all the sneaks of upcoming Matchbox models that Abe Lugo would post to the matchboxworld Instagram every Friday. Sadly, when Abe Lugo was laid off by Mattel, the Friday sneak posts stopped and the current team at Matchbox hasn’t really done much to cultivate excitement among... Continue Reading →
There are some Matchbox models that I know I’m going to like from the moment they’re announced, like the Bentley Continental or the Audi RS6. This Sequoia TRD Pro was not one of those models. I don’t particularly care about the Sequoia generally, and while TRD versions of Toyotas are at least somewhat interesting, I... Continue Reading →
You never quite know what you're going to get with a new Matchbox Moving Parts Lamborghini. The Centenario is a brilliant casting that reset the collecting world's expectations for what a Matchbox supercar can be. It was beautifully detailed, had great proportions, and featured scissor doors that remain the only opening doors in the entire... Continue Reading →
The yearly line preview at the Gathering is one of the most exciting days of the year in the diecast world, and this year didn’t disappoint! As usual, this roundup won’t be a comprehensive list of everything in the presentation (check out the Lamley stream or David Tilley’s post over on WheelCollectors for that). Instead,... Continue Reading →
With the Gathering just a few short weeks away, I’ve had Matchbox on my mind. A couple years ago, I wrote a blog post about the cars I’d like to see at the upcoming Matchbox line preview, and since most of those cars have now made their way into the Matchbox lineup, it seemed due... Continue Reading →
It's no secret that Matchbox has a pegwarmer problem right now. Countless people online, myself included, have shared anecdotes about the sorry state of Matchbox distribution this year, but I wanted to take a step beyond anecdotal evidence. I decided to take an inventory of all the Matchbox models on the pegs at 10 local... Continue Reading →
If you’re a Matchbox collector, odds are you’re also a fan of diecast police cars. When the Dodge Durango first came to the Matchbox line a couple years ago, I was surprised to see a civilian version rather than a squad car. I didn’t have to wait long for a police version, though. Matchbox just... Continue Reading →
When the Matchbox team decided to revamp and grow the Moving Parts line a few years ago, many of the early castings were pretty rough. The opening parts caused panel gaps that were far too big, color match between the main body and the opening part was often poor, and the mechanisms for the moving... Continue Reading →
It’s been a slow few months for Matchbox news, as product has slowly been trickling into stores for the holiday season but relatively few new products have been teased on the @matchboxworld Instagram. The last two weeks have had some interesting tidbits though, so let’s dive in for a better look at all the new... Continue Reading →
After the deluge of news and new castings at the Gathering every year, there’s always a bit of a lull for new Matchbox news. Now, we’re slowly starting to see some new recolors and prototypes of upcoming models previewed on the Matchbox Instagram, so it’s time for a bit of catch-up. Let’s start with the... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
After what feels like months of almost no news of upcoming releases from Matchbox (and no new models in stores either), the silence has finally been broken by a huge drop of new upcoming models! There’s no previously unannounced castings here, but plenty of exciting new decos and our first look at the production version... Continue Reading →
I can’t fathom why Matchbox continues to make one of their best castings so hard to find. This Nissan GT-R Nismo debuted in the Collectors series at only one per case, making it nearly impossible to find. Then they released this fantastic red version…in a Moving Parts series that was sold exclusively in Japan. Then... Continue Reading →
After a few weeks of not hearing much from Matchbox, we finally have another set of exciting sneaks, including some new castings I didn't even know were coming! The most notable surprise casting in this week’s sneaks was the Dodge Durango Police car in a Boone County Sheriff Livery. I don't remember this model even... Continue Reading →
Matchbox and Alfa Romeo have a famously troubled past, filled with limited recolors and underutilized castings. Yet, in recent years we’ve seen plenty of interesting recolors of both the new Giulia and the old Guilia Sprint GTA, so it seems the two companies must have resolved their differences. With this newfound cooperation, we now get... Continue Reading →
Despite the very slow release of new models at retail, we keep seeing lots of exciting sneaks of upcoming Matchbox models on their Instagram. Let’s jump right into this week’s sneaks! The first thing to catch my eye was this bright orange Jeep Gladiator, identifiable as a super chase by its rubber tires and “SC”... Continue Reading →
New product has been nearly nonexistent at retail stores, but the sneak peeks are still flowing strong! Let's take a peek at what Matchbox shared with us on their Instagram this week. It’s always an exciting week when we get some Porsche news, and I know many of us German car lovers have been waiting... Continue Reading →
The months after Christmas are always a bit slow in the diecast world. New releases are few and far between, store shelves are mostly bare, and it feels like the whole hobby goes into hibernation. With little diecast to be found in stores, it's nice to see some new sneaks of what's coming soon to... Continue Reading →
The season after Christmas is always slow in the world of diecast, with minimal inventory at retail stores and new mixes being slow to release. It’s easy to get a bit bored during this time, so I’m glad Matchbox dropped some heat for us to get excited over! The most exciting car in these sneaks... Continue Reading →
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