30 April 2008: Latest Matchbox Ambassador's Report Welcome to the Official Line Preview Ambassador Report. This replaces the usual monthly Ambassador reports I create which will return next month.
The 2008 Matchbox Line Preview was held on Thursday March 27th 2008 at the Design Center at Mattel in El Segundo, California. In attendance were 22 members of the collecting and Matchbox club community (including myself) along with the majority of the Matchbox team in some capacity. Some people only had a short journey (I believe the closest was 8 miles from the design center) and only myself had travelled from outside the USA. However, our story does not begin here.
After taking over the role of Matchbox Ambassador last July, I was asked by many members of the collecting community if I could arrange a line preview. Many months of badgering and Mattel relented. It was arranged that before the event on Thursday that a special meet and greet was to be held at Hennessey’s bar in Hermosa Beach, CA. This was an informal affair and many members of the Matchbox team duly arrived along with a bunch of collectors all ready to talk about Matchbox. Sadly, Felix Holst and George Benz were unable to make the meet and greet due to work conflicts but the rest of the team and the many members of the collecting community shared a lovely evening of drink, food and chat.
So, after a good night sleep we all met up at the Design Center at 10am sharp(ish) on Thursday. Felix met us all at reception, and after signing in and receiving our name labels, we headed into the presentation room which had all been decked out with various Matchbox paraphernalia as well as a number of specially designed posters adorning the walls. These posters were fantastic, as they depicted models from the basic range, as well as the Line Preview logo that Michael Heralda had created especially for the event.
After a quick informal chat, and various scanning of the items on show, we sat down and Mattel began. Felix Holst started the proceedings by introducing the team, some of which we knew, but many were new faces. After the introductions, George Benz took over the reigns. He discussed at length the position that Matchbox is now in within the corporate umbrella of Mattel. 2007 has seen Matchbox sales rise by double digit percentages over 2006, which is an increase on the rise in sales of 2006 over 2005. This is clearly the highest brand increase within Mattel and the Matchbox team are very proud of their accomplishments. The Shark Ship Mega Rig is now the best selling Mega Rig that Matchbox have ever created. Retail space is now increasing in stores due to these phenomenal figures.
Finally, George and Felix spoke on how they wanted to give the factory workers ownership of the products they produce. They spoke on the elephant and what it means to people in Thailand. The elephant is now adorning the bases of the newest castings.
Steve Ziemniak then spoke on the basic range itself. For 2008 we have an increase in the basic range from 75 to 100 models in some markets, due to the retailers requesting more products. They are being released in 11 batches throughout the year, with new additions each month. The Matchbox team are striving to produce the best detail replication for the under $1 market.
We then moved onto licences. Matchbox is trying to garner many new licences, not just for the vehicles, but also for the liveries included on them. Pictures were shown of the some of the recent livery licences, like the Brazos County Sheriff Dodge Magnum and the El Segundo models. Of course they are always on the lookout for more exciting licences from around the world that they may be able to use on future models. One of the more important issues with this is that the licences can be used on models that they currently have in their database of castings, and that they are appealing to look at. The range does still need to attract the buyers. If people work for companies that they believe the company logo/livery would look good as a model in future Matchbox ranges, please let me know and I can pass on the information to the Matchbox team. However, this would need to be on a model that Matchbox currently does have a casting for. Of course this does not automatically mean approval for the licence, as for instance a police department desires that Matchbox make a model of their livery on a Matchbox car, the Matchbox team would also need to get approval from the town or city as well as the police department. This could take a matter of months, or it could take a few years. Each licence request is handled differently.
A small mention was made over the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA, and how Alfa Romeo have now decided that only red or white models can be made as these were the only 2 factory authorised colors made at the time. 2008 was going to see a green example in the basic range, but Alfa Romeo declined it, and the model is now going to be white. The poster was about to go to the printers when this came through, and as such a quick change resulted in the model being covered up in the poster, and it’s deletion from the Matchbox.com website. With such a limited color palette being used in real life on the Alfa, Matchbox are going to try and take more time in considering models to be included in future ranges, and try to take the factory colors into account when making decisions. As to the Alfa, there was talk that it may be slightly modified in the future to a different version (for instance the Alfa Romeo Sprint Junior is similar) which could open up avenues for a wider variety of colors. Although no official decision has been made yet.
The British International Motor Show takes place from Wednesday July 23 until Sunday August 3. At this event Lotus will be unveiling their brand new vehicle, which Matchbox have been privileged to have been able to work alongside with in creating a miniature of the new vehicle whilst Lotus were working on the full size version. As such, Matchbox will be in attendance at the event to pass out some promotional items. Of course the name of the new Lotus is still a mystery and will be unveiled at the event.
We were then shown a preview of the new Haunted House 360° playset. This features sounds and plenty of trap doors and revolving features, as there was one in the room shown off. It looks like a lot of fun. It also has a removable ghost. The set includes the debut of the updated MB746 1939 Chevy Van. This vehicle has been reconstructed from the original MB215 that was quite difficult to fix together. Although looking pretty similar, it has been re-tooled to make it easier to affix in the factory. One of the updates has been the base being updated and now featuring an elephant logo.
We then moved into a preview of the new Mega Rig that will be debuting later this year. The Shuttle Mission set comprises a space shuttle and UFO that, just like previous Mega Rigs, can be dismantled and re-assembled in different combinations. A separate Space Rover will also be available to help to create a whole space scenario. A set was on hand which was shown (and played with) to those in attendance. With plenty of moving features, lights/sounds and self propelling features this looks like it will be a huge hit.
We then moved onto the latest new range that Matchbox will shortly be launching in USA. They are called Matchbox Power Scouts and to begin with will consist of 6 castings. These are the Land Rover Defender, VW 4x4, Baja Bandit, Ridge Raider, Badlander and Desert Thunder V16. The names may sound familiar, but they are not simply the same castings with slight alterations. The new range are roughly 1/50 scale, and feature large wheels on a basic frame with the plastic body that snaps on top and working lights. With the aid of an AA battery they also roll too. These new vehicles are much easier than most to activate, as you simply press down on them to activate. By pressing down again they stop. There will also be accessories (like winches) that can be attached to the front of them. As well as these there will be a number of playsets launched alongside. The largest of the playsets (Skull Challenge) was set out on the table to demonstrate. The sets incorporate a monorail style system that the vehicles will roll along with a number of obstacles along the way. These obstacles will have 3 different setting that you can adjust to make them easy or harder to navigate.
Dave Weise was up next to talk on the premium die-cast ranges. He started off by discussing the Best Of.... series. A mention was made of a gentleman by the name of Ray Goudy, who is the person behind the artwork for the boxes on these models. Slides were then shown of the next batch of Best Of. We saw a black MB680 Dodge Magnum; tan MB609 Ford Mustang GT Concept with black hood stripes, red MB630 Chevy Corvette C6, white MB517 Dodge Viper GTSR with dual blue stripes, yellow MB663 Ford SVT Lightning and blue MB669 Ford Shelby Cobra Concept with dual white stripes for the Best of US Muscle. We also saw a lovely zamac plated MB587 Shelby Cobra 427S/C with 98 roundel, pale greeny-blue MB735 1968 Citroen DS, cream MB709 Chevy Van, white MB715 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA and purple MB363 1962 VW Beetle for the Best of International range. Sadly there was no slide for the MB320 1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible. Preproduction samples were on hand for us all to look at, and the talk was really over the fantastic looking zamac plated Shelby Cobra. With the 98 roundel and detailed lights this model really does look amazing. Production of these should be beginning soon and are currently slated for a fall release. Mention was also made of a third series of Best of British with other Best of ranges too for 2009. There will be a 3rd series next year.
Superfast was up next, and again preproduction examples were shown of the next batch that is due in June. The MB726 Audi R8 was silver, the MB715 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA was red, MB714 Lexus GS430 was black, MB138 Jaguar XK120 was pale blue with a 23 roundel, MB728 Mercedes Benz U300 Unimog was green, MB693 Ford Transit was blue with dual white hood stripes and a fishing logo on the sides, MB705 Honda Ridgeline was plum (a street tampo design in a similar vein to the first blue release – as many people have been asking for more street Ridgelines), MB731 Baja Bandit was bronze, MB706 Lotus Exige was yellow with dual stripes (one white and one gray) and finally the MB358 1955 Chevy Bel Air Hardtop was orange/white.
At this point I should remind everyone that these are preproduction samples, and are subject to change when production starts.
The Superfast series is selling well in Wal-Marts, and they are increasing the amount of stores that sell them. In fact Wal-mart have already requested more for next year. As some may be aware, 2009 is the 40th Anniversary of the Superfast range. A sneak peak was shown of the proposed special 40th Anniversary logo that Michael Heralda has been working on for the next year. We were also shown a prototype of the new Superfast 5-star wheel that will be debuting next year. An example was shown on a preproduction MB749 2008 Chevy Corvette ZR-1. The wheel design was proving another big hit with the collectors in attendance.
After this Gerardo Lopez showed us a detailed video of the engineering process a model needs to go through from beginning to end at the factory. The video was first shown at the 2008 Matchbox Gathering, but was previewed again for those that were not in attendance last year.
Michael Heralda and Jeremy Cox were up next. Michael Heralda is in charge of the design of the Matchbox vehicles, but introduced his new partner in crime, Jeremy Cox. With so many different liveries to work on at one time, it was felt that Michael really could do with some help, as he has <Actinic:Variable Name = 'jokingly'/> won the award from Mattel the last few years for doing the most work. They previewed the pre-design process, working with the vehicle manufacturers in receiving an official color palette from each manufacturer, and then trying to match up as close as possible to the real colors that the vehicles come in. Discussion was brought up again over how Alfa Romeo have requested only red or white for the Alfa Romeo GTA, but with some of the vehicle manufacturers, if the range of colors is rather limited, they are able to come up with their own colors once the palette has been exhausted. However, for the most part, each release of a model is in an authorized factory color.
We were also shown a board that contains the full mixes for each batch of models. Part of their job is to try to ensure that a broad range of colors appears in each batch, and we don’t end up with too many of a particular color appearing in one go. This is very important to try to show a nice range of colors across the pegs. You do need to factor in models from previous batches whilst working on these boards, as it is not simply a case of looking at the new issues, but working on the broader picture.
Michael then showed us a slide show of some of the pictures he takes while out and about of vehicles with logos that he likes the look of. These give him some of the ideas for the logos he comes up with himself for future models. He also discussed the problems with some logos. For instance it has recently been discovered that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owns the rights to the “Star of life” (the six-pointed star with a snake) that adorns emergency medical units and personnel. The Star of life should not be used on anything that is not actually able to save a life. Although Matchbox were placing it on Ambulances as they appear on in real life, because the model cannot save a life, the NHTSA are not keen for it to be printed on the models. We were all amazed at some of the little stumbling points and roadblocks that Matchbox comes up against whilst working on models and liveries.
Ryu (don’t call him Lewis) Asada from Matchbox design was up next. He is the guy who actually created the castings of the models in question. First of all he showed us a slide show of the process (shown at the Albuquerque convention last year) and then previewed a video that Dave Weise recorded of Ryu at work on the MB756 Toy Box Motor Home on the 3-D program he uses.
A small raffle took place where prizes included a 2008 Toy Fair MB734 VW T2 Bus, and a 2009 Pre-Toy Fair MB713 1965 Austin Mini Van which has not come out yet (we were shown a slide of what it will look like) which will be mailed out once the fair has concluded. We were also handed a special bag of goodies, including a 2008 US poster, bumper stickers, a 2008 catalog and a special limited edition 1 of 30 MB712 Desert Thunder V16 in gold that Michael Heralda had designed especially for the event.
We then were shown a few of the licenses that Mattel are hoping to obtain for use in the 2009 range. Unfortunately we are unable to pass this information on as most of these are still not confirmed or even applied for yet. But let me just tell you this; there were some real corkers they hope to create. 2009 is looking to be another fantastic year for Matchbox die-cast collectors.
A small question and answer followed and then we had a chance to spend some time looking at some of the preproduction items on show. A few items of note we saw were the new classic wheels which are almost ready for production. These consist of a small disk with a gap and an outside rim. We also saw work on the new wheel almost identical to the current Convoy wheel that is planned for some of the utility style vehicles. We also noticed that the MB741 VW Caddy does not feature the name on the base of the model. Although VW have agreed to packaging and artwork depicting it as such, they requested that the name of the vehicle not be added to the base of the model. The base simply states “Licensed by Volkswagen”.
It was at this point that we were joined by a special guest. Bob Eckert, the CEO and Chairman of Mattel Inc personally came over to the Design Center from Mattel HQ to pay us a visit, pass on his praise of the work that the Matchbox team has done, and to sign various items of paraphernalia for some of those in attendance.
By this time it was mid-afternoon and so was about time to wrap things up. All that was left was for a little photo session. As photographic equipment is not allowed inside the design center, we adjourned outside to the parking lot, where the Matchbox Shuttle had conveniently parked waiting for us. The Matchbox shuttle is one of 2 that Mattel own to help shuttle people (staff and guests) back and forth between Mattel HQ and the Design and Research Center. The other shuttle is a Hot Wheels liveried shuttle with a rather simple design, whereas this one has been fully decked out with a dinosaur theme. Kids in particular seem to prefer this one over the other shuttle.
We said our final goodbyes, thanked the team again for having us and headed off happy.
Particularly myself. Jim Gallegos had held on to my Toy Preview Desert Thunder for me until we got outside. Finally, I got my hands on it, and opened it up.
All in all a great trip. As a small addition, I was lucky enough to visit with Felix the following weekend. We had a great chat (intermixed with a strange lady from London who was astonished to find 2 people in Los Angeles with British accents) and I had a chance for a little trip in Felix' little baby.
A 1957 Chevy Bel Air. This is actually one of his little babies (the other being the Hearse).
What a week.
Well, May sees me back to what you know best, a monthly Ambassador report. Until then....
Your Ambassador hic et nunc
David |
24 March 2008: Latest Ambasador's Report24 March 2008: Latest Ambasador's Report
Happy Easter Matchbox Collectors,
I thought I would get this in quick before I head off To California to attend the 2008 Line Preview. Well report number 7 is here. Not too long a report this time after the hefty February report last month. But before I dive right in I would just like to make a small announcement. Christian Zentner has transferred departments inside the Mattel umbrella. He is now going to be working for the Hot Wheels team. We would just like to wish him good luck. In his place we welcome a new addition; Samantha Lau. I am sure we would all like to welcome Samantha to the Matchbox team and hope she enjoys her new position. This week a few of us will catch our first glimpse of Samantha (and also George Benz) at the Matchbox line preview.
So now let's move on with the latest news. The German Matchbox website was updated recently to show the ROW basic range for 2008. Germany uses a completely different team to mastermind their website, with the other countries working mainly after the USA main site. The USA website is still with the web group who are just making final tweaks to the pages before it goes live. It should be up any time now. Keep an eye on it.
As many are now aware, the USA posters have now been printed up and are currently being prepared for shipping as we speak. However, there is one thing that people will notice when they take a look at them. The MB4 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA has been covered up (as well as the Corvette and Lotus). Originally the team had come up with a nice metallic green scheme for the vehicle (this has been seen on the German website), but sadly Alfa Romeo decided to reject it. The refusal came just before the poster got printed, so as a precaution, it got re-covered up. With the original vehicle only really being available in reds and whites, Alfa Romeo is not keen on other colors being made up for miniature versions as they are not genuine factory versions. Therefore a decision has been made to create another white version. However, this will not be the same as 2007 version 2. Matchbox are going to ensure that it will be different, for instance maybe utilizing a different wheel or changing the tampo scheme and incorporating the cloverleaf in a different way. Although the finished design is not ready, it will be separate to the 2007 version 2 example.
Talking of alterations, there have been a few changes made to upcoming 5-pack releases. The Haunted House 5-pack listed down the MB700 1963 Cadillac Hearse as one of the vehicles included. Unfortunately, there are a few problems with the vehicle as in some areas of the world it is deemed an inappropriate model, so it will be replaced by the MB559 Lincoln Premiere. The Ocean Research 5-pack has also had a change of vehicle, as the MB677 Jeep Rescue is not going to be a part of the set, being replaced by the MB687 International CXT. It was noted in the February report that there was still a pack to be determined. This is a Spongebob Squarepants pack, although final choice of vehicles is still to be sorted.
Now on to the basic range batch listings. Batch E is almost upon us. It should be arriving any time now as we head into April. Expect to find 2 brand new castings in this batch, the MB46 VW Caddy and MB47 Garbage Truck. Although if you live in the LAAM area you sadly will not be getting the Garbage Truck. As well as this, all ranges will see the MB40 Range Rover Sport, MB83/52/21 Hummer H3 and MB94/66/44 Off Road Rider, the USA and LAAM ranges will get the MB5 Chevy Chevelle, the USA and ROW ranges will see the MB66 Tractor Plow and USA only will receive the MB85 Land Rover Discovery and MB96 GMC Terradyne. We all will see a second color on the MB1 Citroen DS too. Batch F will be coming in May, and will contain only one brand new casting, the MB58 Scraper. There will be 3 new additions to all 3 ranges, MB22 TVR Tuscan S, MB34 Mercedes Benz CLS500 and MB89/69 Ford Bronco 4x4, as well as the MB87/59 Chevy Silverado for the USA/LAAM ranges and MB73 Ladder Truck for the USA/ROW ranges. As well as these, we will all see 2 recolors on the MB20 Audi TT Roadster and MB57 Quarry King, and a completely new design on the MB78/29/8 Chevy Stepside.
There have been thoughts from many collectors about creating special manufacturer or model themed 5-packs (Ford, Mustang, Corvette, Porsche etc). This is something that Hot Wheels has done fro a number of years, and people have thought whether a Matchbox 5-pack of one vehicle/manufacturer could be something that may be done in the future. Sadly, although it does seem to work for Hot Wheels, Matchbox is trying to take a different approach to how they build up their 5-packs. With variety being one of the main core beliefs of the Matchbox brand, the thought of such a narrowly themed pack is against their plans. So there are no plans for 5-packs of this nature at this time.
A number of people have been asking about an abundance of Volvos and Bentleys on the pegs. The team at Matchbox are behind which vehicles make up each assortment that come in the box. They try to use a variety of factors to determine the mixes, but sometimes things just don't work out how they planned. This is particularly true when a new model is released. Sadly, by the time they realize that a model is not selling, it is already too late as the final assortments have already been produced.
Many people ask questions about Wal-Mart and their exclusive deal with Matchbox for the Superfast series. This is something that Wal-Mart requested, and once they receive the models it is down to them as to how they get distributed. Mattel sadly do not get a say in how the models get distributed around the stores. Now talking of the Superfast series, the next batch of 10 is currently scheduled for a June release. This will be all for 2008, but Superfast is set to continue as a Wal-Mart exclusive into 2009. As many may have realized, 2009 will be the 40th Anniversary of the Superfast series, and the event will be noted. More details on the 40th Anniversary Superfast series will be passed out as and when they become available.
The final 2007 Convoys only recently arrived in stores, but hot on their heels will be the first 3 2008 issues. Apart from the licenses for Simpson Racing (box truck) and Conoco (tanker) there will be a Matchbox liveried Box Truck being pulled by an MB664 Tractor Cab. Yes, we haven't seen the last of this truck. The theme is that of a dinosaur. To quote Michael Heralda: "the deco for this "awesome" dinosaur theme comes from our one-and-only MATCHBOX Shuttle that can be seen driving Mattel employees between the Mattel buildings here in El Segundo, CA. The original Shuttle artwork illustration was created by our "King of Mega-Rigs" designer, Mauricio Bedolla. I adapted his original artwork to fit the Convoy trailer".
Finally, for this instalment, a question was posed as to whether there are official color names for the paintwork on models. With the transition into recreating official manufacturer color schemes, do the guys in the Matchbox team come up with names for the colors they use on models? Well, the answer is no. There are no official color names on Matchbox models.
So that is it for now. Next month will see a different Ambassador report from me. Instead of the usual news of Matchbox items, I will be creating the 2008 Official Line Preview Ambassador Report or OLPAR for short. With the preview taking place at the end of March, there will be a lot of information and news coming out of the event. So expect an OLPAR from me in April, and it will be back to normality come May.
So until then, this is your Ambassador saying "El Segundo, here I come!"
David
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Ambassador's report and the 2008 RangesWhat's up Matchbox Fans,
Well, it's the shortest month of the year, but by no means the shortest Ambassador report. I hope you like what I have lined up for you this month.
So let's start off with some quick basic range news. I can now confirm two slight unknowns in the range. MB9 for 2008 is now confirmed as being an MB749 2008 Chevy Corvette ZR-1 Hardtop, and MB26 is now confirmed to be an MB753 Honda Civic Type R. The MB10 (MB750) new 2008 Lotus' name is still to be confirmed at this present moment in time. More news will come on this in the near future. Also, as has started to show up in the latest batch of new models, a small elephant is now being depicted on the base of new castings (the MB736 1975 Chevy Stepside and MB738 VW Type 181 both depict a small elephant on their bases). The elephant is a national icon in Thailand, and Mattel felt that they wanted to show their appreciation to the hard workers in the manufacturing facilities. So this is their little way of saying thanks to the people who actually build the little models for us.
Expect to see batch D arriving in March. Included with this batch will be the final 2007 recolor, the MB46 Mercedes Benz Unimog U300. Also, we will get these new additions to the 2008 range. First off will be a single brand new casting MB2 1969 Cadillac Sedan DeVille (MB739). Then we will see a new MB7 1965 Austin Mini Van, MB23 Nissan 350Z, MB24(US/LAAM only) Dodge Viper GTSR, MB35 Mercedes Benz SL55 AMG, MB42 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, MB63 (US/ROW only) Dirt Hauler (Earth Mover), MB67 Guzzler, MB70 (US only) Ford Crown Victoria Police and MB97 (US only) Chevy K-1500 4x4. We will also see the first 2 of the 2008 recolors arriving this time. The MB3 1968 Mercury Cougar will see a new color and the MB49 Chevy Van will see a new livery. In total we will see 13 new additions for the US range and 10 new additions for both the LAAM and ROW ranges.
Okay, now I like my lists. In December I laid out a full basic range listing. This time, I am listing down the contents of 5-packs, 10-pack exclusive sets and TV Heroes. Of course as always, things are subject to change.
5-packs.
The first 2 packs, Dino Mountain and VIP have already been released, so we move on to the other 10 packs that are due throughout the year.
Modern Rides
MB630 Chevy Corvette C6
MB726 Audi R8
MB671 Ford GT
MB711 Volvo C30
MB680 Dodge Magnum (without light bar)
Classic Cars
MB713 1965 Austin Mini Van
MB688 1961 Jaguar E-type
MB390 VW Transporter
MB629 1969 Chevy Camaro
MB709 Chevy Van
Farm
MB703 Tractor
MB686 Tractor Plow
MB652 Highway Maintenance Truck w/o plow
MB564 Exterminator Truck
MB398 Chevy Silverado
Vacation
MB417 Truck Camper
MB581 Ford F-series with raft
MB436 Chevy suburban
MB406 Land Rover Freelander
MB526 Hummer H2 SUV Concept
Fire Fighters
MB698 Flame Tamer
MB420 Chevy Impala Police
MB679 Ambulance
MB379 international Fire Pumper
MB324 Chevy Tahoe
Construction
MB492 Road Roller
MB707 Groundbreaker
MB710 Earth Mover
MB686 Tractor Plow
MB605 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Police
MB606 Armored Response Vehicle
MB541 Rescue Helicopter
MB489 Ford Expedition Police
MB693 Ford Transit
MB459 Ford Crown Victoria Police
Off Road
MB716 Ridge Raider
MB712 Desert Thunder V16
MB699 Off Road Rider
MB666 Hummer H3
MB720 1972 Ford Bronco 4x4
Ocean Research
MB519 Hovercraft
MB429 Dune Buggy
MB442 Jeep Grand Cherokee with raft
MB373 Watercraft with trailer
MB677 Jeep Rescue
Haunted House
MB700 1963 Cadillac Hearse
MB667 Austin FX4 Taxi
MB444 Ford Panel Van
MB537 Limousine
MB598 Ambulance
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And more10-packs.
The first pack, "Real", has already been released, so here are the contents of the other 3 all exclusive packs.
Action
MB686 Tractor Plow
MB707 Ground Breaker
MB728 Mercedes Benz Unimog U300
MB704 Power Lift
MB703 Tractor
MB662 City Bus
MB695 Guzzler
MB698 Flame Tamer
MB689 Ford Crown Victoria Police
MB664 Tractor Cab
Adventure
MB716 Ridge Raider
MB369 Jeep Wrangler
MB731 Baja Bandit
MB685 2006 Dune Buggy
MB705 Honda Ridgeline
MB723 VW 4x4
MB699 Off Road Rider
MB524 Land Rover Discovery
MB526 Hummer H2 SUV Concept
MB712 Desert Thunder V16
2008 First Editions
MB735 1968 Citroen DS
MB736 1975 Chevy Stepside
MB737 Quarry King
MB741 VW Caddy
MB738 1974 VW Type 181 Thing
MB749 2008 Chevy Corvette ZR-1
MB745 Scraper
MB744 2007 Shelby Cobra GT500 Convertible
MBxxx Toy Box Motor Home
MB742 Garbage Truck
TV Heroes
Okay so far a few sets have already surfaced, but here are what to expect for the remainder of the year.
Nick Jr #1
MB360 Ford Expedition
MB390 VW Transporter
MB723 VW 4x4
MB712 Desert Thunder V16
MB568 Sport SUV
Kung Fu Panda
MB665 Scion xB
MB592 City Police Car
MB444 Ford Panel Van
MB685 2006 Dune Buggy
MB589 Dodge Ram SRT-10
Superheroes/Batman
MB304 Ford Crown Victoria
MB153 Mission Helicopter
MB606 Armored Response Vehicle
MB409 Hydroplane
MB556 Pontiac Piranha
Nickelodeon #2
MB326 Ford F-150
MB433 Audi TT
MB362 1957 Chevy Corvette
MB370 Postal Delivery Truck
MB205 TV News Truck
Scooby Doo
MB281 Ford Transit
MB667 Austin FX4 Taxi
MB516 Chrysler PT Panel Cruiser
MB537 Limousine
MB512 Robot Truck
Nick Jr #2
MB699 Off Road Rider
MB328 1970 Chevy El Camino
MB463 Ford Focus
MB541 Rescue Helicopter
MB211 Bucket Utility Truck
There is also another set in the pipeline for 2008, but final licence and model choices have not been made yet. Details will be passed on once they are available.
Now on to a different subject entirely. Easter. As has already started turning up in stores we have seen a pack called Sticker Fun Egg Mobiles. Inside are 3 eggs and a selection of stickers. Included with this pack is an MB029 Tractor shovel that has not been seen before. However, I must point out that it sadly is not an exclusive. It is from a forthcoming project that I will get to in a minute. But first, let me just say that there will also be two further styles of Target Easter packs. There will be a Nickelodeon 3-pack of eggs, and a basic 6-pack package.
So where is this Tractor Shovel from? It will be appearing in a brand new project that Matchbox has undertaken. Matchbox has created a selection of DVDs promoting different areas of the real world. Each DVD features footage and discussion of real vehicles in action from 4 different areas of the real world. We get a Construction DVD, a Fire DVD, a Garbage DVD and a Junkyard DVD. Included with each DVD are two Matchbox vehicles in exclusive liveries. The Tractor Shovel is one of the two Construction models. These DVDs should be available at any point now. Dealers in USA are more than welcome to order these. Please refer to your usual channels when ordering and quote reference M0174 for North/South America and M5779 for other areas (the DVD toy number).
So who has been reading this and thinking "where is the news on Superfast America?" Well, here it is. The last 5 models have been produced, but Wal-Mart has decided to not take them. Therefore Mattel are now going to open these up to other avenues. If you are a dealer and wish to get these, please refer to your usual channels and quote the toy number L1843.
There has been talk of ideas for creating more dealer exclusive material. Ideas have been bounced around lately for things that could be done. Sadly, although the ideas themselves are good, Mattel cannot see such a limited quantity as being justified. We were struggling to see more than 5,000 pieces of anything being produced, but Mattel have been number crunching and sadly it is not justifiable at those lower production runs. Even at 10,000 it would be a struggle. So for the time being there is going to be no plans for planned dealer exclusives. A question was also raised about the lack of Matchbox products from Avon. Avon used to do a number of collectible Matchbox items. But as it stands at the moment, although the Mattel reps are actively pursuing opportunities, there just are not any with Avon at this present time. Mattel are hoping it will change in the future, but for now, do not expect to see anything Matchbox related in your Avon catalog.
Speaking of dealers, it was pointed out that some dealers were receiving stocks of Best of British that contained 2x Jaguar XKs per case and no Dennis Sabres. This was an error at the factory and has been rectified now for future assortments. It must be noted that there will not be an abundance of Dennis Sabres in future assortments to compensate, and each box in the future will contain one of each model. It was also pointed out that the boxes themselves had "Hot Wheels" printed across the top, even though the sides correctly stated Matchbox Best of Assortment. Again, this was an error at the factory. A little known fact is that a few Hot Wheels series are produced at the same Thailand factory that produce the majority of Matchbox products.
So here is some breaking news. The 2 standard Superfast Wheels that are used on modern cars (wide 5-spoke) and classic cars (retro wheel that looked like early Lesney Superfast wheels) are no more. The next batch of Superfast that is going to appear at Wal-Mart will simply have standard wheels on these types of vehicle. The new Superfast utility wheel will continue. Talking of wheels though, expect to see two new wheels to appear in the basic range before the end of the year. A new classic style wheel is being finalized as we speak in readiness for use with some of the classic vehicles (like the Jaguar E-type, Alfa Romeo Giulia etc) incorporating a much simpler design than the last classic wheel. The second wheel that should be available before the end of the year will be a new utility style that will feature prominently on Pick-ups and Delivery trucks. New light bars are still in planning stages, but there will be none coming out this year. The guys at Mattel are hoping that we could get to see something new for 2009 in this area.
So some people have been trying to figure out the Cattle Truck that was listed down to be in the next batch of Superfast. Well, this was the MB071 Cattle Truck from 1976. I say was, as unfortunately the mold is too badly damaged and they have been unable to fix it. So this model will now be replaced by the MB358 1955 Chevy Belair Hardtop.
Convoys have been a little slow in coming out recently. This is a similar situation as happened with the Hitch 'n haul last year. The new models have been made and shipped. We are just waiting on stores to actually put them out. This could literally be any time. So please keep an eye out for new Convoy models to appear soon.
The Matchbox website will be updated within hopefully a few weeks. They are just working on uploading all the new pictures. It will simply be an update to the website, and not a revamp. There will be an additional page explaining the increase to 100 models. These same pictures will feature on the new 2008 poster which should also be out by the end of the month. Have I received every club/dealer's orders for posters yet? I will be sending the requests over to Mattel once the posters are ready.
Finally, a 2008 line preview is taking place on Thursday March 27 at Mattel HQ in El Segundo. Spaces are limited and I have already received a number of confirmations to attend. There will also be a dinner/happy hour at a local restaurant on the evening before for those that will be coming to attend. I will be sending Mattel a final list of attendees at the end of February.
So for now, that's me signing off.
David Tilley
Your current Matchbox Ambassador
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