A joyous June to all collectors,
It is I, your Matchbox Ambassador, with my latest report. As we head into the summer, Mattel are moving a few things around. Due to a small internal shuffle, Samantha Lau has been pulled away from Matchbox, back to the Hot Wheels brand. We welcome in her place a new lady to the Matchbox team; Corrie Rudy. Also, if you would like, say hi to David Schwartz too, a young intern working with the Matchbox team for a few months. Something I bet a lot of us would like to do. Well, anyway, let's get on with the latest news.
Some people may have noticed recently the slight change in the 2008 MB58 Scraper. When it first came out, the side tampo of "Adlar58" was yellow and black. This was almost immediately changed to white and black to make it stand out a little more. Matchbox does occasionally make changes like this on models if they feel they would work better like it. However, they also like to make more dramatic changes with some vehicles. The MB138 Jaguar XK120 tooling is currently being worked on. Hopefully collectors will like what they do with it, as they are converting it into a coupe version with a hope of including it in the 2009 basic range. Other small touches are being done to give it a more current Matchbox style feel to it, rather than simply putting a roof on it.
Now the MB732 Badlander seems to be quite popular for a generic pick up truck. People have asked whether this model will be seen as a basic range model. It will not be a 2009 basic range issue, and not very likely to be added into the 2010 range. Although the possibility of it being a single issue at some time down the line is not ruled out, Mattel are currently dedicating this vehicle to playsets for the time being.
It has been reported recently that the Quarry King basic range issue in both yellow and orange has been found with matching wheels to the body color, as well as alternate wheel colors. Recently too, the Tractor Plow from the Farm 5-pack was also to be found with chrome rims in place of the original yellow ones. This is a temporary problem caused by certain paints coming in from the vendors that do not seem to be bonding correctly during the hot stamp foil printing process. Reds and oranges appear to be the worst offenders, although yellow is not working too well either. Most other colors are still working okay, and Mattel are looking at alternatives mixtures to get them to stick better. In the meantime, we have been finding a few wheel variations with these particular models whilst alternatives are secured. Hopefully within a few months things will be back to normal. Mattel like to mix wheel colors up a little (not leave them all chrome) and so this is not the end of the colored hot stamping.
So, we all know the saga of the 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA, and the fact that Alfa Romeo has stated that they can only be released in factory colors (red or white) in the Matchbox ranges. Well, luckily, not all manufacturers have the same view. For example Range Rover has already approved 4 new Mattel created color schemes for the Range Rover Sport. This vehicle does not come with a huge array of factory colors to choose from, and Mattel have already gone through them all. Batch H, due for release in July, will find the first of the Mattel created color schemes for this model. It is being referred to as "school bus yellow". Mattel think it looks really cool, and are hoping collectors will too. Joining the MB40 Range Rover Sport in batch H will be 2 further 2nd issue recolors. The MB47 (US/ROW) Garbage Truck will be sporting a new design on the side and the MB94 (US)/66 (LAAM)/44 (ROW) Off Road Rider will be changed into a flat white color scheme. We will also see 10 new releases into the mix for 2008 batch H. Two of these will be brand new models. The MB88 (US)/62 (LAAM/ROW) Rock Crawler II and MB45 Subaru Impreza Police will be debuting in this assortment. The other 8 new additions in batch H consist of the MB8 (US/LAAM only) Chevy El Camino, MB36 Audi RS6 Avant, MB37 Lexus GS430, MB41 (US/LAAM only) Lincoln Navigator, MB69 (US only) Highway Maintenance Truck (or Plow Master 6000 as it is being referred to nowadays), MB72 Ford Transit, MB92 (US)/65 (LAAM)/41 (ROW) Ridge Raider and MB98 (US)/73 (LAAM)/56 (ROW) Desert Thunder V16. So if you live in the US range marketplaces, expect to see 13 new additions in July, LAAM range marketplaces 11 new additions and ROW range marketplaces 10 new additions.
For anyone who is curious on the order of the remaining 5-packs, I can let you know that pack 8 debuting in July will be the Modern Rides set, pack 9 for August - Haunted House, pack 10 for September - Off Road, pack 11 for October - Police and pack 12 for November - Ocean Research.
A subject that a number of people have spoken about lately is Ferrari. Why are Matchbox not making standard showroom versions of Ferraris as Hot Wheels are creating what appear to be more performance related versions. Well, this is something that Ferrari wanted. Ferrari was pretty strict with what they wanted, and they desired a single brand making their vehicle in small scale, not a company. Matchbox is quite happy with this, as they are happy with other relationships they are building with manufacturers like Bentley and Lotus. They see manufacturers like this as being a core part of the heritage that Matchbox likes to see. Being originally a British company, the team like to think of certain manufacturers like those listed above as being important to them. Matchbox are not planning on creating a long list of high performance vehicles in their range, and for now, are more than happy to leave Ferrari to the Hot Wheels team.
Another thing that has been brought up a lot recently is the problems with wheels not rolling on models coming out of the factory. Mattel are taking this matter very seriously as they are keen to ensure that such problems like this are not on-going. They are looking into anything that can be made to improve the reliability with these vehicles. A lot of the problems seem to be coming from older vehicles being retrofitted with the new wheels that they have created which appear to get caught in wheel wells too often. If there are any further concerns with parts from vehicles getting stuck, or not working correctly, please let me know, as I can pass the information on to Mattel to check into.
Also, Mattel are always keen to hear of any thoughts that collectors have in making alterations to certain castings. If you remember, in 2007, the Jeep Wrangler appeared in the basic range without the roll bar. They were not sure if Jeep would approve it, but Jeep liked the idea of doing a model without a roll bar. As was mentioned above, the Jaguar XK120 is being altered into a coupe version. If collectors see a model that is available in different styles (e.g. coupe/convertible/ or with/without side windows etc....) or as was seen recently customized a 1972 Ford Bronco without a roof, then please let me know. Also, with generic vehicles, if collectors see a potential for other incarnations of a basic model I can always pass on ideas and thoughts to the Mattel for consideration. If a model is starting to wear down, they can look into fixing or altering the model. If collectors have an idea for an alteration, this could be looked into by Mattel to see if it is feasible. You never know, your idea could turn into reality.
Finally for this time a couple of questions Mattel are looking into. A number of clubs have talked about whether there is anything that clubs could get as a small bonus from Matchbox for being a club. Also, many in the East of USA have asked about the possibility of Matchbox sponsoring an East Coast convention in 2009. Both of these questions are currently unanswered but Mattel are considering both requests and will get back with answers in due course. Stay tuned for answers in future reports.
Well, this does it for this report. I have one more monthly report to go before my term finishes, although I will also be creating an official Matchbox Gathering report in early August before my replacement takes over. Of course the Gathering report will also contain all the details of my replacements as Ambassador.
David Tilley
Your current Matchbox Messenger
It is I, your Matchbox Ambassador, with my latest report. As we head into the summer, Mattel are moving a few things around. Due to a small internal shuffle, Samantha Lau has been pulled away from Matchbox, back to the Hot Wheels brand. We welcome in her place a new lady to the Matchbox team; Corrie Rudy. Also, if you would like, say hi to David Schwartz too, a young intern working with the Matchbox team for a few months. Something I bet a lot of us would like to do. Well, anyway, let's get on with the latest news.
Some people may have noticed recently the slight change in the 2008 MB58 Scraper. When it first came out, the side tampo of "Adlar58" was yellow and black. This was almost immediately changed to white and black to make it stand out a little more. Matchbox does occasionally make changes like this on models if they feel they would work better like it. However, they also like to make more dramatic changes with some vehicles. The MB138 Jaguar XK120 tooling is currently being worked on. Hopefully collectors will like what they do with it, as they are converting it into a coupe version with a hope of including it in the 2009 basic range. Other small touches are being done to give it a more current Matchbox style feel to it, rather than simply putting a roof on it.
Now the MB732 Badlander seems to be quite popular for a generic pick up truck. People have asked whether this model will be seen as a basic range model. It will not be a 2009 basic range issue, and not very likely to be added into the 2010 range. Although the possibility of it being a single issue at some time down the line is not ruled out, Mattel are currently dedicating this vehicle to playsets for the time being.
It has been reported recently that the Quarry King basic range issue in both yellow and orange has been found with matching wheels to the body color, as well as alternate wheel colors. Recently too, the Tractor Plow from the Farm 5-pack was also to be found with chrome rims in place of the original yellow ones. This is a temporary problem caused by certain paints coming in from the vendors that do not seem to be bonding correctly during the hot stamp foil printing process. Reds and oranges appear to be the worst offenders, although yellow is not working too well either. Most other colors are still working okay, and Mattel are looking at alternatives mixtures to get them to stick better. In the meantime, we have been finding a few wheel variations with these particular models whilst alternatives are secured. Hopefully within a few months things will be back to normal. Mattel like to mix wheel colors up a little (not leave them all chrome) and so this is not the end of the colored hot stamping.
So, we all know the saga of the 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA, and the fact that Alfa Romeo has stated that they can only be released in factory colors (red or white) in the Matchbox ranges. Well, luckily, not all manufacturers have the same view. For example Range Rover has already approved 4 new Mattel created color schemes for the Range Rover Sport. This vehicle does not come with a huge array of factory colors to choose from, and Mattel have already gone through them all. Batch H, due for release in July, will find the first of the Mattel created color schemes for this model. It is being referred to as "school bus yellow". Mattel think it looks really cool, and are hoping collectors will too. Joining the MB40 Range Rover Sport in batch H will be 2 further 2nd issue recolors. The MB47 (US/ROW) Garbage Truck will be sporting a new design on the side and the MB94 (US)/66 (LAAM)/44 (ROW) Off Road Rider will be changed into a flat white color scheme. We will also see 10 new releases into the mix for 2008 batch H. Two of these will be brand new models. The MB88 (US)/62 (LAAM/ROW) Rock Crawler II and MB45 Subaru Impreza Police will be debuting in this assortment. The other 8 new additions in batch H consist of the MB8 (US/LAAM only) Chevy El Camino, MB36 Audi RS6 Avant, MB37 Lexus GS430, MB41 (US/LAAM only) Lincoln Navigator, MB69 (US only) Highway Maintenance Truck (or Plow Master 6000 as it is being referred to nowadays), MB72 Ford Transit, MB92 (US)/65 (LAAM)/41 (ROW) Ridge Raider and MB98 (US)/73 (LAAM)/56 (ROW) Desert Thunder V16. So if you live in the US range marketplaces, expect to see 13 new additions in July, LAAM range marketplaces 11 new additions and ROW range marketplaces 10 new additions.
For anyone who is curious on the order of the remaining 5-packs, I can let you know that pack 8 debuting in July will be the Modern Rides set, pack 9 for August - Haunted House, pack 10 for September - Off Road, pack 11 for October - Police and pack 12 for November - Ocean Research.
A subject that a number of people have spoken about lately is Ferrari. Why are Matchbox not making standard showroom versions of Ferraris as Hot Wheels are creating what appear to be more performance related versions. Well, this is something that Ferrari wanted. Ferrari was pretty strict with what they wanted, and they desired a single brand making their vehicle in small scale, not a company. Matchbox is quite happy with this, as they are happy with other relationships they are building with manufacturers like Bentley and Lotus. They see manufacturers like this as being a core part of the heritage that Matchbox likes to see. Being originally a British company, the team like to think of certain manufacturers like those listed above as being important to them. Matchbox are not planning on creating a long list of high performance vehicles in their range, and for now, are more than happy to leave Ferrari to the Hot Wheels team.
Another thing that has been brought up a lot recently is the problems with wheels not rolling on models coming out of the factory. Mattel are taking this matter very seriously as they are keen to ensure that such problems like this are not on-going. They are looking into anything that can be made to improve the reliability with these vehicles. A lot of the problems seem to be coming from older vehicles being retrofitted with the new wheels that they have created which appear to get caught in wheel wells too often. If there are any further concerns with parts from vehicles getting stuck, or not working correctly, please let me know, as I can pass the information on to Mattel to check into.
Also, Mattel are always keen to hear of any thoughts that collectors have in making alterations to certain castings. If you remember, in 2007, the Jeep Wrangler appeared in the basic range without the roll bar. They were not sure if Jeep would approve it, but Jeep liked the idea of doing a model without a roll bar. As was mentioned above, the Jaguar XK120 is being altered into a coupe version. If collectors see a model that is available in different styles (e.g. coupe/convertible/ or with/without side windows etc....) or as was seen recently customized a 1972 Ford Bronco without a roof, then please let me know. Also, with generic vehicles, if collectors see a potential for other incarnations of a basic model I can always pass on ideas and thoughts to the Mattel for consideration. If a model is starting to wear down, they can look into fixing or altering the model. If collectors have an idea for an alteration, this could be looked into by Mattel to see if it is feasible. You never know, your idea could turn into reality.
Finally for this time a couple of questions Mattel are looking into. A number of clubs have talked about whether there is anything that clubs could get as a small bonus from Matchbox for being a club. Also, many in the East of USA have asked about the possibility of Matchbox sponsoring an East Coast convention in 2009. Both of these questions are currently unanswered but Mattel are considering both requests and will get back with answers in due course. Stay tuned for answers in future reports.
Well, this does it for this report. I have one more monthly report to go before my term finishes, although I will also be creating an official Matchbox Gathering report in early August before my replacement takes over. Of course the Gathering report will also contain all the details of my replacements as Ambassador.
David Tilley
Your current Matchbox Messenger


