#lamleydaily – July 1, 2017
Model: Matchbox Honda Ridgeline
Line: 2007 10-pack Exclusive
Where to find it: Keep checking eBay, but it rarely appears.
Why it’s in the collection: Because this mud-splattered Ridgeline is the best version Matchbox has done. There have been a lot of Ridgeline releases from Matchbox over the years, but none of them can surpass the first few. The first release in light blue, the Superfast in plum, and this First Editions 10-pack model.
A simple racing design, enhanced with a little mud splattering make this one really stand out. The actual Ridgeline itself might look a little outdated now, but I will always have a soft for it. And the Matchbox is a perfect replica.
Back then Matchbox would release a First Editions 10-pack at the end of the year. It would be full of new castings released that year, done in exclusives colors and decos. It is an idea I would love to see back, but for now these older First Edition exclusives have become must-haves on many collector wish lists. This is one. It rarely pops up individually, but maybe a sealed 10-pack might sneak in occasionally. This is one I am happy to have kept in the collection since I bought it at a Target.
I respectfully but vigorously disagree that this is the best Ridgeline Matchbox has done. In my (very humble) opinion, brown wheels/tires almost always ruin the look of a model…combine that with the absence of front & rear tampo and this falls flat to me.
I think the plum Superfast release might be the best, but I’m particularly fond of the olive green version with the matte black rub strips and wheel arches:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c6/d7/38/c6d738b66bdea9eff77d54e6df488ba1.jpg
I’m with you. The silver Ridgeline with brown wheels is the only example of the casting I have, but it’s my least favorite of the decos they’ve done. I got the ten-pack in spite of this vehicle.
The green version you point out is probably my favorite, followed closely by the silver Overland Crew and the yellow Canoe Tours versions.
Those are good ones too…the neat thing about the Canoe Tours one is that it came in a 5-pack with a travel trailer that hooks up to its hitch nicely.
I wonder if Matchbox or anyone else will do a version of the new generation Ridgeline? I’d buy one.