Yesterday, Matchbox announced its 2019 Custom Contest on Instagram:
If you aren’t familiar with the Matchbox Custom Contest, this is the fourth one, and it has become a fantastic way for the best customizers in 1/64 to show their stuff. It essentially works this way:
Between now and Sunday, July 14th, customizers are invited to share their Matchbox customs on Instagram under the hashtag #matchboxcustomcontest2019. Of all those submitted, the Matchbox Team will pick 15 customs, and announce the winners at the Matchbox Gathering of Friends Dinner on July 20th in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (I will be streaming the presentation on the Lamley YouTube Channel.)
Those 15 winners will then be sent a raw Matchbox model to customize and have showcased at the Japanese Classic Car Show in September in Long Beach, California. Afterwards, the customs will be sent back to their creators, along with a little treat they will be happy to have.
With the Japanese Classic Car Show once again being where the customs will be showcased – it is the largest nostalgic Japanese car meet in the US – the custom contest will once again have a Japanese theme, and what a car it is.
The brand new Subaru SVX.
Pictured above is the completed version in white, and the raw version that will be sent to the 15 chosen. The SVX is one of the more unique model choices from Matchbox, choosing the somewhat forgotten but beloved-by-many 90’s Subaru sports car for the 2019 line. It is set to be released in the final mix of 2019, and the 15 customizers selected will be among the first to have it in hand. They will be getting this raw version of this 90’s gem – with all pieces – wheels, window, interior – to turn into their own creation.
And as always, the specifics:
- Anyone can enter, from anywhere in the world, and you can enter as many Matchbox customs as you want. All submissions MUST be posted to Instagram by the end of day July 14th, 2019
- The submissions MUST start as Matchbox models, but can be from any era. Switching wheels or adding accessories from other brands is fine, but the model must be a recognizable Matchbox model.
- All submissions must be on Instagram, with the hashtag #matchboxcustomcontest2019. Just tagging the Matchbox or Lamley feed won’t work, nor will PM’s, email, or posts on any other social media network. If you don’t have an Instagram account and want to enter, now is the time to get one! It is free, and very easy to use. If you have a private account, make it public, or start a second account. The tag on a public account means the Team will see it. If you have questions about hashtags or anything else, just ask.
- The Matchbox Team will choose the Top 15. Lamley will not participate in any way in choosing the 15 winners. My main job will be to pass along all the info as it arrives, and showcase the winners.
- The Top 15 will be announced at this year’s Matchbox Gathering of Friends Convention Dinner on Saturday, July 20. The event will be live-streamed on the Lamley YouTube Channel. Details on that coming soon.
- After the Top 15 are announced, arrangements will be made to send a raw Subaru SVX to each, and timing to have them returned will be determined then.
Sound good? Get to it.
That SVX is dope and done really well. Kinda wish MBX got more models though, but before that happens they better push out more product in more places.
I don’t collect many Matchbox, but the SVX is a must-have.
But I’m also a Subaru Fanboy.
I was excited to get a Kyosho SVX a few years back, but the idea of getting one for a dollar is tremendous. I will look forward to customizing a few as well.
I was very skeptical how the SVX would turn out when I first saw the prototype (with the roof being part of the window and all) but seeing this, I’m happy to see it turned out great! I’d have preferred the first colour to be red or blue (complete with gold wheels) but white is not a bad choice. And with the proportions of many recent new models being out of whack, I’m also happy to see that’s not the case here. This one looks sharp!
Lastly, I’d also like to point out this is the first Japanese sports car (which is not a police car) in many years (last one I think was the Infiniti G37 in 2011). So this deserves all the recognition it gets, and I hope it pushes Matchbox to make more sports cars in the future.
What lovely little thing. There will be great designs from this Subaru. This will be popular with all. As Blackwind writes .. It would be great for more sports cars to be done in future. Also be good to bring back the kenworth and peterbilt trucks!….
Just to add, is it also true that Tesco only will be our Uk stockist of the mbx brand? As written on mbx world in small print…. good news , i hope no repeats that this brand should fall as had …..
Sorry to hog again. I’m a bit sloooow! Just a hats off to Craig, David….. Its proper BO!… That the return of this iconic brand.👍😀🎈…….. We Brits are tolerant. But if you see something you don’t like… Speak up. May this brand capture a new breed and be fair to all good folk on here also. And be treated as equal……please no fantasy, keep it real……And no i8 techno fear……! That’s the recipes….. Bring on Tesco…. Like the 80s!… “special packs” and so on?!……..also they stocked well 4/5 years ago…… Then Asda…..ONLY….!!!!!!!………..to nothing……. Even when when they had this EXCLUSIVE!…. May this not be aloud again…..
Really great-looking model. Can’t wait to (hopefully) find one of these, and I’m hoping it gets a decent run of stock-looking, ’90s-tastic recolors as well.
I NEED all of these Subaru SVX models. I had a full-size one, one of my favorite cars. Wish I still had one, but had to sell it a while back.
Pearl white, silver, tri-tone silver and grey, Claret, Ruby, and Bordeaux dark red, Anniversary bright red, teal green, royal blue… all the colors that Subaru painted the car.
Just like many said, this casting turned out nice despite the prototypes looking a little skeptical. White is a decent choice with the detailed taillights and parking lights. But here’s the thing, why didn’t they detail the headlights or grille? It would make it look more complete. The taillights/parking lights are the only tampos on it so it passes the three-side rule. I’m sure customizers will take care of that no problem but why wouldn’t Mattel do that from the start?