Matchbox Monday Targets more retro stuff

2020 saw Matchbox come up with a retro themed assortment exclusively for Target stores in USA. That year saw 2 batches of 6 models arrive for a total of 12 for the year. I prepared two reports about them which if you wanted a reminder, can be found here (Batch A) and here (Batch B). Well this year, they have doubled up and are going to be doing a set of 24 models this time As is often the case, you will discover that quite a few of these smaller side-series that Matchbox do will consist of roughly half new items and roughly half what Mattel refer to as carry forward items. These are models that in liveries already seen in the past. Some may be pretty recent, some could be from deep in the archives. This batch of 7 was kindly sent over to me by Rory McDonald in USA, who goes by the username @wyoming_wheels on Instagram. Thank you ever so much for these Rory. And yes it is roughly half in half. There are 3 carry forwards and 3 new liveries. But there is a 7th too, and this is a casting itself dug out from the archives.

The MB668 Mitsubishi Eclipse. It takes the number 1 slot in the set of 24 models, and this is the first we have seen of it in 8 years.

It is strictly speaking a 4th all-new design for the model. A dark red with simple front and rear printing that is basically the same as all front and rear printed designs on this model seen over the years.

I do enjoy a blast from the past occasionally. And as I usually do, I am going to dive back into the history of this casting.

This is not actually the production vehicle that Mitsubishi made in the mid ’00s. It was officially the 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse Concept-E, launched at the Detroit Motor Show and showcasing the rough design style they were looking at for their next generation which was launching later. You may be surprised to learn that this is also a hybrid vehicle with both a traditional fuel engine as well as an electric motor which Mitsubishi called the E-Boost. The concept also featured the full panoramic glass roof too which was replicated by Matchbox. Matchbox launched the model in the 2005 basic range as MB37 in lime gold. You may notice a huge shade variation on this one.

Well this is actually because the model was originally made in China, with a move to the current Thailand factory happening mid-way through it’s run. This is the only time it saw China production.

Because, as I mentioned, it was shortly moved to Thailand and the latest model is from the same factory. After arriving as a basic range, it was added to the Superfast series later in the year too. 2005 was a year of a split series, and USA saw a black number 55 in the range, and all other markets saw a red one.

In 2006 it was MB13 in the basic range, and chosen to be one of the models that would see 2 versions through the year. The first one was charcoal. During production you could find the shade of charcoal would vary, but also the wheels too. Flower wheels or lace.

It then appeared late on in the year, by which time a brand new double 10-spoke wheel had been created. This golden yellow version did see a small shade to it too, but not as extreme as the charcoal in my travels.

But that wasn’t it. It was also added to the Showroom Cars 5-pack in white too.

And appeared in the last launcher pack, the 2006 Transporter set, which only contained 3 cars in the set. This one was orange.

It also continued to be sold as number 55 in the Superfast series too, and was chosen to be one of the models there seeing a retro inspired livery. For 2006 they had a small sub-set of Streaker models which had liveries inspired by some that Lesney had created in the mid 1970s when they got their first tampo machine. Although funnily enough, this one appears to have taken its biggest inspiration from Hi-Tailer. But that was sold in the late 1970s with labels, not tampo.

2007 saw the model as MB2 in the basic range and was now blue. Again during production the shade of blue tended to vary quite a lot.

It was also the year it saw its first licensed 5-pack release. This was for a Nick Jr set and had Blue from Blue’s Clues on the side of a grey model.

In 2008 again the basic range could not keep its shade consistent. Purple this year as MB30, it did vary as production went on.

For 2009 it saw its final yearly addition to the basic range as MB33. This time it was in metallic orange, and was only available in the US and ROW ranges. LAAM was missing out on what turned out to be quite a vast array of shade variations. I tell you every year in that 5-year basic range run sported shades. Good for me.

It was also included in the Go Diego Go licensed 5-pack in tan in 2009. This varied in a number of ways. The shade, as seen in this picture did change quite a bit. It wasn’t just basics that had them.

But also how the side design was being added. Tampo printing is the cheapest method of adding designs. But it does have disadvantages. For one, you are limited to 4 colours. But also, the model is only passed through the machine in parts. Therefore printing cannot be be rolled over multiple surfaces. Ever wonder why Moving Parts models with a tampo print moving through an opening part is not always lined up. They were printed at different times. Plus if there was too much deviation in the surface (perhaps a hole for a fuel tank or something), the tampo would skip it as it could not go too far away from a flat surface. But licensed 5-packs would not see tampo printing. initially they were mainly done with fusion graphics. The advantages being that they could be used in as many colours as you wanted, would work across multiple surfaces and also would dig into sudden surface changes to leave a complete finish. The disadvantage. It was an expensive process. Hence why it would never tend to appear on a basic range model. But during the mid 2000s, Mattel’s Thailand factory got their hands on an ink jet printer. It might sound old fashioned in a way, but it did a job. It was a much cheaper way of covering a model that would normally be fusion graphic applied. However, being a much cheaper alternative did have drawbacks. It was a very coarse finish. Many licensed 5-packs around the later 2000s started seeing production runs using both methods. The Eclipse at the bottom has fusion graphics applied. Very clear picture, with fine details clearly made out. The top model has ink jet printing. A much rougher finish with some of the finer details blurred out.

After that things went very quiet. Until 2012. It was a part of the Kung Fu Panda 2 licensed 5-pack in red.

And was also chosen to be a 10-pack exclusive in green.

This led to a 1-off return to the basic range in 2013 as MB103 in cranberry. Until now, this model had been its final issue. It was a nice surprise to see it return.

So number 2 of 24 is the MB1013 VW Transporter Crew Cab in orange. Thankfully Rory made sure I didn’t miss out and sent me both.

Because as you know, this casting is a dual casting, which means the rear bed comes with or without items in it.

This release is in orange with a simple striped side design.

Which is an all-new design. Although it was not too far away from the MB1070 Color Changers issue from 2018 which was also in orange (or yellow when it got warm). But as I have only recently done a recap of the Transporter, I thought I would bring in another VW that is close to a pick up style.

The MB827 VW Saveiro Cross. This one debuted in 2011, but I did manage to acquire a nice pre-prroduction sample at one of the Albuquerque conventions.

The 2011 debuted was in a mustard yellow with D.E.R. side design. I do enjoy the Desert Endurance Racing sub-theme that often crops up on Matchbox models. It was sold as MB80 in the US market, MB27 in the LAAM market and MB73 in the ROW market. And yes, I did find a more orangey shade too.

Then a few batch later it returned as a version 2 in an X-Treme Hang Gliding theme.

2012 saw a grey Shark Tours model as MB93.

And 2013 it was MB89 in red with a simple sporty looking side design. Tough to see but I did find shades of red too.

2015 saw its final use in the basic range as a snowboarding company’s vehicle in blue as MB86. It was also one of the models chosen to be included in the first year of Power Grabs. Before they went in boxes, the first year was in little bags, with a couple of exclusives in them. Obviously this one wasn’t an exclusive.

And that has been almost it. In 2016 it saw its first and so far only use outside of the basic range. It was in the Desert 5-pack in tan, which is always good for a shade or 2. But that is all we have seen of the casting to date. I wonder if it will return. We are starting to see a few models from the last decade pop back up again (like the Mitsubishi above). I hope this gets an outing, and I hope just once, we get a simple front and rear tampo print.

So now we move on to number 3. Wait, no this is number 5. it turns out these are not being released in order. Just randomly released through the 24 numbers, just like the basic range is. This is the first of the carry forward models. The MB720 ’72 Ford Bronco 4×4.

This is in a simple purple colour scheme with side detailing.

Nothing on the front or rear of the model as this is classified as a core range piece. Core range pieces get the basic tampo treatment which averages out at 2 passes per model. Premium pieces have a higher tampo count.

Which is why the model it is carried forward from does feature additional tampo. It was the 2008 Superfast edition.

Therefore when originally created you also had additional tampo printing to the front of the model (as well as the base being chromed).

And additional rear printing too. Plus, with 13 years between them, the purple is different too. In fact it is now metallic on top of being a different shade. Last year we saw the Chevy Stepside carried forward from a premium to a core release. I hope we get to see more premiums being carried forward to core releases too. I think it should be a mainstay of the Target retro series, seeing premiums converted into cores.

But with me going through previous Broncos before, I am bouncing back into a slightly different Ford. Another 4×4, although this one thought it wasn’t at first. The MB063 Ford 4×4 Open Back Truck. This model was an offshoot of an earlier MB38-D Ford Camper which had debuted in 1980. Sadly that only ran for 2 years before being dropped and completely overhauled for 1982. But sporting the same size wheels as the Bronco I thought I would run through it. The first production run from 1982 was in in orange, and accidentally featured FWD across the front of the model. Even though it had 4×4 on the sides.

This was swiftly changed to correct it to 4×4 and the second run of MB13 (US) or MB63 (ROW) was now correctly saying 4×4.

You may also find some of the earlier orange models had a smooth roof cover in plastic too. This was soon phased out for the textured one. At first both were run side by side, but the textured took over as the orange finished production. Which was not long because….

By the end of the year the model had turned yellow. A yellow England model with a smooth roof is very rare. But it is known to exist.

This design continued on until 1985 and as such production moved from England to Macau in 1983.

But something must have happened in 1985 as late production runs saw the BFGoodrich logo over the front wheels swapped out with Goodyear logos.

It was at this time that the model saw its first promotional offering. Bob Jane T-Marts was an Australian promotion in 1985.

In 1986 the model saw its first radical makeover into this white with blue, dark blue and red striped “63” design, which ran until 1994. The ROW market dropped the model after 1990 though so only the US market saw it through to the end.

Over time the model went from being a Macau made model with a metal base into Macau made plastic base, and then Thailand made plastic base.

Towards the end of the basic range production of white models, Matchbox released a series in USA called Super Trucks. This was in 1993, but was short lived. I discovered I only have one of the 2 variants of this one. Add the other to my wants list (it was white with a blue and pink design).

Although strangely I do have a pre-production sample that was being worked on for the series. This was blue with no tampo.

In 1995 for its final year in the basic range it saw a new design again. This was still white, but now featured a bat and blood design. Very spooky. Oddly, there appeared to have been an overproduction and when the model was dropped and replaced in 1996, they still had some left, so just created a new card, numbered in MB76 and sold off the remainder. It was one of 3 models that had been overproduced.

1995 was also the year that it saw its first foray into 5-packs. the Off Road 5-pack was blue with a pink side design.

After disappearing for a few years the model returned in another 5-pack. The 1998 Dino Riders pack saw the skeleton of a Triceratops down one side and across the front, with the name appearing on the other side for those who didn’t know its name. Luckily I can show both in one go as the model moved production from Thailand to China during the year too.

It then appeared in a Dude Ranch 5-pack in 1999 too in green with a skull and mud effect side design.

Before making a final trip to 5-pack land with a Summit Seekers issue in 2001 in blue. This was the first (and only) time the model saw the new for 2001 oval wheels. Whoever was producing the model in the factory forgot though, and at first the spare wheel on the back was still the same maltese cross wheel that had always been used. I never bothered getting both as these spare wheels do pop out quite easily so you can just swap and change them. Although I guess at some point I likely will get the alternate just to say I have it.

So why did I choose to dive back to the Open Back Truck? Well, it is because of this carry forward. The MB953 Chevy K-1500 Pick-up. All will make sense shortly.

Number 7 in the series of 24 is this very ’90s retro looking K-1500. A model that started life back in 1996, although rarely saw use outside of the US range for quite a while.

This one is a throwback to the original MB249 casting of the only version that was.

Because it started out as a US exclusive in 1996. It debuted in black with a yellow and pink side design as MB72 in the US market.

Although it did see a worldwide release in that year’s Off Road 5-pack in orange with a blue mountain design.

1997 saw the basic range continue as a US exclusive and the black with pink/yellow simply turned into a yellow with white/red look. Still the same design.

Except there was a limited edition 10,000 piece run gold challenge model, which was just in plain gold. These were mixed in with the basic range boxes randomly. Hence the challenge.

5-packs saw a Rugged Riders release in 1997 and included was another new design for the K-1500. Bright green with whatever that is on the side.

1998 saw the model finally arrive in all the basic ranges, and unlike some other models, it was MB54 worldwide. Many saw different numbers between the 2 ranges. This proved to be the only time for ages that the ROW market saw a basic range release of this model. And yes, it was the exact same tampo design as the 2 previous years, but now the model with blue with a white and green coloured design.

This is the one that the new release is replicating. Now considering I found 2 distinct shades of blue of the original, neither are anywhere near as light as the new one is. Of course the newer one is the updated MB953 casting.

The green on the side is also notably different too and you may notice that the roll bar is now a solid piece rather than bars with gaps between them. It was part of the alteration to the casting that gave it the new number (as was the rule at the time, before they brought in the rule of updating a casting and keeping the number for it).

the 1998 Rugged Riders 5-pack was simply the same 1997 pack but in new colours for the models. With Mattel only taking over the company in late 1996, 5-packs got a little lost in the shuffle, and many were simply just 1997s in new colours.

Although not all, as the model was also chosen to be included in a France ’98 World Cup 5-pack. All models in the pack were in rather similar schemes.

So we move on to 1999, and yes the model went back to being a US only issue. MB100 for the year was blue with an Evergreen Landscaping side design, “Keeping Lawns Beautiful” look. I actually really like this look and would have loved to have seen this as the carry forward. Maybe an opportunity for another carry forward later?

Ta-dah! You remember me mentioning the Open Back Truck and why I chose that? Well it is because it finished in the 2001 Summit Seekers 5-pack. Guess what else was in it? Yes, the Chevy was in the same pack too in bright green. I like when I can link models together. As you might be able to tell. I find some weird link somewhere.

2002 found the K-1500 back in the basic range. But as was the normal case, it was a US exclusive issue. MB23 was in dark green with a kayaking side design, and of course being a 2002 release had a 50 logo on the first 10,000 examples off the production line. If you look carefully you can just make it out on the hood. It was a little small.

It took 2003 off before popping up in a 2004 5-pack. Named This New House, the model was blue with a Hero City gardening theme to it.

Again another year off before the model was added to a few ranges in 2006. First of all we had a Mummy’s Gold 5-pack issue in matte green with a coded side design (F9N4 LO1920 208914719 = FIND LOST THINGS) and covered in mud.

It was also a part of the 2006 Jungle Recon Battle Kings set and featured a variation on the tampo printing where it was a brighter print or duller print.

Plus it also saw its first premium issue too. The 2006 Superfast series saw a nice dark charcoal issue.

In 2007 we saw a licensed Super Mario 5-pack issue in burnt orange with Mario and Bowser on the side.

Plus a nice white model appeared in the Adventure all-exlusive 10-pack too.

2008 saw another return to the basic range as MB97. But again, this was purely for the US market. With a 3-way split beginning that year neither the LAAM or ROW ranges saw it.

In 2009 it popped up in another Adventure 10-pack in blue.

It took a few years off after that before returning for another shot in the basic range. This time it was actually worldwide, only the second time the ROW market had seen the model as a basic. It was green as MB116.

After taking another year off, 2014 saw MB40 appear in white with a red and blue BFGoodrich logo on the side. And no, final runs didn’t revert to Goodyear (see my previous run through as a reminder of why I just said that), but we did see a wheel variation. It could be found with either ringed 8-spoke wheels or ringed gear wheels.

And then 2015 saw a final release of MB249 again in the basic range. This yellow version was sold as MB112 that year.

Because after that the model was modified into MB953. This was a change to how the rear bed was created, and also filled in the gaps in the rear roll bar, plus those huge gaps under the front wheel arches. The model was due to be further altered into MB1000 after, but I have not seen anything to show that it was. Everything says MB953 on the base, and this Monster Week licensed 5-pack issue is exactly the same casting as far as I can tell to the current one.

The model has been used twice since then. Firstly in the 2018 Walmart exclusive Chevy Trucks 100 years series in green, and then in grey as the 2020 MB69 (which I showcased already when I covered that batch a short while ago and forgot to pull out to photograph again).

So this brings me to another MB994 ’63 Cadillac Ambulance. This is being sold as number 8 of the set of 24 in the series.

It is an all new design in white with a Paramedic side design in blue and red.

This is a really nice look for the model, and I am amazed that after 5 years we now get 2 almost at the same time.

As you may remember I only recently showcased the red one from the Cadillac series a month or so ago. So I will go a slightly different direction for this.

With what came before the Ambulance. The hearse. The ambulance casting only came about due to various issues over having a hearse in the Matchbox range. The Greek Orthodox Church in particular were not happy with having a hearse as a toy for kids to play with and so after a few years they created an offshoot. But let us remind ourselves of this hearse. MB700 ’63 Cadillac Hearse first arrived in the 2006 basic range as MB57 in black. This was a personal favourite of a certain Felix Holst who at the time was working in the Matchbox brand. He was originally from the UK but had moved to California and was quite a big fan of the real vehicle. So much so that he bought one, brought it to work with him, and the team used it as a template for making a miniature version.

In 2007 it was sold as MB30 in metallic white, but if you were to look carefully you would notice a small variation. the rear wheel arch originally had a small area of silver over it, but this was later removed.

It was also added to a Licensed Scooby Doo 5-pack in brown. And boy did this model vary in shades. I actually own 4, but only showed 2 of them here.

In 2008 for its final year before the ambulance off-shoot arrived, it was a US only MB55 in silver. But this one was even more of a “look closely” as again they tampo printed the sides in grey. But grey on silver didn’t really come out too well, so they just stopped tampo printing altogether.

It was also added to the 2008 Superfast series in grey with a black roof too. During production the shade of grey did vary between lighter and darker greys.

Plus the last production run stopped using the 5-spoke wheel that was being used exclusively in the Superfast range, reverting to a tri-spoke that was used in other ranges. In fact all models in that batch that had any type of Superfast wheel reverted to a core wheel alternative.

But creating an off-shoot did not mean the end of the Hearse. It has been seen a couple of times since. 2011 and a Lesney Edition offering was brought out in blue with a white roof. This featured a lovely Pearly Gates Mortuary logo on the side and rear windows.

Plus we also saw a green model in the 2018 Coffee Cruisers 5-pack. This model did see some shading to the green too during production.

Now I move on to model 6 in the batch. This is listed as number 9 of 24 and is the MB1022 ’71 Nissan Skyline 2000GTX. And yes there are 2 of these too.

They come in pink with a triple hexagonal pattern on the sides.

And yes there are 2 because of the interior variation. I didn’t get a good shot of it. It comes with either a harness seatbelt or no seatbelts. Of course if somebody was to drill the model apart they would discover that there is an engine underneath the hood too and it also comes in 2 looks (depending on the seatbelt situation).

But I decided that because there is a second Skyline that I will be showcasing imminently I would go in a different direction for this one.

Because the colour sort of reminded me a little of the MB067 Datsun 260Z 2+2. Of course that is a dark, more purple colour compared to the pink of this one.

Of course the model sported a number of shades, and although most had a pale yellow interior, some could be found with a dark yellow interior too. Mind you it was sold for 3 years like this. From 1978 until 1980 as MB67.

Finally in 1981 it saw a change. It turned silver. Of course Lesney still had plenty of light yellow interiors to use up so at first it was found with the same interior as the earlier model.

After the yellows were used up it turned into a red interior for the rest of the run.

It was also a part of the TP-21 twin pack that year too, towing a Motorcycle Trailer in matching blue. The same rule of interior applies, with early ones using leftover yellows before red took over later. Both silver and blue may find shades to the base component too as the usual black can be found in a gloss or matte finish, and sometimes it can be a dark grey shade too.

In 1982 it saw another change to the basic range issue for its final year. MB67 was now sporting tampo printing. Plus it had a white interior. You may find some windows come out in a light smoke shade, although I haven’t got that yet.

After being dropped from the basic range, it saw more uses in twin packs. Both TP-105 and TP-107 saw this casting used as the towing vehicle. TP-105 would see a black model and TP-107 a silver one. The silver would sometimes see tampo printing, sometimes not too. They also made more black bases than black bodies so some were put on the TP-107s to use them up as well, and the model could also be found with opaque windows that would glow in the dark (although they are not easy to find and I haven’t got them yet).

After 1985 the model was dropped from twin packs as production was being moved to Macau and for some reason Macau didn’t want to make this one. But oddly, after 6 years, some castings were shipped to China as a test bed for production and for the most part, they simply used them in existing looks. The Datsun was one of them and was made in the earlier silver with red interior look of 1981. These were then sold in multipacks known as “Super Value Pack”. These 6-packs were chock full of country variations.

It was the only time the model was made in China. Because after that test run they sent it to Bulgaria.

Where is was sold in a whole array of colours. Some were nice and plain like these yellow and blue ones.

Some saw some really cool tampo designs, like these purple and orange ones.

And others simply had whatever the factory were doing at the time, like the green one with a 35th Anniversary Superfast or maroon with Coca-Cola liveries. There are hundreds of Bulgarian issues out there. Way too many for me to try and list.

Well, now I am into overtime. This is model number 7 in the batch. Usually, batches consist of 4, 5 or 6 models. Basics are bigger and I tend to split into those similar batches. But although there are 24 models in the series for 2021, the first batch contains 7 of them. I would have guessed on 6 per batch, so I am thinking we may see a carry forward or 2 mixed in later on from earlier batches. This is the MB878 Jeep 4×4. Which somehow Matchbox have now dated as a 1960 Jeep.

Taking the number 19 slot in the series for 2021 this model comes in mustard yellow with a zebra stripe side design.

Which is a very familiar looking design. Yes this is another carry forward model in the series.

But what it has actually carried from was an older MB131 casting, which was a part of a 2009 Desert Adventure 5-pack. The wheels are usually the same, although there was a run in 2009 where oval wheels were used while the cog wheels were temporarily out of stock.

But the new release is now on the updated casting. No aerial, redesigned interior with thicker supports and newer design spare wheel and a squared up bullbar on the front.

The shade is remarkably close between the 2, considering there is a 12 year gap between production. Had this not been an updated casting I think I likely would have stated it was a duplicate. Now the thing is, I have done a bunch on this casting recently, as it has had quite a lot of use recently, so as a dive back, I thought I would go with another Jeep that would have been around in 1960.

The Lesney made MB53-C Jeep CJ-6. I have often felt that the Jeep 4×4 is sort of a CJ-6. Originally it was a Kenner casting that Matchbox used and converted after Universal took over the bankrupt company in 1982. So it is not an offshoot. But I do wonder if Kenner originally had a CJ-6 in mind when they were creating their model. The CJ-6 originally started life as a military vehicle in 1953, before civilian ones were offered for sale in 1955, and they kept on going until 1981. Matchbox were pretty late to the party as their CJ-6 didn’t arrive until 1977. It was red with a tan roof. And just like the Jeep 4×4, no windows!

Early runs actually had the name on the base as CJ-6 Jeep, but this was soon switched around by putting a tab over the name and re-naming it the other way round.

It ran for 4 year like this and as such you were bound to find some variations. Take the canopy. Tan can come in shades from a bright yellowish tan to a duller pinkier tan.

The body would also vary quite a bit too. From a lighter, almost orangey shade to a much darker and pinkier one.

In 1978 a batch also appeared with a black interior in place of the yellow one. There is a rarer silver base issue, but I don’t have one.

1981 would be the final year for the model in the basic range, which tied in nicely with the real vehicle’s demise. However, Lesney went a bit nuts for this final year and split the model for the 2 markets. 1981 was the first year for the US and ROW split, and as such a number of different castings were used between the 2 markets. The Jeep was sold in both places, but each market saw their own look. The ROW market saw the model change to green with a black interior, but still sporting the tan roof. However, this market saw the first run of new 1981 and as such used some leftover yellow interiors on early models.

Before the black interior took over. Even though it had only 1 year of production that roof still managed to carry on giving us shades.

Mind you, even the first runs in green that saw leftover yellow interiors still managed to give us shades. The green paint does vary a little, but not to the extreme the red did. Again there was a run with a silver base, but again I don’t have one.

The US market though, they never saw any leftover yellow interiors on their version. This one was pale yellow with a brown roof and always had a black interior.

The only major variation for the US issue was that the base in black could be found in more of a glossy shade or matte shade. The model stopped production after 1981, but a few leftover models were used for a small promotion for Climat in France in early 1982. The regular green issue simply had a Climat label attached to the hood. Very rare, I don’t own any Climat models.

But the CJ-6 did see one more short lease of life. In 1987, under an arrangement with a local company in Hungary (similar to the agreements they made in Bulgaria), some castings were sent there for 1 year for local production. The CJ-6 happened to be one, and saw a whole host of variations over the course of a year before the casting was sent back to Matchbox. All models were plain with no tampo, and roof pieces were either tan, brown or black, bases either silver or black and 11 different body colours were made during its time. A whole host of interior colours were to be found and wheels were quite often not even Matchbox ones. I have to admit, I made a point not to get any that didn’t use traditional Matchbox wheels. Out of loyalty. But once the casting was returned to Universal (who owned the brand at the time) it was retired for good.

And that brings me to the end of yet another report. 7 models this time.

3 carry forwards.

2 with a dual variation.

And another 2 that it is nice to see being used again.

So that’s 1 batch of 2021 Retro down, 3 more to come later on. I look forward to getting those in the near future and seeing what else the team have come up with for ideas on carry forwards and classic looks.

Until next week when I go through some more Matchbox goodies, have a decent and safe week.