So I would call this number one.
Not number one as in best, but number one of a handful of new Matchbox models I am really looking forward to this year. It is not 2007, when it seemed that most of every batch would appeal to a collector like me. It would be full of realistic classics and sports cars looking sharp. That element is still there, just in less numbers. A few years ago I would look forward to maybe 12-15 new castings, now it is lower. That is the life of the collector. Sometimes things fall right in line with what you like, other times there is not as much.
That is not a complaint though. It is just how things go. It seems Mattel has shifted a lot of the realism to Hot Wheels, and now I think Hot Wheels is seriously in the middle of a golden age. Who knows where we will be in 5 years. With change being the constant, and designers and staff moving to and fro, who knows?
So I am very happy just to see what is next to come out. There is always something I will like. And here is the first Matchbox new model in 2013 that I am looking forward to. I cannot wait to see the BMW 1M, which I have to predict will be my favorite of the year (I hope), but here is a good one.
This is a rare occasion that a new model debuts in something other than the basic range. We have already previewed the basic version of the Lambo, so I assume we will see it soon. But how appropriate that we first get this model in its real Italian Polizia livery.
This exact livery has been done before, I think in 1:64 by Siku and Hot Wheels. There may be others. I don't have the Siku, but I do have the Hot Wheels Speed Machines version that was released a couple of years ago. Side-by-side shots are below. The obvious difference is the light bar, but there are clear differences in the casting as well. I will happily take both, and since Matchbox is committed to the police car, I am looking forward to some creative pairings. (i.e. Utah Highway Patrol livery, the best-looking highway patrol cars around.)
I am still waiting to find out about retail outlets for the 60th line. In the meantime, find them at Wheel Collectors
Matchbox Lamborghini Gallardo Police (2013 60th Anniversary):
With its Hot Wheels counterpart:
