I mentioned in Part 1 of the October report that the 60th Anniversary logo would pop up elsewhere. Some of you have seen the 2013 Toy Fair exclusive that sports the logo, and there will be much more.
As we noted in the August report, there will be eight 9/10-pack exclusives this year, and all of them will display the logo. The castings selected for this mini-range were chosen also with the collector in mind, and will be a bit unique. As was the case in 2012, there will be one exclusive per 9/10-pack, and each will be deco-free save for the logo and simple design on the top surface. This makes for a very unique set. As it was put to me, "Deco is minimum, but the cars are cool." I like cool cars.
These model selections also open the door for some of the classic car castings we haven't seen lately to return to the Matchbox range. Classic cars have taken a bit of a back seat with this current direction, so it is nice to see these old friends back.
The 9/10-pack exclusives will be as follows:
69 Cadillac Sedan de Ville
Austin Mini Cooper S (different deco than the Anniversary series.)
76 Corvette T-roof
69 Camaro Z-28
Porsche 914
Karman Ghia (not the 2013 Type 34)
Lamborghini Miura P400 S
71 Pontiac Firebird
I hope you folks like the list. All licensed vehicles, all classic cars. I am very happy to see the 69 Camaro back, especially after it was axed from the Lesney line a couple of years ago.
So with this "only on the top" stuff, which I am sure many of you are warming up the fingers to type about, why not have a looksy at a few?
Mattel has provided these four, and as always, it is with their permission that I show these here:
69 Camaro Z-28
Austin Mini Cooper S
Cadillac Sedan de Velle
'76 Corvette T-roof
Lastly, a look at a small group of upcoming models. We will see more and more details rolled out about the 2013 basic range in upcoming reports, but here are a few sneaks of a couple yet to come for 2012 and a couple being prepared for 2013.
First, the Sowing Machine, which will be out shortly in the 2012 range. It is a farm seed spreader, and this initial model sports a tree reforestation deco:
Next up is the old lift truck's replacement, the brand new Load Lifter:
Here is another tool that has gotten a facelift. The International Pumper has been modified to include body and color breaks. The roof lights have been molded into the window unit, and rear has been opened up, and the hose bed has now been molded into the interior, thus creating some color breaks that were not there previously:
The last two are part of the 2013 lineup:
MBX Motorhome:
Toyota Land Cruiser:
That is it for now. I am in constant contact with the Matchbox team, so please direct any questions or comments to me. I promise to put updates out as soon as I get more info from the team.
Until then. Toodles...
-jtl
