First Look: Matchbox 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500...

Here is yet another upcoming model Mattel allowed us to photograph at the Matchbox Gathering, and that will be hitting the pegs soon.

We imagine a few collectors will be happy about this one.  It is a truck.  Not a truck with oversized wheels.  Not a truck with special equipment in the back.  Not a lowered truck (but that hasn't ever been a Matchbox thing).  It is just a truck.  No crazy tampos, or made up business name on the door.  Just a blue truck.

Matchbox has done just a truck many times before, including the Silverado SS a few years ago, so this one fits in nicely.  Do we like it?  Yeah, for sure.  It is, as is the norm with realistic models released by Matchbox, very precise casting-wise.  It is probably not a model that will make it into the Lamley collection, as for me most current pickups are a little on the boring side.  Of course, if it were just a bit older, and had a vintage vibe, I might be all over it.

Nonetheless, this plain blue truck is probably what the doctor ordered when it comes to Matchbox collectors.  What do you think?


Matchbox 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 (2014 New Models):

First Look: Matchbox Toyota Tacoma...

As we have mentioned several times, the Matchbox Gathering of Friends is only a couple of weeks away.  Among many treats is the dinner presentation by Mattel, which outlines what is coming for the next year.  They have already hinted at a 2015 premium line of almost all licensed models, and we have heard rumors of realism all around.  We shall see.

The folks at Matchbox I am sure would love to see a little more excitement among collectors, and maybe some of the directions of 2015 will generate more.  Collectors surely are clamoring for more things to get excited about.

The problem is of course the models chosen.  Many unlicensed models, with a lot of over-the-top designs.  Executions really hasn't been the problem.  When Matchbox wants to do a realistic model, they generally get it right.  Look at models like the Seagrave Fire Engine, Dodge A100, and BMW 1M.  Each of those models hearken back to a few years ago when Matchbox was easily making the most realistic $1 models around.

So while we lament the model choices and general direction, we at least get a reminder here and there that the orange team still has it.  Case in point?  The brand new Toyota Tacoma.

Just take a look.  The model appears to be a perfect miniature version of the real thing.  The team took the production limitations and made a gem.  Sure, we wish it was just the Tacoma without the Lifeguard equipment, but it doesn't bother us.  Matchbox has to keep the "hero" theme, so it makes sense.  But thank goodness it is on a licensed model, executed realistically.  No oversized wheels or extreme proportions.

And there is detail.  From the Toyota logo on the grill (something Hot Wheels didn't do on their Tundra), to the texture on the rear bumper, the detail is there.  In fact, let's hearken back to the 3D print that was shared with us last year at the Gathering:

This is an early rendering, obviously a lot more delicate in detail than a normal Matchbox could be.  But then take a look at the finished product:

Pretty amazing, eh?

This is a tremendous model, better than we expected.  And let's consider it a great sign that if Matchbox decides to go more realistic, the models will be fantastic.  A total winner, and our favorite new Matchbox for 2014 so far.


Matchbox Toyota Tacoma (2014 New Models):

Cool is Cool is Cool: Greenlight 1968 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne with Camper...

No, we don't feature a lot of Greenlight here.  We have heard from a lot of you about that, and we probably don't have a sufficient reason as to why that is.

But then again, when you think about it there are a lot of diecast lines we haven't featured.  Have you ever seen M2?  Or Jada?  Or in the last while Tomica basic?  Not a lot of Majorette either.  And maybe we should.  Like we said, we don't have any reason why other than there are not many of those models in the Lamley collection.

But there are some un-ignorable exceptions.  A couple of months ago we featured the undeniably cool vintage wagons that popped up in the Auto World lineup, as well as the yacht-tastic AW Cadillac Coupe DeVilles.  We may bypass Auto World's plethora of Mustangs and Camaros, but those models were impossible to pass up.  And there are more coming.

The same goes for Greenlight.  There is no denying the quality of Greenlight models.  The detail on many rival the best of 1:64.  But once again, the dominance of so many models that we have seen before, a la Mustangs and Camaros, dulls most excitement about them, at least around here.  I personally have always admired the police lines, as the liveries are real police departments, and the castings fantastic.  But collecting those means opening a whole new chunk of space I don't have.

But like the yachts of Auto World, there are the occasional models that must be picked up, and Greenlight's Chevy C10 Camper was a no-brainer.  It is undoubtedly a Cool is Cool is Cool model.

We don't have to explain why.  Campers are cool.  Wait, I should clarify.  Not all camping machines are cool.  RV's are nice, but not cool, and the UK's caravans are cool only when Top Gear is dealing with them.  But campers?  Pure nostalgic cool.

Wait.  Let's clarify again.  Campers on a 2014 S-10?  Not cool.  Campers on a '68 C10, or on this Ford like we encountered on Saturday?  Crazy cool.

If I hearken back to the days of Toughskins and wood-paneled wagons and family vacations, thoughts of passing campers is automatic.  Never set foot in one, wandering the West like we did meant seeing a lot of campers.

So thanks a ton to Greenlight for celebrating the camper, and kudos to a great C10 casting, which is one of our favorite classic trucks.  Lamley readers know we get giddy for vintage trucks, and with a camper on top?  Super giddy.  And, whether it was on purpose or not, a vintage truck with a camper that looks like it is too heavy for the bed?  Super-duper giddy.

(You can find the camper-topped Greenlights on ebay...)


Greenlight 1968 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne with Camper:

First Look: Hot Wheels HW Road Trippin' '83 Chevy Silverado...

This was a little surprise.

While many of us were frantically hitting the stores to find the '83 Silverado Super Treasure Hunt, Hot Wheels quietly released another Silverado in the Walmart Exclusive Road Trippin line.

The Road Trippin line hasn't been talked about too much, probably because there is no chase in the lineup, and as we know collectors love their chase models.  It is also the third incarnation of the Walmart sets that sit right next to the main line pegs.  We had the Decades models (pretty good), Jukebox (pretty bad), and now the Road Trippin.

At first glance, the themed models with the wordy deco on them doesn't do much for a collector like me.  But then you see the roads that Mattel has chosen to be celebrated in this set, and you start to come around.

If you haven't looked up the roads, you should.  You might be near one of them.  Or you might need to take a trip and drive one of them.

And that is one of the reasons I like this Silverado.  It is one of my favorite pickup castings, so leaving it behind was not an option.  The other reason is because it represents the amazing Highway 1 at Big Sur.  If you haven't driven Hwy 1 from Monterry through Big Sur and back, you really should. And the secret?  Stop at Pfeiffer Beach.  You will not be disappointed.

So if you can't make it to California tomorrow to hit Big Sur, you can go grab one of the Silverados, if you can find it.  So far it is being gobbled up by those that encounter it on the pegs.  There is always ebay.


Hot Wheels '83 Chevy Silverado (2014 HW Road Trippin'):

All three 2014 releases:

Cool is Cool is Cool: Hot Wheels Slick Rides '83 Silverado & Custom '62 Chevy Pickups...

Maybe the word "Cool" in this post can refer to the need for us to cool down on the pickup truck posts.

Nope.

We love classic pickups, and if we have some to show, we probably will.

So today you get a couple of treats from the 2010 Slick Rides line.  It seems the Slick Rides kind of came and went quickly, and are a bit forgotten.  The series was a continuation of the Delivery series, but kind of got lost among the Garage line.  Many times on the pegs it was hard to tell one from the other.  So as a set the models kind of blue together, but individually there are some models that really shine.

Of course there are the mega-popular castings like the Convoy Custom, Chevy Panel, and Dairy Delivery.  There were also the fantastic new tools that debuted, namely the Dodge A100 Panel Van and VW Variant.

And there were a ton of pickups.  And for good reason.  The theme of the Slick Rides were to put real auto part makers on nostalgic or vintage models and decos.  Pickups are prime candidates for that.  And many turned out wonderfully.

Like the Silverado and '62 Chevy.

(Oh, and good thing Mattel made the card art on these so drab.  It didn't make it difficult to rip these open.)

The Edelbrock Silverado and Holley 62 are definite standouts in the line, as the colors work well and deco is nicely simple.  And, thankfully the wheels work really well.  Those wheels on the Silverado look so good on many classic castings (like the '55 Gasser Super TH this year), and I wish they would use them more.

So enjoy the pics, keep putting up with our pickup infatuation, and go find a Slick Rides to add to the collection...

Hot Wheels '83 Chevy Silverado & Custom '62 Chevy (2010 Slick Rides):