Welcome back to the boulevard collectors! Today's review is all about the second half of the Matchbox retro assortment found at Target. If you read my review of the first half, then you'd know that I was very curious as to what the next six vehicles would be. Now that I have them, I can honestly say that I'm pleased with the vehicles that were chosen. With that said, let's get things started.
First up for this review, is the Dodge Viper RT/10. If you're not new to the boulevard, then you might have come across one of my early post that I did last year on November fourth. That post was titled "HISSSS!" In it, I showcased the various Matchbox and Hot Wheels Vipers that I have in my collection. Long story short, the Dodge Viper is my all-time favorite car.
In my opinion, Matchbox nailed it with this release. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better one than this. I absolutely love the decision to make this release metallic blue with white stripes. The very first Viper that I saw as a kid, was a blue GTS with white stripes. And to this day, it is still my favorite theme for the Dodge Viper.
The sides of this model feature "Viper RT/10" and the "Sneaky Pete" emblem. Sadly, the front and rear weren't given any tampo details. This release would have looked so much better if it was given front and rear light details.
The wheels given to this Viper, are the Matchbox five spokes. I do wish Matchbox had a wheel that was similar to the Hot Wheels three spoke wheels. The OEM wheels on this model's real-life counterpart, are three spokes that look identical to the Hot Wheels 3SPs.
The second vehicle for this review, is the Toyota 4Runner. It's a good thing Mattel has the legal okay to use Toyota again. The 2015 release, was the only 4Runner I had before this one. So I'm glad to finally have a second one in my collection, even though it's exterior was finished in the same color as the one from 2015.
Since this release was given a design, I have no issue with white being used for it's exterior. White is ultimately one of the best canvas colors for a design. It allows the designers to utilize a wider variety of colors for a design. And I really like the colors that were used on this model. It's sides feature a design that utilizes light blue, dark blue, and red.
The sides of this model were also given two additional details. Since this is a '85 4Runner, the Matchbox team decided to add "85" to it's doors. The last detail applied to it's sides, is "Matchbox." The top, front, and rear were not given any details. This is fine by me of course.
This wheels used for this release, are the Matchbox six spoke wheels finished in chrome. Although I don't have a huge issue with the wheel choice, I will admit that it would've been nice to see a different wheel used. Especially since this wheel has been used for most of this casting's releases.
The third vehicle from this assortment, is the 1975 Chevy Stepside Pickup. This is my second favorite vehicle from this set. The reason for that, has to do with that fact that it's the first one in my collection. If you've read some of my past reviews, then you'd know that I wasn't always into pickup trucks. That alone, is why I ended up missing out on some great releases. Thankfully, Matchbox continues to use pickup trucks that I missed out on, which ultimately gives me the chance to get one at retail cost.
This release overall, is basically a copy and past replica of the '09 Superfast release. The paint finish is the only difference between the two. The '09 release was
finished in matte black, while this one was finished in metallic black.
Since this is basically a re-release, the sides as well as the hood, feature the same red and silver stripe design that was given to the '09 release. The sides also feature the same additional details as well. One of those details being the "Cheyenne" fender emblem. Also Like the '09 release, this too was given a red interior and the Matchbox Ringed Disk wheels.
No details were applied to the front and rear of this model. I know this isn't a premium release, but it would've been nice if a tampo coating was applied to the raised letters on the tailgate. But alas, this is just a minor detail that I can easily look past.
My third favorite vehicle from this set, is the '33 Ford Coupe. In my opinion, hot rods are still some of the coolest modified cars out there. And I've been enjoying each and every release of this casting. So far, this is the fifth release of this '33, and it's the third one in my collection. I love everything that was done to this release.
A dark metallic blue, was the color that was chosen for it's exterior. Since I like all shades of blue, that is a huge plus for me. But that alone, is not the only great thing about this release. It's sides were given a fantastic design, and I like how it utilizes most of the space along this '33 Coupe's sides. The main section of the design is white.Within it are yellow pinstripes with additional red and yellow designs. "Matchbox" and "Speed Shop" were applied to the center of the doors.
One of the other things that I've liked about these '33 Ford releases from Matchbox, is how they feature a design on the sides of the roof. And for this release, that design is a pinstripe with a small yellow design.
No details were added to the front and rear of this model, and it's the same story with the top half as well. But with everything that was applied to it's sides, this is no issue for me.
This release features the same wheel combination as the other four releases. So that's the Ringed Disk wheels on the front, and the Ringed Gear wheels on the rear. Although it's the same wheel combination, the designers did decide to make them different color. The front wheels are chrome, while the rear wheels are black with a chrome outer rim. While I don't necessarily have a problem with these, I do hope to eventually see a release of this casting that has the same front and rear wheels.
The fifth car from this set, is the Porsche 911 Rally. Ultimately, this is the fourth release of this casting. The first one was released as a promotional item only though. Although there have been two other mainline releases, this is the second one in my collection. And I have to say, that I like it much better than the two mainline ones.
The exterior color scheme and the stripe design, are the two main aspects that I feel make this a cool release to have. This release features a metallic brown and dark grey two-tone color scheme. The main thing that I like about the stripe design, is how it utilizes white, yellow, and orange for it's colors. These three colors go so well with the brown that was used. I also like how the design spans across the entire side of this Porsche. The coolest part of the design though, is the section that's on the back half. Here, the yellow and orange stripes widen.
Since this casting was designed to be a rally car, it features additional decals. Although... the smaller ones towards the front, are basically implied decals. If you take a close look at them, then you'll notice how there is no aftermarket company name within them. This is the only thing that I don't like about this release. If they couldn't use any real decals, then they could've at least used some fantasy ones. After all, their designers usually do a great job at making realistic looking fake sponsor decals. Now this release does feature one aftermarket company, and that's Bell.
The aforementioned decals aren't the only additional side details. A black tampo was placed along the sides of the roof. The number 1185 was placed on the back half next to the windows. The number 85 and a black square with text, were also placed on the sides. And "Matchbox" was placed underneath them. No details were added to the front or rear of this release. Nothing was added to the top either. In my opinion, the top could have at least featured the racing number.
The wheels given to this release, are the Matchbox six spoke wheels finished in white. White wheels go so well with the colors featured on this model's exterior.
The last vehicle from this assortment, is the 2006 Ford Crown Victoria with a taxi theme. As I've mentioned in a past review, Matchbox does a fantastic job with their service castings. So whenever I feel the need to add one to my collection, Matchbox is the brand that I turn to first.
For the most part, this taxi themed release is a copy of the one that made it's debut back in 2009. There are however, a few differences between the two. One of those being the casting itself. The 2009 version of this taxi, is the casting that featured the taxi sign on the roof. This version of it, is the casting with the light bar. The next difference is with the color of the base. The 2009 release was given a grey base, which gave it grey bumpers. This release on the other hand, features a base that's yellow.
Now both versions were given the Cut Tri Spoke wheels. However, the Matchbox designers decided to make this version have all black wheels. I don't know about you, but I personally prefer the look of a yellow taxi with black wheels.
No details were applied to the front and rear of this release. Due to the headlights being apart of the windshield piece, I have no issue with the lack of front end details. Rear end details are the only thing that would've made this release better.
So that's all six of the vehicles from this assortment. Overall, this twelve vehicle set turned out to be pretty good. I hope Matchbox decides to continue this retro themed line for at least another two years. In my opinion, there are so many great castings they could use.
Okay readers, what are your favorite cars from this assortment? Feel free to let me know down in the comments section. Until next time, thanks for reading and happy diecast collecting.
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