Matchbox 2017 Preview, Part 1: '59 Chevy Brookwood Wagon & 1951 Hudson Hornet Police...

Time to walk through the upcoming 2017 Matchbox New Models.  Through the end of this week and into next, we will showcase the photos that Matchbox allowed me to take while in Albuquerque for the Gathering.

Hopefully you were able to see the presentation last Saturday night on the Lamley Facebook Live feed.  If not, definitely check it out.  Most of the details about the models were presented there.

Here, we will basically show the photos we were able to take.  Some of of the models are EP status, meaning the castings are complete, but without the color and deco we will most likely see.  The others are SLA, or 3D prints.  A lot can change on those over the development process, but you can basically see what is coming.

I am excited about what is coming.  More licensed is always welcome, and there are quite a few.  Originals, or unlicensed models, are inevitable, so my only request - and I think most of you share this - is that the originals look real.  Less fantasy and more realism.  I am not too concerned about the brand of an Arctic vehicle, just make it look like a real one.  And I think the team accomplished that this year.  There is a lot to like, and a lot MORE to like.

But we will start with two licensed models, and more specifically two classics.  The '51 Hudson Hornet Police and '59 Brookwood Wagon are Matchbox no-brainers.  Two that seem like they should have been made years ago.  They fit wonderfully and naturally.

Two things of note, one from each model.  The Hornet will have lights cast into the body instead of with the window piece.  We will see how that looks on the finished model.  The Brookwood sports the fantastic roof rack and canoe, which I personally love.  Accessories are all the rage, and this works well.  The roof piece is removable, and the extra piece also means the Brookwood will have no interior.  We might even see additional roof pieces made.  If so, I have plenty of ideas.

So here are the first two.  Many more to come...

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The Volvo V60 joins the stellar Matchbox Wagon family...

There are a lot of Matchbox previews to come.

As they have in years past, the Matchbox Team granted a me a few minutes to photograph the preview models they brought to the Gathering.  Many were upcoming 2016 models, and they had almost all 2017 New Models in some form or another, mostly SLA versions, or 3D prints.  And we will show them all - Originals and licensed - coming up soon.

For now, let's stay in 2016.  It's been a good year, and it will end great.  The final batches are full of goodies, most notably that Skyline that seems to have folks giddy about.  But after the Skyline rush has come and gone, a beauty in blue will make its debut, the Volvo V60 Wagon in Polestar Blue.

Maybe it is time to reiterate my love for wagons.  It is rooted in the right place.  Wood-paneled yachts with "back-backs" is what I grew up in.  A hand-me-down Mercury Grand Marquis was my first car.  And from my generation, I am not alone.  No SUV options, so outside of the occasional Suburban all of those from that era grew up in wagons.

So our familiarity with wagons runs deep.  And it can't go away.  Wagons are just the right silhouette in our well-trained eyes.  And in the last 20-25 years those boats have taken on a more sporty look, which just...seems...right.

And Matchbox has ran with it.  They hit the nostalgic note with models like the Olds Vista Cruiser and upcoming Brookwood, but they also keep the contemporary wagons coming with the Audi RS6, Cadillac CTS Wagon, and now the Volvo V60.

It is hard to look at the Matchbox version of the Volvo and not want to go out and buy one.  Especially the Polestar.  Full of performance, all packaged beautifully, I want one.  But I will stick to the one dollar version.

The Polestar V60 is one version, always in that blue, so just making the casting the V60 makes sense.  More colors surely will come, and it will be a must-collect for me.

For now, we will enjoy the photos.  Look for it late fall/early winter...

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The Best of the RLC: Custom '66 GTO Wagon...

There is a lot to come on the Lamley Blog this summer.  Among the First Looks and other features, we will continue our series on Matchbox models of that last great era, as well as start a new series on many of the best models to come from the RLC.

That means more previews of upcoming RLC models, as well as a look at some from the past, that may or may not still be available in the HWC store.  It should be fun.

So let's do a little preview, and showcase one of my favorite RLC models, the Custom '66 GTO Wagon.

There is a lot to like here.  Obviously it starts with the casting.  The stance, width, and length are spot on, and it even sports a very Matchbox-esque dog in the back.  But what really makes this model great is what Mattel did and didn't do to it.  No crazy deco, one very unique spectraflame color, and an awesome set of steelies to ride around on.  It is beautiful.

Most importantly, it is a wagon.  Wagons bring joy.

We will save our opinions on the RLC line for a later post, but for now, enjoy some total eye candy.  Wagons rule.

(Find the GTO Wagon on eBay...)

Hot Wheels Custom '66 GTO Wagon:

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First Look: Hot Wheels '71 Datsun 510 Wagon Super Treasure Hunt...

A few of you have said we have been integral in helping set the hype on the Datsun Wagon at fever pitch, making it become the latest lust for scalpers and the like.

Ya' think?

Of course we have.  Not because we wanted to.  We didn't start out showcasing the Datsun Wagon last year with the Pitchfork-like intentions of creating hype.  We showcased it because it is easily one of our favorite Hot Wheels models...well...ever.  Any news on the Wagon, we report it.  Any time we are writing about a model that reminds us of the Wagon, we get it out and photograph it.  And anytime we learn that the Wagon is going to be a Super Treasure Hunt, we sure as shit are going to showcase it.

Like we said in our post earlier today, the Wagon would easily be a popular model because of the fact that it is well-done, unique, and part of a red hot car culture.  And those are the reasons we love this model.  But because of how hard the Boulevard was to find last year, and because of the resulting skyrocketing prices on ebay, the buzz around the Wagon took on a life of its own.

So if you look back at what we like to showcase, you will see an abundance of posts dedicated to models like the Hakosuka and Kenmeri Skylines, the Toyota 2000GT, the BMW E36 and 2002, the Porsche 993, and the Ford Gran Torino Sport.  But those models aren't living on the "rare" plain that the Wagon is.

So if we have inadvertently made the Datsun Wagon the next Drag Bus, Chevy Panel, or '67 Camaro, we are sorry.  We promise we didn't mean to.  We just like it a lot.  And we know many of you share that same opinion.

And speaking of hype, the 510 Wagon Super TH lives up to it.  When a friend of mine called me to tell me he had it, his first comment was how amazing it looked in person.  A couple of days later we had ours, and we cannot agree more.  This model is a beauty.

Sure, the Boulevard is a classic.  Having a soft spot for olive green, and for wagons, and for JDM, Jun Imai's Boulevard is an all-time fave.  But the Super is not as far behind as I thought it would be.  The spectraflame red is rich, the wheels menacing, and livery just right, and not just because it mimics the deco of Jun's real 510 Wagon (or at least did).

The Super gives the Wagon a whole new look, much different than the Boulevard, and the red mainline for that matter.  It emphasizes its stance and length more than anything, making you appreciate the casting just a little more.  Yes, it is a hot model because it is a Super, but what makes it great, especially when the hype dies down, is how good-looking it is.  I have no idea if our photos do it justice, but we will do our best.

We hate to say this about a model that is going to be very tough to come across, but it is a must-have.

Sorry...


Hot Wheels '71 Datsun 510 Wagon (2014 Super Treasure Hunt):

The family:

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