Matchbox cars: the secrets of scaled-down models

“For some of the older tools
 we’re bringing back, we’ve had to reduce the sizes lightly because we don’t make the bigger-sized wheels anymore,” says Lugo. “The’33 Ford Coupe street rod from the 1990s,
 for example, was a cool casting, but is much bigger than comparable designs today. I love hot rods and was fortunate to be able to re-sculpt and update it into a hot rod.” 

The digital design is honed to around 80% of the finished article by Lugo and his colleagues before the first 3D-printed prototype is produced. The team works closely with toolmakers in Malaysia and engineers at the factory in Thailand to bring the design into production. There are several early prototype review stages – both 3D-printed and cast, painted and unpainted – before the fully decorated FEP (first engineering pilot) arrives on Lugo’s desk around three months before the start of production. A final, packaged pre-production model shows up about six weeks later. 

As Matchbox seeks to return to 
its roots in the coming years – the words “heritage” and “authenticity” featured heavily in the 2018 preview – kids of all ages can expect more licensed, realistic vehicle choices than of late. That approach was
a sales success a decade ago and narrower, more scale-correct wheel options are being considered for the future that could make the models even more accurate. 

Inextricably linked with that mid-2000s ‘golden era’ was Michael Heralda. A former graphic designer for both Matchbox and Hot Wheels, Heralda is a legend in die-cast toy circles, with more than 5000 designs to his name. The 66-year-old retired a few years ago but still pens Matchbox decos on a consultancy basis. 

A combination of Photoshop and Illustrator software is used to create the decos. Each vehicle is digitally broken down into its component parts – bonnet, doors, roof and so on – to make it easy to tweak individual elements of the design. 

“We’re designing for the mass market,which in the case of both Matchbox and Hot Wheels means younger kids,”says Heralda.“That typically means bright colours, fun decorations and realistic features. The challenge is combining that with something that’s sophisticated enough to hold the attention of an adult collector, too.” 

One trick is to hide codes, jokes and other references – for Heralda, this means his personal ‘Adlar58’ signature – within the design. 

He describes the research phase as the most fulfilling part of the artistic process. Taking into consideration the tastes, types of vehicles and decorations familiar to consumers in different countries can result
in liveries like the ‘Battenberg’ Matchbox Austin Mini Van, which features “the most British cake I could find” on its chequered roof. 

“The best designs result when all the elements work together,” says Heralda. “It’s the combination of the colour palette, the decoration, the proportions of the deco to the model, and what it says about the car and the series to which it belongs. That’s when I really love the car.” 

Five to find - recent releases that caught our eye 

This Michael Heralda-designed 1971 Nissan Skyline, exclusive to last month’s Matchbox Gathering, reflects a trend for Japanese-market models. 

A Hot Wheels Ford Escort RS1600 casting, seen here as a Fast and Furious 6 movie car, has become a huge hit with Ford-loving UK collectors. 

Tomica Limited Vintage cars from Japan, such as this Silvia Super Silhouette, offer the last word in 1:64-scale detail, albeit at a premium price. 

Limited-run ‘Chase’ models are scattered into model batches for collectors to find. This Toyota is a Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt car.