Matchbox Retro Series: 2022 Collection, 18/24 - Mitsubishi Eclipse

Mitsubishi Eclipse

w/ 2021 Retro Series Mitsubishi Eclipse

Matchbox Retro Series: 2022 Collection, 14/24 - Lamborghini LM002

Lamborghini LM002

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Masters of the Universe - Skeletor

 

Mattel comes up with some clever uses of the Hot Wheels brand. I think they hit a home run with their Monster Trucks line as what kid doesn't like large wheeled, car crushing trucks? I've noticed several pop culture brands have started to pop up over the years in this series so I wasn't shocked when I first discovered that Masters of the Universe was being used.

Skeletor here is part of a random 2022 wave of trucks, not part of it's own MOTU series. The back of the packaging does show the other vehicles in this particular wave. The top right corner of the card back also lists some of the characters of this release, such as name, truck type, strength and crash attack. This really has a strong Transformers Tech Spec vibe.

The trucks are all plastic, no die-cast unfortunately. It appears all of the various pieces are molded in different color plastic, no paint apps. Skeletor's yellow skeleton face has a menacing look, especially with the exhaust pipes coming out of his mouth. If you look carefully, you may notice the eyes are cast in a red translucent plastic. If you shine a light in the eyes you do get a faint glow. The back of the truck features Skeletor's Ram Staff with a ball & chain attached to the end. The tires are a soft plastic and are on axles that allow the wheels to move. A small hard plastic "car" comes packaged in with Skeletor for the truck to crush. It's small and cheap and I didn't care for it much so I didn't bother photographing it. Overall this is fun little piece and a nice oddity for anyone's Masters of the Universe collection.

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks: Masters of the Universe - Battle Cat

 

I'm still waiting for He-Man to receive the Hot Wheels monster truck treatment like his arch nemesis Skeletor, so for the time being we'll just have to settle for his trusty companion, Battle Cat.

The cab of the truck is cast in a green plastic with the rest a separate maroon piece that resembles the helmet of Battle Cat himself. Paint apps are limited outside the orange tiger stripes applied to the cat body. The eyes underneath the maroon piece have been painted, as are the tail lights red on the rear of the truck. The vehicle body sits on a series of plastic bars that completes the vehicle frame underneath. A chromed engine rests in the back of the truck, viewable from all sides. Like all of the monster trucks in the line, the front wheels have a loose axel that allows the wheels to move independently up and down...perfect for crushing cars...or maybe even evil henchmen? Overall this is another fun Masters of the Universe themed vehicle / monster truck.

RTR Episode 2: Vintage Matchbox 5 Pack Unboxing

While the blog format may be slowing dying and posts aren't getting near the same eyeballs as it once did, I'm going to keep posting new content as time allows. However I also realize that video is a juggernaut, especially when it comes to the hobby so I may continue to dip my toes into the world of YouTube from time to time with special unboxing videos or just quick takes on new die-cast.

Today I have two videos to share...well one, but my camera overheating during filming and I'm not savvy enough yet to merge video. While traveling for work I found some vintage Matchbox Police themed 5 packs so I decided to head to the backyard and unbox them on camera. Yeah, I know it's crude compared to the likes of some YouTubers out there...but you've got to start somewhere, right?