Matchbox Collector's Guide: Numbers, Moving Parts, Super Chase
July 26, 2026 · Updated November 3, 2026
Short answer: Matchbox is Mattel’s realism-first 1:64 brand. In 2026 the core range is the 1-125 basics, split into six MBX sub-series, next to Moving Parts (opening doors and hoods, 50 cars), the premium Collectors line (20 cars with rubber tires) and Sky Busters aircraft. A basic car has an MB position, a permanent manufacturing number and a card number; record the card number. The rarest find is the Super Chase: eight so far in 2026, 34 since 2021.
Most diecast content is written Hot Wheels-first, with Matchbox as a footnote. Here is how the other side of the Mattel aisle works, using the Matchbox wiki for the lineup and Hunt64’s catalog and collector prices for the numbers, as of November 2026.
Three numbers, three jobs
Hot Wheels collectors know the toy number system. Matchbox runs a parallel one, and mixing up its numbers is the most common new-collector mistake. Take the 2026 Fiat 500X:
- The MB number (MB1) is the car’s position in this year’s basic range, the Matchbox equivalent of a Hot Wheels collector number. It is reshuffled every year.
- The manufacturing number, or MAN number (MB1037), belongs to the casting. Matchbox has assigned these since 1983, and a casting keeps its number across recolors and reuses (variations sometimes get a new one). It is how the Matchbox wiki indexes castings.
- The card number (JHM65) is Mattel’s product code for one release, the counterpart of a Hot Wheels toy number. The catch in 2026: one basic car gets three of them. The Fiat 500X is JHM65 on the US card, JHP00 on the rest-of-world card and JHR35 as a Power Grab.
So: MB number = this year’s slot, MAN number = the casting, card number = this exact release. Record the card number from your package, and the MAN number if you collect castings across years.
Matchbox also dates its production with the same letter-and-week codes as Hot Wheels (V is 2026), but according to the Matchbox wiki it moved them off the car and onto the card around 2023 or 2024. Our base code decoder reads them.
The 2026 Matchbox lines
Basics (1-125). The core range ran to 100 cars from 2019 to 2024 and grew to 125 in 2025 (it had been 120 to 125 cars in the mid-2010s). In 2026 it is split into six sub-series: MBX Metro, MBX Highway, MBX Offroad, MBX Rescue, MBX Countryside and MBX Construction. The identity is deliberate contrast with Hot Wheels: real cars, work vehicles, emergency services and licensed models rendered realistically.
Moving Parts. Introduced in 2019: cars with opening doors, hoods and tailgates, a Matchbox signature from decades ago. Some castings even recall original Lesney models. The 2026 line has 50 cars (it ran to 54 in 2023 and 2024), all made in Thailand, and it gets its own Super Chases.
Collectors. The premium tier since 2021: 20 cars a year, highly detailed, on two-piece wheels with rubber tires, using castings from Moving Parts (with their opening features) or the basics. In Hunt64’s data the median Collectors release is valued at about $12, against about $4 for a basic.
Sky Busters. The aircraft line, started by Lesney in 1973 and released every year since the 2000s.
Themed singles and multipacks. 2026 adds sets like European Cars, Japan, Jurassic World, Candy, MBX Rally and Working Rigs, plus a tie-in line for Matchbox: The Movie, which premiered on Apple TV on October 9, 2026, with castings new to the film. Five-packs and eight-packs often carry decos found nowhere else, a classic blind spot when you think a set is complete.
What the Hunt64 catalog holds
Hunt64’s Matchbox catalog covers 3,850+ releases. The basic range goes back to 2010; Moving Parts, Collectors, Sky Busters and multipacks are filled in for recent years. Releases per year, by line:
| Year | All releases | Basics | Moving Parts | Collectors | Sky Busters | Multipack cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 350 | 101 | 21 | 20 | 43 | 60 |
| 2022 | 449 | 99 | 49 | 18 | 27 | 70 |
| 2023 | 332 | 96 | 51 | 21 | 28 | 70 |
| 2024 | 402 | 98 | 53 | 20 | 28 | 120 |
| 2025 | 405 | 129 | 54 | 20 | 31 | 85 |
| 2026 | 403 | 119 | 54 | 20 | 28 | 120 |
Counts as of November 2026. Moving Parts includes that year’s Moving Parts Super Chases; the rest of each year is themed singles and exclusives. The 2026 basics are still filling in as the last mixes ship. Older Matchbox (the Lesney era, the 1990s) is not in the catalog, so those cars go in by hand with a photo.
Super Chase: the Matchbox grail
Matchbox introduced the Super Chase in 2021. These are very limited versions seeded into cases of the basics or Moving Parts, and unlike the regular cars they get full tampo printing and two-piece wheels with rubber tires. How to spot one:
- A Super Chase logo on the card.
- An “SC” in a rounded rectangle printed on the car, often with a Superfast logo.
- The paint scheme of its era: red, white and blue in 2021 and 2022, grey and black with red, orange and yellow stripes from mid-2022 to mid-2024, and orange with a black and white stripe pattern since late 2024.
Not every assortment carries one, and there is no second, more common chase tier in between the way Hot Wheels has regular Treasure Hunts. The 2026 list so far, from the Matchbox wiki:
| Line, mix | Car | MAN # | Card # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basics, mix 1 | 1985 Porsche 911 Rally | MB1185 | JHN24 |
| Moving Parts, mix 2 | Porsche 356A | MB1460 | JHV69 |
| Moving Parts, mix 4 | 1984 Rover SD1 Vitesse | MB1546 | JHV70 |
| Basics, mix 4 | 1977 Jaguar XJ6C | MB1424 | JHN25 |
| Moving Parts, mix 6 | 1978 Ford Bronco | MB1468 | JHV71 |
| Basics, mix 7 | 1997 Acura Integra Type R | MB1498 | JHN26 |
| Moving Parts, mix 8 | 2020 Nissan GT-R NISMO (R35) | MB1629 | JHV72 |
| Basics, mix 11 | 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback | MB1596 | JHN27 |
What are they worth? Fewer collectors log Matchbox prices, so only two Super Chases have reached the five contributors we need to publish a median: the 2026 Jaguar XJ6C is valued at $20.00 (bought for a median $3.11, so mostly found at retail) and the 2025 Toyota 4Runner at $12.22. That is well below the roughly $72 median of a Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt. Whether that makes Super Chases undervalued or simply less chased is a fair debate, and with so few prices logged, both numbers will move. If you hunt both brands, our guide on how to tell a Hot Wheels Treasure Hunt covers the Hot Wheels side.
Collecting Matchbox well in 2026
Pick your lane. Good ones here: complete the yearly Moving Parts run (50 cars, achievable), follow one MBX sub-series, collect what Matchbox does uniquely well (work trucks, emergency vehicles, aircraft through Sky Busters), or chase a favorite real-world make.
Mind the multipacks. Matchbox puts plenty of unique decos in five-packs and eight-packs. Completionists need them before calling a casting done.
Catalog by card number. “MB1” will mean a different car next year. Card number, MAN number, model name, year and line: that is unambiguous.
Use the scanner on both brands. Since October 2026, Hunt64 scans Matchbox cards like Hot Wheels: it reads the front of the card, matches the release in the Matchbox catalog, picks up the Super Chase mark, and tells you if that release is already in your collection. Search takes card numbers (including the rest-of-world and Power Grab ones) and MAN numbers. Community prices cover Matchbox too: 133 Matchbox releases have published medians so far (the most-logged, the 2026 1997 McLaren F1 GT, is valued at $5.56 by 77 collectors). In the app they show with Pro, or free on any car you add your own price to. Get Hunt64 free: scanning is unlimited and the free plan holds 100 cars. Our cataloging guide applies to Matchbox unchanged.
Collect other 1:64 brands too? New in Hunt64 2.4, the scanner also reads Majorette cards and the item numbers on Mini GT and Kaido House boxes. Start with our Mini GT and Kaido House collector guide and our Majorette collector guide.
The short version
Record card numbers, treat the MAN number as the casting’s real name, watch Moving Parts for the fun and Collectors for the shelf, check the multipacks, and treat any Super Chase sighting as the event it is. Matchbox gets a fraction of the attention Hot Wheels does and puts some of the best-detailed cars on the pegs.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Matchbox Super Chase?
Matchbox's rarest regular-retail release, introduced in 2021 and often compared to a Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt. Super Chases are seeded into cases of the basic range or Moving Parts, get full tampo printing and two-piece wheels with rubber tires, and carry a Super Chase logo on the card and an 'SC' mark on the car. Not every assortment has one.
How many Matchbox Super Chases are there in 2026?
Eight so far, according to the Matchbox wiki's list: four in the 1-125 basics (1985 Porsche 911 Rally, 1977 Jaguar XJ6C, 1997 Acura Integra Type R, 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback) and four in Moving Parts (Porsche 356A, 1984 Rover SD1 Vitesse, 1978 Ford Bronco, 2020 Nissan GT-R NISMO). That makes 34 since the program started in 2021.
Which Matchbox number should I record for my collection?
The card number (like JHM65) for the exact release, plus the manufacturing number (like MB1037) for the casting. The MB position on the card (MB1 to MB125 in 2026) changes every year. Note that a 2026 basic has three card numbers, for the US card, the rest-of-world card and the Power Grab version.
What is the difference between Matchbox and Hot Wheels?
Both are Mattel's 1:64 brands. Matchbox focuses on realistic, licensed real-world vehicles (work trucks, emergency services, everyday cars, classics), while Hot Wheels leans toward performance cars and fantasy castings. Matchbox also has a full line with opening doors and hoods, Moving Parts.
Is there an app that scans Matchbox cars?
Yes. Hunt64 has a Matchbox catalog of 3,850+ releases (2004 to 2026) and reads Matchbox cards the same way it reads Hot Wheels, including the Super Chase mark. Scanning is free and unlimited, and Matchbox and Hot Wheels live in the same collection.