#1026 MATCHBOX 2000 – ROCKET (1990)

I often talk about Matchbox lines which are not the superfast or the ordinary 1-75 series. I would like to review also those series, maybe I will do that more often in the future, as there are still hundreds of cars in my collection waiting for their turn to have their blog entry.
 

Matchbox 2000 was a short lived series of small cars equipped with a magnet on the rear half that could be steered (well, more or less) by placing an additional piece nearby. This key-piece also had a magnet, so when it came close to the car, the magnets would repel each other, as they were built with the same polarity.  Simple and nice. Mostly considering that the models chosen were all futuristic prototypes, dream cars with names such as Streak, Rocket, Gamma or Spark. Unfortunately, they are not based on real models, I would say they are all invented.

Magnetism is nothing new, but it something that attracts people (and especially children), as it has something magic in it. You can steer a toy car without touching it, using no batteries. Cool. And there is no better name than “Matchbox 2000” for a product made in 1990. This was how we expected the year 2000 to be.

I got this blisterpack from Steven (from the Motorcade). It was already partially opened, so I carefully removed the contents and tested it myself. It is fun to play with. The “key” piece can also hold the car and can be clipped to the pocket of your shirt for carrying it, although, I would say, if you do that, there is a 99% chance of losing the car within the next 2 minutes. It does not hold very well.

The line included all these 12 vehicles in the picture plus two playsets with plenty of magnets to fit, hold and move your 2000´s cars. The first one was called R.P.M. (Robotic Positioning Module) and the second one V.S.C. (Vertical Service Center)

There was a second series comprising the same 12 cars in alternate colours, but these were sold in 3-packs without magnetic key.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: MATCHBOX 2000 ROCKET
• Scale: Approx 1:72
• Year: 1990
• Company: Matchbox (United Kingdom)
• Size: 7 cms