![]() “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. “The best designs result when all the elements work together,” says Heralda. 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. He describes the research phase as the most fulfilling part of the artistic process. One trick is to hide codes, jokes and other references – for Heralda, this means his personal ‘Adlar58’ signature – within the design. The challenge is combining that with something that’s sophisticated enough to hold the attention of an adult collector, too.” “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. 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. A final, packaged pre-production model shows up about six weeks later.Īs 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. 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. The team works closely with toolmakers in Malaysia and engineers at the factory in Thailand to bring the design into production. 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. ![]() I love hot rods and was fortunate to be able to re-sculpt and update it into a hot rod.” “The’33 Ford Coupe street rod from the 1990s,
 for example, was a cool casting, but is much bigger than comparable designs today. “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. Matchbox cars are nominally 1:64 scale, but the size of existing similar models, cost and packaging restrictions, ease of production and standard wheel and axle sizes all impact upon the final proportions and scale of the car. Source material and data for digital designs might come direct from the licensing manufacturer, from model kits and photos, or from similar, previous designs. When the new range is complete on paper, work begins on the all-new models. ![]() ![]() ![]() We populate those categories with different ideas from our board and try to find instances where one vehicle will hit three or four common points of interest.” “We have segments within the Matchbox line such as Explorers or Construction, plus certain types of vehicles that are always in the range, like Japanese and European cars, or a ‘lifted’ pick-up truck. “The list is in three parts: the designers’ personal favourites a ‘cool and interesting’ board and common vehicles that you’ll see on the road everyday,” Lugo explains. In the Matchbox design office at the LA headquarters of parent company Mattel is a picture wall of cars, trucks and other vehicles that serve as inspiration for new additions to the tooling library.
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