| The Land Rover Defender 110 is a long-wheelbase off-road vehicle that was introduced in the 1990s. There’s a shorter version, which is the Defender Ninety. But this four-wheel drive is more known for being used for the toughest terrains and being able to carry more passengers and cargo for those camping trips.
Matchbox has produced the Land Rover Defender 110, which is based on the 1997 model in 2006 and had a long run that was discontinued in 2021. This casting feature is the last one being sold in the mainline for 2017. But in the following years, it was only available in multi-packs and special themed sets before it is finally retired. |
It is worth noting that the Land Rover Defender 110 is not the first or the last die-cast vehicle Matchbox ever produced. There have been several iterations and model that was even more popular than this model based on the 1997 off-road vehicle.
This last release for the mainline has undergone some changes during its initial run from 2006 to 2021. It was first released as an exclusive for Toy Fair in 2007 before it started appearing in the mainline release. It is a well-packed rover having a lot of stuff molded on the roof that’s considered an Easter egg.
Power Grabbed Defender
Matchbox in the 2010s started to produce and packaged their cars in their original boxes as an alternative to the blister-carded versions. There is no difference between the models packaged it’s just the alternative way Matchbox has given collectors and fans an alternative of having their favourite models in this presentation.
In the blister-carded packaging sometimes the artwork is obscured by the product. Unless it’s a short-card blister that’s another story to explain that version. But the Power Grabs version, namely the boxed cars clearly gives you that appreciation with regard to the product art as the Land Rover Defender 110 drives on a muddy road.
This vehicle is of course based on the 1997 Land Rover Defender 110 that was retooled twice by Matchbox.
Key Features of the Land Rover Defender 110 below:
- Year Release: 2017 | Heroic Rescue Subtheme
- Base Color: Black | Plastic
- Window: Orange Tint
- Tampo: Forest scenery, logo, DEFENDER, EXPLORE YOUR WORLD | Unpainted Front & Rear details
- Interior: Silver
Retooled Before Retirement
No doubt that during the course of its initial releases, the Land Rover Defender 110 has undergone retooling and changes to the casting. This is due to easier assembly and budget constraints in making sure the product still fits on the budget as well as keeping it within the price range of the basic releases.
This casting has undergone extensive retooling with the roof, which was originally part of the casting that became part of the interior window on the first change as the metal used has to be reduced to fit on the budget, and by the time of its last two years, the roof lights became part of the roof piece that features the cargo this vehicle carries for its last change up to the casting’s retirement.
Rough Riding Rover
Despite the changes and retools for the roof part of the vehicle it is still one of the sought-after castings for those who have been collecting Land Rover vehicles. This version of the Defender 110 highlights the storage on the roof and the roof lights that became part of it. You can see the interior with this orange tint showing those details.
Rarely, you will see the use of this wheel type for the last release as the ones that were sold as part of a theme or multi-pack use more modern wheel types. Comparing it to the Blue Brand’s take on the Land Rover brand this Defender 110 is undersized, but it still has those details you don’t see in modern releases.
Overall, with the constant retooling during its initial run, Matchbox designers tried their best to keep the vehicle stand in high regard as an iconic off-road machine that reflects this model’s time being produced for the last fifteen years of its life. It is still great to acquire this despite those changes as you don’t see this type of casting anymore with all those camping stuff on the roof.
Land Rover Defender 110 is part of the Heroic Rescue segment series and overall MB84/MB125 released for the 2017 year, which was acquired at Toys R' Us in Westfield Tea Tree Plaza for $3.00 AUD (₱ 110.98 Pesos | $ 2.00 USD**). Matchbox is distributed in Australia by Mattel Pty., LTD. based in Richmond, Victoria.
** - Currency Converter via Google.com
NOTES:
The photos used in this article and review was produced but unpublished from 2018. The outdoor photos were taken at Glenelg in South Australia during the full moon, and there are no photo manipulation to produce the images.
No comments:
Post a Comment