Holy Grail acquired: The 2012 Matchbox Dodge Challenger SRT8 9-pack exclusive arrives...

Looks like I need a new Holy Grail...

If you remember, a few weeks ago I showcased the Matchbox that got away. The 2012 Matchbox Dodge Challenger SRT8 in green was exclusive to one 9-pack, and while I bought one for my Lamley partner and showcased it on the blog before mailing to him in the UK, I totally forgot to get one for myself. When I realized that, they were all gone from the store shelves, and nowhere to be found on eBay.

I have looked and looked ever since, in obscure stores and online, to no avail. That is until I posted my article about Holy Grails, explaining what they were, and why the Challenger was mine. Soon after I heard from a good friend on Instagram, @diecastme, who told me he had one. We worked out a deal (he has something very cool headed his way), and the Challenger left Canada on its journey to Utah.

It is here, and it was worth the wait. I have always liked the Matchbox Challenger SRT8. No frills, realistic proportions, and great detail. It looks especially good next to the Hot Wheels version, which has suffered from one of the worst cases of largerearwheelitis we have seen. Its monstrous rear wheels distort the model so bad it doesn't look at all like the real thing. Thankfully that is not the case with the Matchbox version.

The only problem I have had with the Matchbox Challenger is the wheels. The first few sported the double 10-spoke wheels, which I have always loved, but not on the Challenger. The casting was meant to sit on the MB 5-spoke wheels.

It finally happened with the lime green version. The satin lime was a perfect color, and the 5-spoke wheels looked fantastic. It was just hard to find. The model was supposed to be the basic line, but a few snags with the Dodge license meant the models that were already made would head to 10-packs. Some of us hoped we would see it on the basic card later, but that day never came. Matchbox later released the purple version as a make-up for the gap created by the green Challenger, but no more greens were released.

And it is too bad, because it looks so good, especially now that I can take better photos compared to the last time I had it.

Welcome home...