Adventure 2000 by Matchbox

Mike Pigott examines the high quality Adventure 2000 range made by Matchbox as part of its King Size series, and also looks at the little-known connection to the Judge Dredd feature in 2000 AD magazine.The year is 2000 – the planets prepare for war!

Or so the Matchbox catalogues proclaimed. Adventure 2000 was a range of large, action-packed diecast models first launched in 1977. The series consisted of five futuristic vehicles and a gift set, supposedly from the year 2000. Like most Matchbox toys of the era, they were high-quality models with lots of play value. There was also a tie-in with the exciting Judge Dredd feature in 2000AD magazine!

The first three Adventure 2000 vehicles appeared in the 1977 Matchbox brochure. The catalogue description screamed:

The year – 2000 A.D. Aliens attack Earth! Disaster on the Antarctic!
‘Adventure 2000’, the new range of all action packed vehicles from ‘MATCHBOX’ to the rescue. Thrills and excitement await you with this great new range.

ORIGINS

It is often assumed that Adventure 2000 was an attempt to jump on the science fiction craze led by the release of Star Wars in 1977. This wasn’t the case; in fact, the Adventure 2000 models were released before Star Wars opened in cinemas, and while the models may have benefitted from the film’s popularity, they were not influenced by them. In fact, Matchbox had entered the space-toy market the previous year, when a pair of futuristic space vehicles called ‘Planet Scout’ and ‘Cosmobile’ were introduced to the miniature 1-75 range.

Rival diecast manufacturer Dinky Toys was having phenomenal success with science fiction and space toys, the majority of which were based on Gerry Anderson’s TV-21 shows. During the 1970s, there were times when over 50% of Dinky’s sales were of models based on these programmes. And it was not just the most recent releases, such as UFO and Space:1999 that were selling well; models from previous shows like Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90 continued to sell well, long after the programmes had been taken off the air. Kids bought these models because they looked cool, even if they were unfamiliar with the original TV show.

It was this type of market that Matchbox wanted to tap into. Lesney, the parent company, was very reluctant to pay royalties, so the new models were all original designs. They were produced as King Size models in order to compete with Dinky Toys.

The first three items consisted of a composite vehicle, a flying car and an armoured half-track. From the vague description in the catalogue, it could be assumed that these were part of the Earth defence forces fighting the invading aliens at the Antarctic in the far-flung year of 2000. The three models were all finished in a matching colour scheme, which was metallic avocado-green; the vehicles all featured matt black trim, lots of chrome-plated parts and plenty of amber glazing. All were decorated with ‘2000’ labels, and a shield sticker which featured the sun and the sea. They came packaged with three soldiers in silver-grey plastic.

K-2001 RAIDER COMMANDOn first impression, the first vehicle in the range looks like a weird half-track, but in fact is a composite machine made up of a fast, four-wheeled car (Raider), and a tracked armoured tank (Command). The two models clip together, and are separated by pushing a button on the back of the Command section; this releases a spring-loaded ram that pushes the Raider off at high speed.

The Raider is a four-wheeled vehicle with a long front overhang. It has a huge expanse of amber glazing, including a heavily raked front windscreen, cab roof, and cover over the central engine section. The extensive chrome interior includes the cockpit, engine bay with exhaust ports protruding through the clear roof, and a rear section with a roof vent and seats for four crew-members. The upper body section is painted metallic green with some fairly low-tech tools (such as picks and shovels) cast into the sides. The lower body is matt black, and has a thick chrome sub-chassis that incorporates fuel tanks and a turbine intake. The model is fitted with wide Superfast wheels. Raider has no moving parts of its own.The chunky Command vehicle consists of a boxy armoured cabin in between a pair of massive tank treads. Each side has three driving wheels with a brown rubber tread fitted. The three small cabin windows are glazed but there is no interior. Below the window is a cast in door with a ladder. Command has both the upper section and base in green-painted diecast metal with a central part in matt black. Mounted on the cabin roof is a rotating rocket launcher that actually works. Two red rockets were included in the packaging, and can be stored on a clear orange rack at the rear of the vehicle.

As we will see later, Raider Command became the star of a comic book series in 2000 AD magazine.

K-2002 FLIGHT HUNTERThe second model in the range is a flying car called Flight Hunter. Looking like a Mercedes C-111 concept car on steroids, it has opening metal gull-wing doors. It rides on six Superfast wheels, with twin axles at the rear. The thick chrome interior incorporates the cockpit, air intakes and rear jet engines, while there is a pair of laser cannons mounted on the nose. The upper body is painted avocado-green and includes an aircraft tail. The matt black chassis comes up to the waistline, and there is a red plastic sub-chassis under the back wheels.When the red scoop on the roof is pressed, a pair of slim red plastic aircraft wings pop out from the sides. Flight Hunter is quite a fun model, but it has to be said that I’m not convinced of its flight capabilities.

K-2003 CRUSADERThe third of the original trio is Crusader, a futuristic armoured half-track. Unlike Raider Command, Crusader is a true half-track, with a pair of Superfast wheels up front, and black rubber treads at rear with three driving wheels. The angular cab is fitted with amber glazing, and for some reason a pair of dome lights on the roof. Unlike the other two models, Crusader has a white interior. The diecast underside is painted flat black, with a red plastic differential rivetted on. On the top of the vehicle’s rear section is a gunner’s turret, similar to a WWII era bomber. The turret can rotate, and is fitted with amber windows and a white two-seater interior. In front are two laser cannons that can raise and lower.

K-2004 ROCKET STRIKERThe first addition to the Adventure 2000 line came in 1978. In this year’s catalogue, the vague story behind the range was updated as follows:

The year is 2000 – The planets prepare for battle. Re-enact the excitement of inter-planetary conflict with the action-packed vehicles from Adventure 2000!

I’m not sure that inter-planetary conflict is actually all that exciting, and given that this was in 1978, the idea of a war between planets by the year 2000 was a little premature.

The new model this year was Rocket Striker, a short-wheelbase, six-wheeled vehicle that could store and fire missiles. This new casting was shared with the ‘Battle Kings’ line of military vehicles. In that range it was called ‘Missile Launcher’, and was painted olive green. Although a military vehicle, it was futuristic-looking enough to fit in with the Adventure 2000 fleet. It is a chunky machine with a narrow two-man cab and wide wheel arches. The boxy cargo area includes armour and tools along the side, and a pair of thick rear doors. The chassis is painted matt black and includes storage lockers. The model is fitted with six Super Kings wheels with eight wheel-nuts each. The body is, of course, painted metallic light green, with a black interior. Unlike the other models, the glazing is clear rather than amber.Rocket Striker has a fairly clever working feature. When a button on the rear is pressed, the black plastic panels over the cargo bay flip open, and a spring-loaded rocket launcher pops up. When opened, the side panels reveal red plastic racks to store the missiles. The central launcher can raise and rotate, and can fire missiles using a fairly basic spring-powered mechanism. Afterwards, the side panels can be rotated back into place, which pushes the launcher back down as the panels click into position. Rocket Striker has one additional feature; as the model is rolled along, the red plastic radar dish on the cab roof revolves.

K-2005 COMMAND FORCEThere was another new addition to the range in 1979; although numbered sequentially as K-2005, it was not a new model, and was more of a gift set. The Command Force consisted of Rocket Striker plus three miniature models from the 1-75 series. The three vehicles were the two referred to previously – Planet Scout and Cosmobile – plus a third item, Rescue Hovercraft.Planet Scout is a futuristic car with very angular lines. It has a chrome, two-seater interior, which also includes the front grille and lights, plus the radar dish on the roof. It was originally painted metallic green with a yellow base (later metallic red and beige) but in the Adventure 2000 line it was avocado green with a black base and purple-tinted windows. Planet Scout is slightly under-scale compared to the rest of the A-2000 vehicles.Cosmobile is a single-seater future car with a very narrow cockpit. The interior is chrome, and incorporates the headlights and side vents. There is also a pair of chrome tubes along the roof. In the 1-75 series it was painted metallic blue with a yellow base, later changed to red with a beige base. In the Command Force set it was the same colours as the other models, but now with purple glazing, rather than the amber windows shown in the catalogue. As Cosmobile was a small, single seater car, it was the correct scale for the A-2000 range.Rescue Hovercraft is a generic hovercraft form the 1-75 range; it was normally painted lime green with a light brown skirt and chrome engines and jet intake on the roof. For the Command Force set, it was painted avocado green with a black skirt and a ‘2000’ label on the rear spoiler (although the example pictured is erroneously fitted with the original ‘RESCUE’ decal). The Hovercraft is grossly underscale, and the sole reason I can see for it being included in the set is that is the only other vaguely-futuristic looking item in the 1-75 series.

PROPOSED NEW LOOKIn the 1980 catalogue, the Adventure 2000 range was given a new mission statement. The blurb read:

The year is 2000 – The interplanetary commission prepares for an expedition to the planet ZETO. Re-enact the excitement of intergalactic travel advebture with this action packed range of space vehicles from Adventure 2000!

Not only was the A-2000 fleet given a new purpose as exploratory vehicles, it was also given a new look. The whole set was shown in the catalogue with a new livery: dark metallic blue, with a new round insignia with an ‘S’ logo in the centre. The new look was presumably to renew interest in the range, which had seen declining sales. Ultimately, though, this new colour scheme would not be issued; possibly because of surplus avocado green stock. However, there were two exceptions: a number of Planet Scout and Cosmobile castings were finished in the new metallic blue shade, although they were never included in the Command Force set. Instead, these blue models were just sold off packaged in standard 1-75 series matchboxes. But the Adventure 2000 line wasn’t dead yet, and there was one last surprise the following year.

K-2006 SHUTTLE LAUNCHERThe 1981 catalogue again showed the range in metallic blue, although now the ‘S’ logo labels were gone and the original ‘shield’ and ‘2000’ stickers were back. However, they were joined by one new item, Shuttle Launcher. This was the first new casting since the original three models.

Shuttle Launcher was clearly based on Crusader, although it was not the same casting. The body was very similar, but there were several modifications. The base, wheels and tracks, plus the cab glazing and interior were shared with Crusader, presumably to keep costs down by using common components. Instead of having warning lights on the cab roof, Shuttle Launcher has a rotating twin laser cannon in chrome plastic. There are smaller guns on the front corners instead of sidelights. A large radar dish is fitted to each side. Mounted on the rear section roof is a heavy diecast boom which can raise and rotate. Atop this is a red plastic launching platform shaped like a jet aeroplane.As the name indicates, Shuttle Launcher is able to launch shuttles. A pair of shuttles was included in the box, although these look more like miniature Frisbees. They are made of cream coloured plastic that looks like it glows in the dark (but doesn’t), with a round labels that have geometric patterns on the top. A prong on the underside of the shuttle slots into a groove on the top of the red launching platform. Pushing a small black button on the platform releases a spring-loaded part that launches the shuttle into the air. The shuttles fly for about a metre before landing. The launch feature works well, but it’s not particularly exciting, and the launching platform on the vehicle is large and cumbersome.

Shuttle Launcher was the only Adventure 2000 model to be issued in the new metallic blue livery (excluding the two miniature models which weren’t sold in this type of packaging). Presumably it was intended that the other five models would also be issued in blue, but poor sales of the line, plus ongoing financial troubles at Lesney, meant that the range was discontinued at the end of 1981; it did not reappear in the 1982 catalogue.

This meant that Shuttle Launcher was only on sale for a very short time, making it an extremely scarce model. It is one of the rarest Matchbox toys of all time, and is regarded as the ‘Holy Grail’ of the King Size range. Mint and boxed models rarely come on the market, and good condition unboxed examples are even harder to find, as they are invariably missing the shuttles and usually the crawler tracks too.

PACKAGINGLike all King Size models of the era, the Adventure 2000 range were packaged in colourful window box with a header card. Each box was sized according to the enclosed model, with a great deal of variation throughout the range. The boxes were beautifully presented, with a very happy space captain on the header, and pictures of the model on the side flaps. The models were mounted on a card insert and held in place with a plastic key. The inserts had beautiful illustration showing alien landscapes. The rear of the box had diagrams showing the special features of each model, with descriptions in five languages – English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Unfortunately, the cellophane ‘windows’ on the boxes have a tendency to lose their stickiness and come loose.Included in each box were three spaceman figurines in approximately 1/43 scale. The same three figures were enclosed with every model, with three complete lots in the Command Force set. The figures were moulded in silver-grey plastic. The first figure is presumably the leader, and is a bald man wearing a cape and holding a ray gun. The second one is dressed similarly but with no cape; he has a helmet and a laser rifle. The third guy looks like a regular combat soldier and has a helmet and a machine gun.

Adventure 2000 was a good quality range that was well designed and features plenty of play value. It clearly started a trend in the toy market, as Corgi’s X-Ploratrons and Lone Star’s  Space Commanders seem to be very much influenced by it. Like many of the Matchbox King Size ranges, it isn’t as widely appreciated today as perhaps it deserves. It does have a following among collectors, but the scarcity of Shuttle Launcher makes it frustratingly hard to collect the full set. However, what might make it even more interesting is the little-known connection to the Judge Dredd strip in the sci-fi themed comic book 2000AD.

LINK TO 2000 AD COMICThe weekly comic 2000AD made its debut in 1977, around the same time that the first Adventure 2000 models hit the shops. Like most British comics of the era, it was an anthology magazine featuring several continuing strips in four- to six-page instalments every week. It was printed on cheap newsprint paper, with only the cover and centrespread in colour; the other pages being in black and white. This magazine is noted for the introduction of Judge Dredd, Britain’s best-known comic action hero.

Judge Dredd is set in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic Earth of 2100, which is policed by squads of Judges; authoritarian law-enforcement agents with the powers of judge, jury and – if necessary – executioner. Based in Mega-City One, a huge city-state occupying the whole East coast of America, Judge Dredd patrols the streets on a heavily armed Lawmaster motorcycle.

Judge Dredd was created by writer John Wagner, editor Pat Mills and Spanish artist Carlos Ezquerra, although this team only produced a few adventures before the strip was taken over by Mills as writer and Mike McMahon as artist, with Brian Bolland also drawing several chapters.

THE CURSED EARTHOne of Judge Dredd’s earliest multi-part adventures was ‘The Cursed Earth’ storyline, which ran in 2000AD for six months during 1978. In this series, Mega-City Two, which covers most of the American West coast, has been infected with a virus that turns its victims into mindless vampires. Scientists in Mega-City One are able to create an antidote, but are unable to deliver it due to the airports being overrun by violent plague victims.

The only solution is for a team of Judges from Mega-City One, led by Dredd, to transport the antidote overland to the West coast. This is a dangerous mission, as it involves crossing the centre of the USA, now a dangerous radioactive wasteland populated by mutated creatures. In order to cross the continent, Judge Dredd and his team are given a modular, all terrain armoured vehicle – which just happened to be Raider Command from the Adventure 2000 range!In the comic, the Raider Command vehicle was re-named; the front section was called ‘Land Raider’ and the rear tracked component was the ‘Killdozer’. The vehicle operated the same way as the model, and frequently split into its component parts. However, it was a lot more heavily armed than the Matchbox toy, in keeping with the violent nature of 2000AD magazine.

CONTROVERSYDuring the trek through the Cursed Earth, Dredd and his team encounter mutant armies, giant flying rats, robot vampires, genetically engineered dinosaurs and undead cyborg soldiers. However, the most controversial section of the storyline was in a chapter called ‘The Burger Wars’, in which two rival gangs dressed as Ronald McDonald and Burger King battled for their franchises to gain control of the territory. If a town refused to allow a burger faction, the population was enslaved and the town destroyed. A later chapter saw Dredd attacked by advertising mascots such as the Jolly Green Giant and the Michelin Man, who were genetically engineered by a mad scientist who looked like Colonel Sanders.

The corporations that owned these trademarks were not happy, and McDonalds, Burger King and Green Giant took legal action against 2000AD. As a result, the full Cursed Earth storyline was not included in reprint albums of Judge Dredd for many years. However, a European Union directive later made it legal to publish parodies of trademarks, meaning that a thick volume called The Cursed Earth: Uncensored could be published in 2016.

LAND RAIDER

The inclusion of the Raider Command in the Judge Dredd strip was very unusual. While there had been lots of diecast models based on vehicles seen in movies, TV, cartoons and comics, this appears to be the only instance of an unrelated toy vehicle turning up in a comic book.

On reflection, the Raider Command was a perfect fit with 2000AD magazine. Both were aimed at the same target market of teenage boys, and were set in the 21st Century. Matchbox and Dinky frequently advertised in the magazine, and often donated cartons of models to be used as prizes in competitions, which also functioned as advertising for the toys. How the decision was made to incorporate one of the Adventure 2000 vehicles into the Judge Dredd strip is unclear, but it is possible that the writer Pat Mills saw an advert for the range and decided it was ideal for his upcoming storyline. It was certainly easier for the artists to copy an existing vehicle than having to design one from scratch. And the cross-promotion probably boosted sales of both the comic and the model range, with the Cursed Earth storyline offering a much more interesting scenario for the model than the flimsy ‘planets at war’ description given in the Matchbox catalogue. However, it appears that the colourist of 2000AD was not provided with a free sample of Raider Command, as it was often coloured red, orange or purple in the magazine!During 1978, 2000AD launched a competition in conjunction with Matchbox, in which readers could win one of 60 sets of the first three Adventure 2000 models. Although Flight Hunter and Crusader were offered as prizes, they were not incorporated into the Judge Dredd strip, not even in a cameo appearance.

Matchbox made no effort to capitalise on the Judge Dredd connection; perhaps this was down to Lesney’s reluctance to pay any form of royalty, which may have been necessary if Dredd was pictured on the model packaging. At the time, 2000AD was not widely read outside of the UK and Ireland, so any reference to Judge Dredd would have been meaningless in major export markets like the USA and Germany.

As the Cursed Earth storyline was out of print for several years, many Judge Dredd fans and Matchbox collectors are unaware of the connection between the two franchises.

This article first appeared in the December 2019 issue of Diecast Collector Magazine.

Judge Dredd and 2000AD TM and (C) Rebellion Developments.

Text and model photos (C) Mike Pigott 2022.