It’s now been more than four years since Drake Collectibles kicked off the Bicentennial truck series, with nine official releases to date. The recent satin-black Expo truck, Captain Moonlite, is a fantasy release and not considered part of the core series. Drake has confirmed the full run will total 16 trucks, meaning seven more are still to come.


The first three models — Ludwig Leichhardt, Matthew Flinders and Henry Lawson — were originally launched together in May 2021, though Henry Lawson’s release was split into two waves, with the second tranche landing in August 2024. These three trucks have consistently been the strongest performers in the market, but since the release of Captain Moonlite at the Diecast Model Expo in September, the landscape has shifted slightly. Captain Moonlite has effectively joined the fray, now sitting neck-and-neck with Matthew Flinders for second place in the value rankings.

What’s particularly interesting is that the Expo release has acted as a catalyst for renewed and increased demand on past Bicentennial releases. However, the market didn’t rise evenly across the series. Instead, demand focused heavily on the most desirable and tightly-held liveries. 

Each of the original three trucks recorded a new peak sale price (either outright or for used condition) in the weeks following the Expo. Henry Lawson improved its peak used sale from $680 to $850. Matthew Flinders’ peak used sale price climbed from $800 to $1,450 — and came within $49 of matching the all-time record held by a new condition example. And then, the big one: Ludwig Leichhardt. Initially achieving $1,750 (up from $1,499), it surged again to an extraordinary $2,175 for a used example inside of a fortnight.


However, not all Bicentennial trucks benefitted from the Expo momentum. Some mid-series releases posted only modest gains, while a couple actually softened, particularly Thunderbolt and Burke & Wills, which saw downward pressure in the post Expo period. This reinforces that collector demand remains highly selective — the series has momentum, but it is concentrated around the earlier releases.

Performance Summary

Z88002 is the standout performer: +94.71% YTD and +32.63% since Sept — the clear leader across YTD and post-Expo periods.

Strong second-tier performers:

• • Z88010: +63.54% YTD, though almost flat since Sept (+1.47%).

  • Z88001: +57.92% YTD and +30.07% since Sept, signalling sustained collector demand.

  • Z88011: +35.93% YTD and +12.78% since Sept, a solid mid-series mover.

  • Z88003 shows steady gains: +42.44% YTD and +21.97% since Sept — healthy, consistent appreciation.
    
    Moderate performers:

    • • Z88006: +25.35% YTD, +9.29% since Sept.

      • Z88005: +13.37% YTD, +3.23% since Sept.
        
        Lagging models:

        • • Z88009: nearly flat YTD (-0.27%) but -13.07% since Sept, indicating price pressure post-Expo.

          • Z88004: the only clear underperformer, -5.46% YTD and -16.21% since Sept.

         

    Market takeaway: Captain Moonlite’s Expo release appears to have acted as a catalyst — boosting several early and desirable models — but the effect is selective. Matthew Flinders and Ludwig Leichhardt lead the charge, while Thunderbolt and Burke & Wills have not benefited and actually softened since September.