I just cracked the code, the Matrix code that is!

If you can't tell from previous posts, I am a  number guy.  I was looking to see what Alfa Romeos (of course) that were made by Matrix were on HobbyDB.  I started to see a pattern and looked at the ones I had in my xls list.  Has anyone else figured it out, or have multiple Matrix's (Matrices?) in their collection?

The first Alfa I have is the Touring Disco Volante from almost 10 years ago, reference number MX40102-032.  MX is obvious and 40000 are for "Exclusive cars" while 50000 series are for "Coachbuild cars" - that's the only hint their website gives.  So my first 5000 series Alfa was their 1900 CSS Speciale Ghia, ref num MX50102-031.

Their numbering scheme did not become apparent to me then!  There were many missing Matrix Alfas at hobbyDB when I looked recently, so I went to the company website "archiv" and loaded the missing ones.  HobbyDB is their official archive as well, so we may load all their models, if they don't do it themselves.  In looking at all these Matrices, I started to see the pattern emerge.  For example, Jaguar starts with MX41001 and MX51001; I saw an Aston Martin that started with MX40108.  I checked a few others and then the lightbulb went off.

Alfa starts with A so the ref numbers start with 401 and 501 - same for Aston Martin...  Jaguar starts with the 10th letter in the alphabet so they start with 410 or 510!!!  Alfa is the second car company (02) starting with A so it gets 40102 or 50102, and Aston Martin is the 8th so it gets 40108.  Jag is the first J (01) so it gets 41001 or 51001.

Now it gets easier:  After the dash, my first 2 Alfas had a 032 and a 031.  The 03 means the third Alfa in that series from Matrix, the last digit is the color.  1 is the first (and sometimes) only color. 2 means they issued a color before the green one I bought.  Mystery solved!

Well, not quite.  I put all the hobbyDB items in ref num order.   Were MX40102-011, MX50102-011 or MX50102-021 ever issued? - I find no trace on google or on the Matrix website.  They are up to 13 castings in the 40102 series and 19 in 50102.  #19 is still on order, but I have been permanently plugged into the Matrix now!  

Ronald Siemoneit/Sygma via Getty Images