by Nick Jones
Eighteen new models and a further twelve slightly enlarged replacements arrived in 1958 and grey or black plastic wheels replaced the diecast metal wheels that had been used until now. Military vehicles appeared for the first time with the introduction of the M3 Personnel Carrier 49a (US Halftrack), the Saracen Personnel Carrier 54a and the DUKW Amphibian 55a. The rarest models from this year were the Morris Minor 46a in light brown and the Vauxhall Victor 45a in red. The Morris Minor can also be found in blue but is more common in dark green. The Minor is generally difficult to find in any colour because a large quantity of them were stolen when the warehouse was broken into, and also because it was not in production for very long; it was not a good seller because it was a rather small model and the colour scheme of dark green did not help. It might have sold better if Lesney had recoloured the model and released it as a Police Panda Car. There had been a Fire Engine and an Ambulance in the range since 1955 but it was not until 1963 that a Police Car finally joined them.
The London Trolley Bus 56a is one of the few models that can be found with all four types of wheel: grey metal, grey, silver and black plastic. It usually has Peardrax decals but the final issue was fitted with Visco-Static decals that are normally found on the 5b Bus or more commonly the 5c Bus.
Eight of the fifteen new models in 1959 were military, and seven models were deleted to be replaced with enlargements or new versions. The ‘crimped’ or squashed axle ends were updated to machine-burred rounded ends and it was decided to limit the range to seventy-five models. Now all new models would be inserted into the range and given the number from a deleted model. (A very few Triumph T110 Motorcycles 4b have been found cast with the number 78 and are eagerly sought by collectors.) Thus the ‘Matchbox Miniatures’ became known as the ‘1-75’ series. Wheels in silver plastic were fitted to selected models and the Ford Thunderbird 75a was the first model to have plastic windows fitted from the start of production.
By 1962 there were eleven military vehicles in the range: Halftrack 49a, Saracen 54a, DUKW 55a, Scout Car 61a, 6x6 Army Truck 62a, Army Ambulance 63a, Army Wrecker 64a, Armoured Car 67a, Radio Truck 68a, Water Tanker 71a, and RAF Refueller 73a.
In 1960 twelve new models were introduced, including the Cadillac Sixty Special 27c, the Ford Fairlane Station Wagon 31b and the Volkswagen 1200 25b. The Cadillac can be found in any of four metallic colours; lilac and silver grey are fairly common but brown and green are rare. The Ford can be found in yellow or green and pink; the yellow version is rare but is often confused with the earlier number 31a, which was always painted yellow. The Volkswagen Beetle 25b also has a few interesting variations to look out for. Flip open the engine cover; a black-painted engine is quite rare. Also check for the spelling on the base, which should read ‘Volkswagen’, but early versions have it misspelled as ‘Volkswagon’. Very late issues were released with black plastic wheels but these are seldom seen and may have been available only in gift sets, which might explain the rarity of this variation.
The Triumph T110 4c (rear); Harley Davidson 66b (front left); Lambretta TV175 36c (front right).
The early American cars (left to right): Cadillac 27c in silver or in metallic lilac; Pontiac Convertible 39b in yellow or metallic mauve; Chevrolet Impala 57b in metallic blue with a light blue roof.
Thirteen new models appeared in 1961. The Commer Milk Float 21c with its plastic milk crates became the first model to be made using plastic components (apart from the wheels), but the star of the year has to be the Bluebird Dauphine Caravan 23c, which can be found in all-over metallic green or in metallic lilac with a crimson baseplate and a black door; both variations are very rare. The Dauphine was originally intended to be made with windows but these were omitted at the last minute. However, a few models, in both metallic green and metallic lilac, are known to exist fitted with windows with or without a cross-hatching pattern engraved into them. These are extremely rare and fetch a very high price when one does come up for sale. The final version in metallic lilac with black plastic wheels is also quite rare, so there are plenty of gems to look out for when it comes to caravans.
An early presentation set. This is the Commercial Motors Gift Set PS-4, which dates from 1959 and was also released as the ‘Lastwagen und Omnibuse’ set for the German market.
Matchbox toys can be subject to fading when left in direct sunlight. These two Austin Cambridges 29b were the exact same colour when they were made.
Twelve new models were introduced in 1962. The Pontiac Convertible 39b was the first to be fitted with a plastic interior, and Pontiacs painted metallic violet are particularly sought-after by American collectors as seemingly only the fairly common yellow versions were exported to the United States. The Jaguar E Type 32b can be found in dark or light metallic red and shades can vary considerably but one rare variation is painted metallic bronze. To be sure you have the bronze version, check the underside, as sun-faded light metallic red can easily be mistaken for the rare bronze. The underside is not usually affected by sunlight and should still be in the colour it was intended to be.
The Morris J2 Pick-up 60a was always painted blue and carried decals for the ‘Builders Supply Company’ but ‘Supply Company’ can be found in black or white ink and the cab can be found with or without a rear window. Shown are the grey, silver and black plastic-wheeled versions.
Although there were a few promotional issues, only the Bedford Petrol Tanker 25c and Leyland Tanker 32c were recoloured and issued in a different box for the European market. The BP was for the British market and the Aral was for Europe.
Only ten new models were made in 1963. The Ford Fairlane Police Car 55b and the Ford Fairlane Fire Chief 59b used the same basic casting but with different paint colours and decals. Both are quite rare to find with silver or grey plastic wheels although grey-wheeled Fire Chiefs are a little more common. Either model can be found fitted with the baseplate from the other, but these are not common. One Police Car that has the white roof dome light from the Fire Chief instead of the usual blue version has been found but it is not clear if this is simply an error piece or a little-known variation.
Also from this year was the Mercedes Benz 220SE 53b, which was the first miniature to be modelled with opening doors. It can be found in maroon or dark red and with grey, silver or black wheels.
There were ten new models in 1964. The new Bedford BP Petrol Tanker 25c in white, green and yellow was also recoloured to white and blue and fitted with Aral decals for the European market. The Jaguar Mk10 28c has some interesting variations. The first release did not have ‘Matchbox Series’ on the base and was fitted with grey wheels; all later issues had the base modified to include ‘Matchbox Series’ and were fitted with black wheels. The early issue is extremely rare. The Snow Trac 35b was originally intended to have three windows on the back, but when it was released it had only a single rear window. The search is on for a possible three-window variant.
The Volkswagen-based Snow-Trac 35b. The first version had Snow-Trac decals. The second one had no decals and smooth sides, and the final version had ‘Snow-Trac’ cast into the sides. Although a few Snow-Tracs have been found with grey tracks they are thought not to be original.
Sixteen new models were introduced in 1965. Early releases of both the Trailer Caravan 23d and the Chevrolet Taxi 20c can be found with grey wheels, and both are very rare. The Faun Crane Truck 30c, which is normally green and orange, has been discovered packed into a few gift sets painted turquoise and orange, which is also very rare, but what is possibly the most sought-after model in the range is the BP Dodge Wreck Truck 13d in the early colour scheme of green cab with yellow back. BP was paying Lesney to promote its company and did not like the colours, so they were reversed to yellow cab with green back. Models with the early colour scheme are extremely rare and highly valuable.
An assortment of Boats and Trailers. The second one made, 48b, can be found in white, cream or red plastic, and the motor can be found in a silver- or gold-plated finish. The Cabin Cru
iser 9d was made for over twenty-five years, continuing well into the Superfast era.
Late-issue American cars. The Mercury Station Wagon 73c is fairly common but the Chevrolet Taxi 20c with grey wheels and the Lincoln Continental 31c in metallic lime green are both extremely rare.
Twenty new models were added in 1966, including the best-selling model of all time, the Ford GT40 41c. It was normally off-white with yellow hubs but was recoloured for the G-4 gift set to yellow with yellow hubs. One hard-to-find version was off-white with red hubs, but the most elusive variant is the pre-production model fitted with wire wheels. It was thought by many collectors to be a fake or a custom (where a model has been altered from its original condition by a previous owner) but close examination of photographs in early Matchbox publications has shown it to be genuine. The Opel Diplomat 36c was painted gold but, like the Faun Crane, has been found recoloured to turquoise and packed into gift sets.
A regular-wheel G-6 Truck set that dates from 1966. A few G-6 sets have been found to contain a Crane Truck 30c in turquoise rather than the usual green.
The bestselling Ford GT40 41c was first made with regular wheels, and later with Superfast wheels. It is normally painted white or bronze but this yellow version was recoloured especially for the Race ‘n’ Rally G-4 gift set.
There were thirteen new models in 1967. Surprisingly, there were no real rarities made that year although some examples of one of the commonest models, the Claas Combine Harvester 65c, can be found without the hole in the baseplate that was actually a spindle hole used during the painting process, and on other examples the bottom rung of the ladder that hung below the bodywork was cast open. The open rung often bent during assembly, so it was soon filled in. Harvesters with either or both of these variations are very hard to find.
Nineteen new models were released in 1968. Again, no real rarities were made that year, except for one much sought-after model. The Mercury Cougar 62c is normally metallic green with a red interior, but a few of these painted in cream gloss with white interior have been found in South Africa and New Zealand. Also, these early pre-production pieces do not have a rear-view mirror moulded into the windscreen as found on the standard model.
Only seven new models were introduced in 1969 and development of new models was put on hold halfway through the year. This was because Mattel’s brand-new ‘Hot Wheels’ range with low-friction wheels, high-speed axles and bright paintwork had been launched and Matchbox’s sales figures had plummeted to an unprecedented degree. But Mattel had made a serious error in that they did not patent the new axles and so Lesney’s Matchbox plant set about converting its entire range to the new ‘Speedwheels’ as quickly as possible.
A worker fitting the tyres to toy trucks on the assembly line at the Lesney factory in Hackney, London, 17 June 1968. (Getty)
Workers checking the quality of finished toys on the assembly line, 17 June 1968. (Getty)
The British-made Matchbox display unit. Unlike the Bronner displays made in the United States, which were redesigned yearly, this one was kept in production for many years, but it is nevertheless very rare and highly collectable.
Designers with the latest in the Matchbox series of die-cast model cars at the Lesney factory, 17 June 1968. (Getty)
Also at this time it was decided to liven up the range with much brighter colours in order to compete with the new Hot Wheels Spectraflame mirror-like finish. As a result many of the new Superfast coloured bodies found their way on to baseplates with the older-type wheels, and vice-versa, giving us the crossover pieces of the transitional era that are among the most sought-after models today.
THE ‘1-75’ SERIES SUPERFAST ISSUES 1969–83
Converting to the new superfast wheels with their thinner, low-friction axles meant that Lesney had to adapt to making the new wheel sets. This was where the wheels were fitted to the axle before installing them on the car, so it also meant that each model would need to have a unique plastic axle carrier fitted inside the base, and the diecast base needed to be enlarged to make room for the axle carrier. On the few models that were not suitable to have axle carriers installed a wheel set was fitted into a small axle clip that was inserted into the bottom of the baseplate. Whichever method was used, a great deal of retooling was necessary for the entire range.
The Ferrari Berlinetta 75b was usually painted green during the regular-wheels era and red in the Superfast era. Transitional models exist, either regular-wheels models fitted with red bodies or green bodies fitted with Superfast wheels. Both are very desirable.
The ever popular Volkswagen Camper 23e was first painted blue, and later issues were painted orange. The blue version with a petrol filler flap cast into the side is quite hard to find. The filler flap was deleted early on to allow for the placement of stickers, but stickers were never fitted to the blue model.
As well as the redesigning of the wheels, axles, axle carriers and baseplates, the colour schemes were brightened up as well, and where it was possible for the regular-wheel and Superfast components to be interchanged then they were. After all, Lesney was only making children’s toys, so it did not matter if a Superfast model had a regular-wheel colour – which gives us the models that are so sought after by present-day collectors. There were few regular-wheel models that appeared in Superfast colours, except for the Land Rover Safari 12c in metallic gold, the Mustang 8e in red gloss, the Lincoln Continental 31c in metallic lime green, the Volkswagen 1600TL 67b in metallic purple and the Ferrari Berlinetta 75b in red gloss, but the Superfasts were a different story. The most desirable have to be the Pontiac GP Coupe 22c in red gloss, the Lincoln Continental 31c in sea-green gloss and the Ford Zodiac 53c in metallic light blue.
All three trucks, the Dodge Stake Truck 4d, Leyland Petrol Tanker 32c and Dodge Dumper Truck 48c, were carried over from the regular-wheel era. The Petrol Tanker and Stake Truck colours were unaltered but the Dumper was recoloured to yellow and blue.
The big American saloons were also carried over from the regular-wheel era.
However, many fakes have been made over the years and are still being made today, particularly the Land Rover 12c in blue gloss and the Ferrari Berlinetta 75b in metallic green, where a standard green regular-wheel Ferrari and a Superfast Ferrari in red can easily be converted into two valuable models by switching the baseplates, so extreme caution should be taken when purchasing any of these transitional models.
The Mercury Cougar ‘Rat Rod’ 62d in light green or lime green was an attractive model but the Hot Rod Draguar 36d and the Road Dragster 19e were perhaps a little too unrealistic.
Some models were deleted soon after they were converted to Superfast, such as the Land Rover Fire Engine 57c, which is quite rare, and even harder to find complete with the original box. Others had major modifications and recolours, such as the Mercury Cougar 62c in light metallic green, which had an opening cut into the bonnet and a large chrome engine fitted; its rear wheel wells were enlarged and a pair of larger wheels fitted to give it the dragster look. It was also recoloured to light yellow gloss or light green gloss.
Although the Mercedes Truck 1d and its Trailer 2e appeared in only one colour, the Superfast version was recoloured several times. In addition to those shown here, it can be found in metallic gold, military olive green and military olive drab.
The Mustang 8e was briefly released in the regular-wheel colour of white with a red interior; it was then recoloured to red and later to orange-red with either a red or a white interior. Finally it was given the dragster look with big wheels and exposed engine, giving us the Wildcat Dragster 8f. A few models were not converted to Superfast but kept their regular wheels, such as the Alvis Stalwart 61b, the Claas Combine Harvester 65c and the Ford Tractor 39c and its Hay Trailer 40c; and of course the Case Bulldozer 16d kept its rubber tracks.
One model that was deleted probably much too soon was the Pontiac GP Coupe 22c. It first appeared in the regular-wheel colour of red gloss and it was immediately recoloured to metallic
purple, only to be replaced by the Freeman Inter-City Commuter 22d shortly after. The metallic purple is quite rare but can be found, but very few of the red-gloss version are known to exist. It is probably the most desirable Superfast model, not just because it is so rare but because it was such a beautiful design.
The ‘transitional’ era began in mid-1969 during the final days of the regular-wheeled models and extended into the first year or two of the Superfast era. During this period models might be made with components from both the regular-wheel era and the Superfast era mixed together, but this usually meant that it was either a regular-wheeled model with the body in Superfast colours, or, more commonly, a Superfast model with a body in regular-wheel colours, although neither is particularly common.
There were four basic colours for the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 69c – metallic blue, metallic light gold, metallic gold, and metallic lime gold – but a few very desirable pre-production models have been found painted yellow gloss.
