Model vehicle
Lesney Products and Co. Ltd
Category
Toys
Date
1971 (copyright date) - 1978 (copyright date)
Materials
Metal, plastic and cardboard
Measurements
De Tomaso Pantera – 75 mm (length), Road roller - 74 mm (length), Fire engine - 75 mm (length), Ambulance - 67 mm (length), Jeep - 74 mm (length), Dumb truck - 67 mm (length), Each box (min) - 79 mm (length); 39 mm (width); 27 mm (height), Each box (max) - 79 mm (length); 39 mm (width); 38 mm (height)
Place of origin
London
Collection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 664509
Summary
Six metal model Matchbox vehicles in their original boxes. The first vehicle is a 'Matchbox No. 8 De Tomaso Pantera'. The car is painted white and has two doors which do not open. The inside of the car is orange plastic. There is an embossed registration plate which reads ‘California VLO 344’. The underside of the car is blue metal, embossed with information about the car. The cardboard box has illustrations of the car on the top and the bottom. The logo 'Matchbox' is printed in red inside a yellow rectangle with a red and orange edge, this logo is repeated on each side of the box. The name of the car is printed alongside the illustration. On each side of the narrow sides of the box are printed 'Matchbox 75' and 'Collect All 75 Models Superfast Wheels'. The second vehicle is a yellow painted metal model 'Matchbox No. 72 Bomag Road Roller'. It has a red plastic interior, black plastic wheels and a black plastic roller. It has two doors which do not open. The underside of the road roller is yellow metal with embossed information about it. The cardboard box has illustrations of the road roller on three sides. The logo is printed on each side and the name of the vehicle is printed in black and white alongside two of the illustrations. On two sides of the box is written 'Matchbox 75' and various information about the product. The third vehicle is a metal model fire engine, 'Matchbox No. 22 Blaze Buster'. It is painted bright red with a yellow plastic ladder and black plastic wheels. There is a yellow and red printed label on each side which reads ‘Fire’. The underside of the fire engine is black metal with embossed information about it. The cardboard box has illustrations on two sides. The logo is printed on each side and the name of the vehicle is printed in white alongside the illustrations. On two sides of the box is written 'Matchbox 75', and various information about the product. The forth vehicle is a metal model ambulance, 'Matchbox No. 46 Stretcha Fetcha'. It is painted white with blue tinted plastic windows and sides, and black plastic wheels. There is a red cross printed on a white label on each side which reads ‘Ambulance’. The underside of the ambulance is red metal with embossed information about it. The cardboard box has illustrations on two sides. The logo is printed in red. The words 'Stretcha Fetcha Ambulance’ are printed in black alongside the illustrations. The fifth vehicle is a metal model jeep, 'Matchbox No. 53 CJ-6 Jeep'. It is painted red with a beige plastic roof and black plastic wheels. The interior is made of moulded yellow plastic. The underside of the jeep is silver coloured metal with embossed information about it. The cardboard box has illustrations on three sides. The logo is printed on each side of the box and the name of the vehicle is printed in white alongside two of the illustrations. The sixth vehicle is a yellow painted metal model 'Matchbox No. 58 Faun Dump Truck'. It has a small cab with pierced windows on the left-hand side of the front. The back of the truck is hinged allowing a load to be tipped out backwards. It has black plastic wheels. The underside of the road roller is black plastic with embossed information about it. The cardboard box has illustrations on two sides. The logo is printed on each side and the name of the vehicle is printed in black and white alongside the illustrations. On two sides of the box is written 'Matchbox 75' and various information about the product. Total number of items is 12.
Marks and inscriptions
Bottom of the 'De Tomaso Pantera': 'MATCHBOX Superfast / No.8 DE TOMASO PANTERA / MADE IN ENGLAND / COPYRIGHT 1975 / LESNEY PRODUCTS AND Co LTD / PAT No 1238927' Underside of the road roller: 'BOMAG/ ROAD/ ROLLER/ MATCHBOX/ LESNEY/ ENGLAND/ COPYRIGHT 1978/ No 72' Underside of the fire engine: 'MATCHBOX Superfast/ No 22 BLAZE BUSTER/ MADE IN ENGLAND/ COPYRIGHT 1975 LESNEY PRODUCTS AND Co LTD/ PAT No/ 1238927' Underside of the ambulance: 'MB 46 MATCHBOX Superfast/ STRETCHA FETCHA/ MADE IN ENGLAND/ COPYRIGHT 1971/ LESNEY PRODUCTS AND Co LTD/ PAT. NO. 1238927' Underside of the jeep: 'MATCHBOX Superfast/ No 53/ CJ6 JEEP/ MADE IN ENGLAND/ COPYRIGHT 1977 LESNEY PROD AND Co. LTD.' Underside of the dump truck: 'MATCHBOX Superfast/ LESNEY ENGLAND/ No.58/ FAUN DUMP/ TRUCK/ COPYRIGHT 1976'
Makers and roles
Lesney Products and Co. Ltd, maker