Matchbox (brand)

For the Matchbox also said matching device in the high-frequency, radio and antenna technology see resonance transformer, power matching and impedance matching.

Matchbox is a brand name for toy model cars and airplanes in 1952 by the now defunct British Lesney Products & Co. Ltd.. were produced. Meanwhile, the brand belongs to Mattel. The designation Matchbox car was temporarily also commonly used as a synonym for small metal toy cars, even if they were actually manufactured by other companies.

• 3.1 Revell
• 3.2 armored vehicles and infantry in 1:76

Company History

The company Lesney was founded by the unrelated Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith in London in 1947 and worked mainly as a supplier of cast zinc components for the engineering industry. 1948 met Jack Odell - initially only as a lodger with his own model workshop - to the very small company whose full partner he later became. A special feature of the UK tax legislation, in which the stock of a company was used on 1 January of each year as a basis for calculating the payable corporate tax, meant that suppliers such as Lesney practically in the last months of the year were no more orders. It therefore focused in the face of the upcoming Christmas season in the manufacture of toys, in order to fill the machines. The company's co-founder Rodney Smith left the company in 1952.

The technology for production of zinc cast toys as well as the first toys were developed by the British cast zinc specialists Jack Odell. Since it was not allowed to take toys to school that were bigger than a matchbox, he built for his daughter a small car, a steam roller, made ​​of cast iron and hid it (English: Matchbox ) in a matchbox.

The first major success for the new zinc -cast toys by Lesney in the toy market succeeded in 1952/53, with a miniature model of the coronation coach of Queen Elizabeth II This was sold over a million copies, one for the sensationally high circulation. With the profits from the sales of the coronation coach the production of small " MATCHBOX " models was funded.

From the beginning, the small models, initially exclusively commercial vehicles and construction equipment, in small cardboard boxes, matchboxes were simulated and the series were also gave its name to " MATCHBOX Series", driven, although in the 1980s eventually blister ( blister pack ) were used. After the first three models Matchbox end of 1953, published annually by 1959 new models. At that time, 75 different models were available simultaneously. Due to objections from the dealer, who could find no more space to exhibit all models at the same time, it was decided to leave the series with 75 models. Therefore, the term used today is 1-75 series. Since then, needs to be taken out of the series for each new translucent an old model. The miniatures in this series are all approximately the same size and therefore not true to scale. However, they are approximately equal to the scale of 1:64.

In 1956, the first models in the series Models of Yesteryear published. These vehicles were with their scale of approximately 1:43 is larger than the conventional Matchbox models and were directed primarily to collectors. The series was continued into the 90s. Model of the Models of Yesteryear were steam vehicles and horse-drawn vehicles from the early days of motorization. Later, the 30's, the line was increasingly on cars and trucks from the period between 1910 and mid- converted. At present, new models appear only on the occasion of special anniversaries.

1968 saw Lesney Matchbox brand and thus the first serious crisis, which was triggered by the introduction of the Hot Wheels cars from Mattel. In contrast to the Matchbox cars had these new models almost smoothly running axles and reached to the then very simple racetracks considerable speeds, so that the loops were possible. Lesney responded by all models of the 1-75 line were also equipped with low-friction axles within a few years. Known as Regular Wheels period in collectors' circles time was over. The new vehicles were sold under the name Matchbox Superfast. Superfast models from the 70s to today are enjoying great popularity among collectors and some have achieved remarkable prices. The Superfast line was reissued (USA) and 2005 ( Europe) by Mattel in 2004.

Lesney Toys went bankrupt on 11 June 1982. The rights to the brand were sold to the U.S. company Universal Toys. However, some machines and tools were owned by Jack Odell, who still manufactured under the name Lledo ( Odell backwards) similar car models and sales.

Although no longer Matchbox was in British possession, but the products were still perceived as British, especially since they were manufactured until the mid -80s in England and many of the original models were built further. The Matchbox brand was then used with varying success to other toy products until 1992, Universal Toys looking for a buyer. This was the company Tyco Toys, which was acquired again in 1997 by Mattel, thereby Matchbox is in the same ownership as the longtime rival Hot Wheels in May 1992 to the present.

Are Matchbox cars still in original packaging, have no signs of wear or fading to the packaging and vehicle, these are referred to by collectors as "mint boxed ". To help them achieve the highest possible price.

Studebaker Lark Wagonaire 1964

Mercedes 300 SE 1968

Rolls- Royce Silver Shadow Convertible 1969

AMX Javelin 1972

Bedford Low Loader 27A2

Original box / BOX

Matchbox Superfast

Matchbox Superfast refers to a car model series, which differs from the models of the "normal" Matchbox 1-75 series with easy-glide wheels. The models have been produced from 1969 to about 1981 in England. Thereafter, production to the Far East was ( first Macao, China and Thailand later ) installed, where the models were producing. The name " Super Fast", however, was set in the 90s. The series had in the meantime under various other names, such as " Hero City " or " MBX Metal".

The name was revived in 2004 to honor the " 35th Anniversary of Superfast ". From 2004 to 2006 every year new Matchbox Superfast models were offered as collector's items, with the limited edition number at 15,000 ( U.S.) or 8,000 pieces was ( for the displaced outside the U.S. models). The series consisted of 75 models each year (plus various special models, especially in the U.S.). For the year 2005, the U.S. models had a different finish than the sold in other countries.

Superfast Racecourse

Matching the Superfast models brought Lesney from 1969 about a racetrack out. This consisted of yellow road -rail, blue curves and numerous additional elements usually red. Initially wore these elements the term SF ( Super Fast). However, this was changed in 1971 in TA, in order to avoid confusion with the super fast car models. An extension to the electric racecourse represented the " Scorpions " system, in which the vehicles were battery operated ride on the super fast race track.

Model Kits

Model kits such as tanks and infantry was produced by MATCHBOX in 1:32 and 1:76. These kits were cast depending on the price range in several colors. Initially, the number on the package page was designed respectively to the existing colors. The characters were very detailed soft plastic and resembled the attitudes of the cheap versions that were sold in toy stores in bags.

On the Brighton Toy Fair in 1973 was presented the first model aircraft in 1:72 scale, such as the Hawker Fury, the Boeing P -12E, the Mitsubishi Zero, the Focke Wulf 190A. In the summer of 1974, then the first car models in scale 1:76 and the end of 1975 published a new series with model cars in 1:32 scale.

1978 Lesney bought the model builder Aluminum Model Toys (AMT ), based in the U.S. This then appeared some MATCHBOX AMT kits with the logo on the American market. But the biggest AMT Model Car Kit program of American vehicles was again offered by MATCHBOX in the European market.

Revell

At the beginning of the 1990s acquired Revell frets in the rights to the Matchbox kits and brought out some new products that came from his own program. Some kits have been produced in the last white pack version from Revell on. In 1988, Matchbox had changed its packaging from white to black. Only the aircraft were sold in these packs. The vehicles remained in the old style. After Revell long time (the last models of this type originated with Italeri and ESCI in the 1970s ) adopted from the division's ground forces, the models were re-released in the wake of new entry in this field since 1995. After 2000 Revell produced this but not in Matchbox robe, but with new packaging and images. So today a Matchbox model can be seen only at the scale 1:76. For a long time only the vehicles of this series had been producing. Since August 2011, the soldiers are again available on the same scale. A further indication of a Matchbox kit are the added small dioramas. Revell makes the model sprues pour only in one color.

Armored vehicles and infantry in 1:76

Under the brand name also figures of soldiers in 1:76 scale (each about 50 figures per pack ) and 1:32 (each 15 figures per pack, poses as in 1:76 ) were sold. Some vehicles and figures were re-released in new packaging from Revell.