![]() Creating my own towns, using the flexible world of Matchbox Metro sets (and their cheaper, but compatible counterparts). But what I remember most fondly is the joy of slotting together little pieces of plastic road and letting my imagination run riot. The Roadsīefore we delve into the cars, we should first examine the landscape these vehicles will be commanding.Ĭar mats have stead the course of time essentially rugs, that have an aerial or sometimes isometric town printed on them, all for your car playing delight, whilst making it comfier to lay on the floor and eat biscuits. Because that’s exactly what I want it to be. Now, I acknowledge that this video could rapidly descend into a whiny “It’s not like it used to be in my day” type of video. I doubt the minds of future generations will recall the excitement of picking through a tub of misshapen, crumpled boxes featuring 4 varieties of car whilst Mum’s off buying cabbages quite as much, as the wonder and awe of a little shop dedicated and packed to the brim with toys. In our current age, both the local toy shops and the racks of cars have largely disappeared instead, you’re likely to find a box of cars shoved in a tub on the bottom shelf of your local supermarket. All presented in “matchbox” like packaging with a clear window of plastic allowing you to see the wonderous vehicle inside. Tony Medland’s was the local toy shop in my home town of Cromer, and it used to have entire racks dedicated to these little scale models. There were other brands such as Corgi and Majorette who came pretty close and even exceeded the Matchbox mark in some cases, but Matchbox had the largest share of the market, the largest number of accessories and the widest array of cars to choose from. More than a million of the coaches sold.If you were anything like my brother and I as a child, you will have undoubtedly played with toy cars, otherwise known as dinky cars or more commonly in the UK, at least Matchbox cars. A formula for high quality, impressive detail, and affordable prices set Matchbox apart from their competitors when they debuted in 1952 and fueled such an enduring success that some people continue to call a miniature car, no matter the maker, a “Matchbox.”įactoyd: In 1953, Jack Odell designed a model of the golden coronation coach of Queen Elizabeth II. Today Matchbox still rolls as a top seller, now part of the Mattel family of toys. acquired the product, formed Matchbox International, and moved most of the production to Asia. Despite these efforts, Matchbox’s high cost of manufacturing in England drove Lesney into bankruptcy. Lesney also diversified the designs, introduced a line of fantasy cars, and produced Disney-themed vehicles. Lesney countered with the Matchbox Superfast line of cars and pumped up its advertising campaign. Kids traded in the British product for these flashier American muscle cars. In 1968, Mattel roared in with Hot Wheels. Such success, achieved with little advertising, made Lesney Products one of England’s most profitable companies. American kids became collectors, taking 100 million Matchbox cars for a spin annually. In 1960, Lesney exported 70 million tiny vehicles. sales began a few years later, and Lesney added a Ford Customline Station Wagon to its formerly all-British fleet. Soon the company rolled out a cement mixer, a double-decker London bus, and a palm-sized racecar, advertising that, with Matchboxes, children could buy for pennies. He scaled down Lesney’s road roller toy, packaged it in a matchbox, and sent his daughter off to school. ![]() In 1952, Odell was inspired by a rule at his daughter’s school that permitted students to only bring toys that fit inside a matchbox. ![]() ![]() ![]() English die casters Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith founded Lesney Products in 1947 and, along with partner Jack Odell, began making small toys to fill slack demand during wartime. ![]()
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