#531 Mira Vs Matchbox – Turbo Fury, Gruesome Twosome, Stretcha Fetcha As Well As Lamborghini Countach (Ref. 119, 120, 126, 127) (Around 1981)

MONTH OF THE BOOTLEG AT TOYS FROM THE PAST!

I’ll proceed the previous entry amongst to a greater extent than Mira cars, only this time, they are based inwards Matchbox models from the Superfast era. These cars are rattling attractive, together with I empathize that Mira position its attending on these models.

Some convey already appeared inwards this blog, together with those that haven’t yet, volition seem another day.

TURBO FURY (Ref. 119)

GRUESOME TWOSOME (Ref. 120)

The Turbo-Fury does non convey the “Rolamatics” feature. One of the weak points of these cars are the suspension. The axles tend to larn upward together with the machine does non coil rattling good afterwards that. Interestingly, those Mira models were approximately of the terminal made that could hold upward opened using a screwdriver. Three of these iv cars convey screws on the chassis, then they tin flame hold upward opened together with repared inwards approximately way.

These showtime 2 models were too copied yesteryear Tin Toys (or TinToys), every bit I showed inwards entry #336.

LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH (Ref. 126)

STRETCHA FETCHA (Ref. 127)

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: TURBO FURY, GRUESOME TWOSOME, LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH, together with STRETCHA FETCHA (Ref. 119, 120, 126, 127)
• Scale: Approx. 1:64
• Year: Around 1981
• Company: Mira (Spain)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or seven cm

#541 Matchbox - Snr6 Hovercraft Together With Rescue Hovercraft (Nr. 72 Together With 2) (1972 Together With 1976)

 

The showtime article of the terminal calendar month (month of the bootleg) continued the terminal entry of March, too the showtime entry inwards May volition too somehow choke on the terminal entry of April. This way, both articles volition live "together" too it volition live easier to detect 1 from the other.

 

These are the ii Superfast Hovercrafts made past times Matchbox. Both conduct keep the same base of operations alongside the same reference inwards the 1-75 series, although they are dissimilar casts too inwards all catalogues conduct keep dissimilar numbers, they conduct keep been numbered 72 & 2, too they are actually 72-B too 02-C.

 

The showtime 1 (72-B, from 1972-78) is a white hovercraft alongside dark base of operations too cerise plastic details. It is a quite mutual model, but unfortunately the plastic business office on transcend is quite fragile, too then sometimes, those blades are broken. It carries 1 sticker on each side alongside the letters SRE6 addition the Union Jack.

The minute model (02-C, from 1976-80) was made inwards brilliant dark-green alongside a brownish base. Maybe they had inwards heed to unloose a armed forces model, but at the terminate it was decorated alongside but about random "RESCUE" stickers. This model has ii chromed bits on top, that resembles but about sort of motor addition an air intake. These are sometimes non really shiny anymore, but, inwards general, this model is much to a greater extent than durable than the showtime one.

 

It seems to me, that the white model is a scale reproduction of a existent hovercraft, patch the minute 1 is to a greater extent than similar an invention, but I could live wrong, I am no skillful on this topic, too never saw a existent hovercraft either.

 



 

The white hovercraft was too available inwards a bigger scale inwards the Superkings series.

 

UPDATE: This is a rare Rescue Hovercraft inwards a pale dark-green alongside dark base. I institute it past times jeopardy too never had seen it before. Did you lot know it? Was it sold equally business office of but about bigger kit, or inwards the ordinary 1-75 series? Anyhow a really interesting model. I know what Christian Falkensteiner has published here: http://www.cfalkensteiner.com/Matchbox/Catalog/LS/LS01-39/LS02c/ChF-LS02c.htm

This is the version alongside regal windows.

 

 

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: HOVERCRAFT SRN6 too RESCUE HOVERCRAFT (Nr. 72 too 2)
• Scale: 1:145
• Year: 1972 too 1976
• Company: Matchbox (G. Britain)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or vii cm

 

#553 Con-Nec-Tors – Skateboarder Together With Wrestler (1990)

Matchbox has rarely produced other toys than die-cast cars in addition to vehicles. This is i of the exceptions. After the success of the Connectables Line (see entries #471, #472 in addition to #473), Matchbox launched approximately other draw of piece of employment alongside a like approach, solely instead of creating vehicles yesteryear combining parts, you lot could shape unlike activity figures yesteryear combining torso, caput in addition to limbs.

Because each figure is composed of vi parts, at that spot are multiple combinations to generate novel figures, fifty-fifty if you lot solely ain a couplet of figures. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 sticker inwards a 2-pack blister bubble said: “Over 3.5 Million Combinations!”, which should move if you lot ain the whole collection

The characters chosen are pop characters of the 90s in addition to before: at that spot are several monsters in addition to creatures, merely equally good a policeman, a cyborg (in the Terminator style), an american football game player, a soldier... all easily identifiable characters.


To my knowledge, at that spot were xvi figures made for this collection, which could move purchased individually, inwards two-packs or inwards bigger gift sets. In English, the characters had pretty tedious names, encounter list:

• Monster Fly
• Football Player
• Dinosaur
• Rock Star
• Vampire
• Swamp Monster
• Skateboarder
• Pterodactyl
• Sheriff
• Robot
• Mummy
• Cyclops
• Wrestler
• Mutant
• Soldier
• Indian

In Italian, curiously, the names were a Little flake to a greater extent than inventive.

By the way, this toyline was non solely a Matchbox line, it was equally good produced yesteryear Giochi Preziosi. Maybe for this reason, the province inwards which this toyline had the biggest success was inwards Italy.

FACTS in addition to FIGURES:

• Name: SKATEBOARDER in addition to WRESTLER
• Toy Line: Con-nec-tors / Connectors
• Year: 1990
• Company: Matchbox (Great Britain) / Giochi Preziosi (Italy)
• Size of the figures: Around 10 cm

#565 Lesney Toys - Diverse Models I (1955, 1957 In Addition To 1958)

I direct keep collected my oldest Matchbox/Lesney to in conclusion write the even out of the origins of Matchbox.

Lesney was founded inward 1947 past times Leslie as well as Rodney Smith. Despite their names, these men were non family. LESlie as well as rodNEY gave cite to the company. Shortly after their foundation the engineer John "Jack" Odell joined the company. He was a friend of Rodney, both had worked previously at DCMT (Die Cast Machine Tools Ltd.), the die-cast fellowship famous for "Lone Star" die-cast models.
Initially, Lesney facilites were an onetime pub called The Riflemen. They changed place several times until they in conclusion moved to a mill inward Hackney. In 1947 they recevied a asking for toy gun parts, as well as they started considering toys every bit a novel option to the other items they produced. In 1948 they started producing toys themselves. That start toy was a die-cast route roller like to some other ane made past times Dinky, followed past times like toys including a cowboy carriage as well as a lather box racer (from 1949, belike the close sought-after model e'er inward the history of Lesney/Matchbox).

Rodney left the fellowship inward 1951 because he idea at that spot was no hereafter inward producing toys.
Only 2 years later, inward 1953, Lesney produced the Royal Stage Coach used inward the coronation of Elizabeth II inward 2 dissimilar scales. This was an amazing success as well as provided uppercase for hereafter expansions. This success summation a fleck of luck would definitely decide the vivid hereafter of the company. Jack Odell built a miniature road-roller inward 2 to three inches size for his daughter, who was alone allowed to accept amongst her to schoolhouse toys inward the size of a matchbox or smaller. This scale was somehow revolutionary, as well as nosotros all know how successful this "scale" has been. Opposed to the classic 1:43, 1:87... scales, this novel scale is sometimes referred every bit 1:box, because all models are some 2-3 inches long, independently of the size of the existent vehicle.
That route roller would afterwards hold out Nr.1 of the Matchbox 1-75 series.

Until the belatedly 50s, Lesney toys were distributed past times Moko. Moko was founded past times MOses KOhnstam, as well as from at that spot its name. Toys distributed past times Moko were marked Lesney/Moko inward the boxes. At ane point, Lesney bought Moko, as well as started distributing their ain toys.

From at that spot on, a groovy expansion would follow until the start bankruptcy as well as receivership inward 1982. Then, the fellowship was reformed every bit Matchbox International Ltd. (a sectionalization of Universal Holdings/ universal Toys) as well as started producing inward Macau. Jack Odell founded as well as thus Lledo (the surname spelled backwards).

Nr. 1c - Aveling Barford Road Roller (1958-1962)
Nr. 2b - Muir Hill Site Dumper (1957-1961) - Probably Reedition
Nr. 18a - Caterpillar Bulldozer (1955-1958) - Reedition

More Information:
www.hgm-matchbox.de/default.htm

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: Aveling Barford Road Roller (Nr. 1c), Muir Hill Site Dumper (Nr. 2b), Caterpillar Bulldozer (Nr. 18c)
• Scale: Unknown
• Year: 1958, 1957, 1955
• Company: Lesney (Great Britain)
• Size: approx. vi cm

#623 Matchbox – Lotus Europa In Addition To Bmc 1800 Pininfarina (1969)

Two cars released inward 1969. Amazing pattern for that year! Both came alongside Superfast wheels. Their near mutual colours are listed below, simply of course, they tin travel constitute inward other rare combinations, prototypes as well as international versions.

N°5d Lotus Europa (available 1969-1974)
1969-1970: Blue
1971-1974: Pink

N°56c BMC 1800 Pininfarina (available 1969-1974)
1969-1970: Golden
1971-1973: Orange

UPDATE (JAN/2017): I of late constitute 2 Lotus Europa inward improve status than the 2 above, as well as then I insert to a greater extent than pictures here.

Different tow-slots

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: LOTUS EUROPA (Nr.5d) as well as BMC 1800 PININFARINA (Nr.56c)
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: 1969
• Company: Matchbox (Great Britain)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or seven cm

#655 Matchbox - Diverse Superfast Models (1973)

H5N1 few Matchbox models, all of them marked 1973. H5N1 expert year!

 

N°3d Monteverdi Hai

 

 

 

N°6e Mercedes 350SL - orangish model, pictured amongst Lamborghini Countach together with Hot Rocker.

 

 

 

 

 

N°21e Rod Roller

 

 

N°27e Lamborghini Countach – 2 versions

 

 

N°28e Stoat (Rolamatics) – 2 versions

 

 

N°33d Datsun 126X

 

 

N°47d Beach Hopper (Rolamatics)

 

 

N°65d Saab Sonett III

 

 

 

N°67c Hot Rocker (Rolamatics) - light-green model, pictured amongst Lamborghini Countach together with Mercedes 350SL

 

UPDATE 1 (May/2017) Added minute Beach Hopper amongst metallic base.
 

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: MONTEVERDI HAI (Nr. 3d), MERCEDES 350SL (Nr. 6e), ROD ROLLER (Nr. 21e), LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH (Nr. 27e), STOAT (Nr. 28e), DATSUN 126X (Nr. 33d), BEACH HOPPER (Nr. 47d), SAAB SONNET III (Nr. 65d) together with HOT ROCKER (Nr. 67c)
• Scale: Approx. 1:64
• Year: 1973
• Company: Matchbox (Great Britain)
• Size: Around 8 cm