EARLY MATCHBOX (Moko/Lesney/Matchbox)

Even I have THAT Mustang in my SMALL MB collection. A childhood favorite!

@david-green 

I like that Mustang. When was it made?

@ed-davis 

Hi Ed,

This is early number Lesney/Matchbox, actually 8-E produced from 1966 to 1969, now expensive to get. It was updated for 1970 with a slightly revised casting 8-F in red.

I did not cover these Mustangs earlier and will do so in detail here in the next week or so.

I had a nice yellow Mustang with light blue interior, 1/43 Dinky Toys. A favourite but long since gone : (

As we have now reached Number 75 which is the highest number in the Early Matchbox series, I'm going back and filling a few issues missed.

8-E, Mustang Fastback,  1/65 scale. Introduced 1967, discontinued 1970.

1967-1969 White body with steering front wheels, controlled by a white plastic lever below the left door. This one has clear windows, red interior, red tow hook. Wheels are chrome metal with black plastic tires.

1969 Red body, all else the same.

1970 White with Speedwheels. Steering control removed on this revised casting.

1970 Red with Speedwheels. Steering control removed on this revised casting.

I remember this little button, but could not think what it operated - no ejection seat for unwanted mother-in-law - so thanks for the reminder. 

If I had known about these models back then, I would have bought some.  Though not the model shown here, my first car was a 1967 Mustang that I bought in 1969.

I have the 1st issue white version in my small MB collection and remember it fondly, as I had one as a child. But I never knew nor saw ANY of those other issues. Very cool! 😎 😎 

I know that I have the white one with the steerable wheels.  Never liked it for that reason.  It is put up somewhere in the house.

Accessory Packs.

In the 1960s, Lesney produced Accessory Packs to complement the regular wheel 75 Series vehicles that they made.

Here is the A5-A Home Stores issue from 1961. This is metal with an opening door and two display windows. It is only 3 inches wide.

Cool! Never saw these before. What did they retail for?

@chris 

Not sure in USA. In Canada, about a dollar.

The Small Coronation Coach from 1953.

This is a scales down version of the much larger coach made by Lesney for Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation on June 3rd 1953.

The top of the centre bar is embossed 'A Moko toy by Lesney". Initials E II R are on the coach doors. This coach was a major factor in the early growth of Lesney/Matchbox setting the stage for the whole 75 Series.

@david-green 

Earlier this summer I bought a magazine titled, The Story of Matchbox Cars, 70th Birthday Celebration.  It has 98 pages with lots of pictures.  It covered the coronation coach models.  They sold 30,000 of the large coaches (16 inches long) and more than one million of the smaller ones (4.5 inches long).

@ed-davis 

Incredible numbers back in 1953 when you consider how fragile the British economy was back then. No wonder Lesley became such a success for so many years.