Matchbox Lesney history 7/15/07 History : Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith (not related) were school friends. They met again while serving in the Royal Navy in the 1940's, and, in June 1947 after World War II, they took £600 in finances, combined their names ("Les" from the first half of Leslie and "ney" from the last half of Rodney) and formed "Lesney Products". Until the business grew to support them full time, Leslie was employed for several years by J. Raymond Wilson Company which confirmed overseas orders, doing the Lesney financial records in the evenings, and Rodney was employed by the engineering firm of Diecast and Machine Tools in London. Lesney purchased the Rifleman Tavern in Edmonton, England, and some used die casting equipment with a plan to make industrial pressure die cast products. John W. "Jack" Odell who was a recognized die cast expert also employed by Diecast and Machine Tools joined Lesney. Rodney had got to know Jack whilst at D.C.M.T.

Jack was initially to run his own business from The Rifleman (his local council refused him permission to manufacture in his own premises) and contribute towards the £2 a week rent. He used his own machines to make industrial castings as well as molds for Lesney Products. Jack was quite successful and the 2 Smiths asked him to join them as a full partner. By 1948 Lesney consisted of 8 employees and 3 partners. Businesses decreased their inventory to limit tax imposed on inventory held on January 1, so business for Lesney was slow during the months prior to the end of the year. In late 1947 a toy manufacturer placed an order for a component of a toy gun. This helped Lesney over the period and sowed the seed for the later direction of the company. Lesney tried alternative products, including toys, which had also been done by other die casting firms. Anticipating the next year's lean period they made diecast models similar to Dinky toys but at a third of the price. The first toy was a large Aveling Barford road roller and was sold in London shops in 1948.

Merchandisers were not enthusiastic, but children's enthusiasm and demands for the toys prevailed. Lesney struck the molds for a toy state coach in 1950, but from 1950 to 1952 during the Korean War, the British government restricted use of zinc to essential purposes, and Lesney made only the tin "Jumbo the Elephant". By Christmas 1952 Lesney was supplying toys to some Woolworth stores in London. By 1952 the restrictions had been lifted and a revamped version of the coach gilded in anticipation of the coming Coronation was ready. Early Lesney toys By 1953, thirteen (or possibly as many as seventeen) toys comprised the line, including: Aveling Barford road roller (1948); cement mixer (1948); prime mover with trailer and bulldozer (1950) Ruston Bucyrus shovel (1950) Muffin the mule (1951) large coronation coach (1952. Originally with king and queen cast inside but then only the queen.

The model had been conceived in 1950 before the death of King George VI in 1952. It was launched in time for the Queen’s Coronation the following year, hastily rebranded to sport the royal livery, and became a runaway success); and small coronation coach (1953. More than a million were produced). A variety of toys were manufactured, including mechanical animals, wheeled vehicles, horse drawn vehicles, and the bait press, before Lesney finally concentrated on wheeled vehicles. Jack Odell began designing smaller scale toys, the first of which were for the most part smaller versions of the first larger Lesney toys. The smaller toys were very successful and became the 1-75 range continuing to today, with the larger toys being phased out. Jack's skills were amply demonstrated by the production of an exquisite model of the Royal State Coach produced for the coronation of 1953. A miniature version was also produced with over one million being sold. Soon after this success came the idea for more tiny toys housed in replica matchboxes.

Jack's daughter, Ann, had just started school, and the school only allowed her to take into school a toy that could be contained within a matchbox. When Jack made her a miniature road roller out of brass, and painted red and green, all Ann's school friends wanted one so Jack made a mold and cast a few. Thus the "Matchbox" miniature 1-75 range was born. As the engineer it was Jack’s task to monitor developments in the car industry, updating the models frequently to make sure that details on dashboards, bonnets and wheels were correct. The smaller toys weren't just sold at toy shops, but also through tobacconists and sweet shops, and the cost was within the reach of the average child's pocket money (Matchbox prices started from about 1s 8d). The first smaller toys included: diesel road roller (1); quarry truck (6, designed in prototype but never issued as a large scale vehicle); horse drawn float (7); caterpillar bulldozer (8); London bus (5A, being a new model which was never drawn or issued in large scale).

Lesney wanted to concentrate on manufacturing, and in 1953 arranged for the Moko Company, a marketing agent specializing in toys, to package and market the toys for a percentage. Moko founder Moses Kohnstam had moved from Germany to England at the turn of the century, and by 1953 Richard Kohnstam was in charge of Moko. Moko eventually distributed the toys worldwide. The Moko name appeared on all products distributed by the company and not just Matchbox. The name "Matchbox" was used and registered in 1953, with that name belonging 50% to Moko and 50% to Lesney. Moko also provided financial services and backing to Lesney, as it did to other toys manufacturers. In 1954, a dainty MG TD roadster, the first Matchbox car was issued as the 19th vehicle in the smaller toy series. also in 1954, Rodney left for Australia and left Lesney, and set up a die casting company in joint venture with Moonstone, a company formed by toy wholesaler Morris & Stone.

In late 1955 Dalston (Shacklewell Lane) was Lesney's only site, having moved from Edmonton. Lesney brought Barretts Grove late 1955 or early 1956. The two works (Shacklewell Lane and Barretts Grove) ran at the same time and were eventually moved to the Eastway Hackney. On splitting the works, Shacklewell Lane retained an enlarged toolroom and a foundry. Barretts Grove had a toolroom, a larger foundry and assembly facilities. The Shacklewell Lane toolroom became toolroom one at the Eastway, while the Barretts Grove toolroom became toolroom two. [information from toolmaker Peter Dawson] 7/11/07 The idea of a "matchbox" to put toys in was not original with Lesney, having been used for German toys in the early 1900's and again in the pre-war 1940's with toys called "Matchbox Toys".

The first boxes were plain boxes with tuck in ends, usually single color printing without a model picture, replaced during the early 1950's with more attractive color boxes with images of the models, first in simple drawings, then in more detail, and eventually the images were in color. The original design was similar to a Czechoslovakian matchbox design by Norvic matches. Early boxes with the first seven models for the 1953–54 series carried the Moko name in script in a scroll underneath the drawing next to "Lesney", with Moko later changed to block letters. The Moko name appeared through 1960. Later when the size of the models was increased to enhance play value, the box size also increased to accommodate the larger models. The history of boxes is a project in itself, and they are of great interest to collectors and a strong element in determining value of a particular piece. Some box variations are extremely rare, and in some cases value of the rare box has exceeded the model contained in the box, with hundreds of dollars being paid for rare examples.

The first blisterpacks with the contents displayed in a sealed plastic bubble or blister appeared in 1963, with blisterpacks from the 1960's generally also including a box until sometime after the introduction of superfast models. Blisterpack are generally a US marketing tools as European markets used window boxes until approximately 1994. The first Yesteryears were introduced in 1956, with the first 3 Yesteryears were shown at the 1956 Toy Trade Fair, Harrogate. The range was subsequently limited to 16 models, replacing models to introduce new ones. The models were packaged in boxes similar to those used for the "Matchbox" 1-75 series. The "Matchbox" trade mark was owned jointly by Lesney Products and their distributor J. Kohnstam & Co. Ltd. Around 1958, Leslie wanted to expand to Asia and particularly Japan, but Richard Kohnstam disagreed. In order to open the far east market, Lesney purchased Moko's 50% interest for £80,000. In 1959 the first and second catalogs of toys was issued.

Joint managing directors, Smith ran the business while Odell was in charge of manufacturing and product design. Lesney became one of the biggest employers in north and east London. especially of women. In 1960 the company went public. New York salesman Fred Bonner was conducting American sales in 1954, and by the late 1950's became the sole US importer (US price was typically sold for 49¢). In 1964, Lesney Products (USA) was formed as a division of the English company, and purchased Fred Bonner's inventory and installed him as president. By 1962 Matchbox was knocking out a million toy vehicles a week, more than the number of real cars made by all the world's major automakers combined. By 1966 more than 1,000,000 models were being sold a year. More than 75% of Lesney Products’ output went abroad (the models were immensely popular in the US and Japan). In 1969 the Fred Bonner Corporation became the Lesney Products Corporation in the US.

By 1969, Lesney made 5,500,000 models per week, exported to 130 countries, with 40% going to the USA, and employed some 6,000 people in 12 London factories. Jack and Leslie were each awarded the OBE in 1968. The late 1960s Mattel introduced "Hot Wheels" cars with their frictionless wheels and increased "play" value. Competition from Hot Wheels had serious negative market consequences for Lesney. Lesney was slow in responding, and did not introduce the "Superfast" models until the second 1969 catalog. During 1970 and into 1971 the entire range was converted to Superfast wheels, including the Kingsize range, renamed "Superkings". Models of Yesteryear production was stopped in the end of 1971, with no production 1972-73, and only old stocks were sold. Yesteryears were presented in the 1973 catalogue, but they were not issued. New Yesteryears models were produced and old ones painted with new colors.

In 1973 Jack Odell resigned as directory, but remained as deputy chairman, leaving Leslie sole director. 1973 also saw many new products including "Rolomatics" which had parts that moved as the wheels revolved, an 8 week strike, a fire then a flood which destroyed much of the Rochford factory, and the cessation of yesteryear production until 1975. In 1974 Lesney diversified into dolls. In 1977 Lesney acquired Vogue Doll Company, and in 1978 it acquired AMT, maker of plastic model kits. AMT was sold to Ertl in 1982. By 1980 Lesney was feeling financial strain. Jack came out of retirement as joint vice-chairman in 1981 for a year, and David Yeh of Universal Toys struck a deal to manufacture Matchbox toys in his far east factories, one of the first being the Disney character figures. Manufacturing in the far east proved too costly and ceased.

After suffering huge losses and under pressure of creditors, on June 11, 1992, Lesney was declared bankrupt, a receiver appointed, the company was reformed as Matchbox Toys, Ltd., and a buyer sought. Fisher Price and Mattel were possible buyers, but Universal Toys bought the company and the marketing companies for France, Germany and Australia, for £16.5 million on September 24, 1982. Jack purchased much of the company's tooling and machinery and formed Lledo ("Odell" spelled backwards) and concentrated on limited models in the larger scale. At that time much of the Matchbox production was moved to existing Universal plant facilities in Macau. Yesteryears production stayed in Rochford, England until 1985, when it also moved to Macau. Matchbox International Ltd. (later Universal Matchbox Group) was formed in Hong Kong in 1983. Lesney Products still appeared on toys until as late as 1985. In 1986 the company changed its name to Universal Matchbox. During 1986–87 (1985–86) production was moved to Macao.

In 1987 the Rochford factory in Essex closed. In 1987 Universal purchased the "Dinky" trademark from Kenner-Parker. Six miniatures were repackaged as Dinky cars to preserve the mark, and in 1989 the first prototypes appeared. In 1990 new facilities were opened in China for Yesteryear production to replace the Macau facilities, and production was moved in 1990-91. Throughout the 1980 unusual toys other than die cast appeared, including Pee Wee Herman and Freddie Krugger. In July 1992, following financial downturn, Universal Matchbox Group Ltd. was sold to Tyco Toys, Inc, New Jersey, USA for just over $100 million USD, and in October it was merged with Tyco. Late in 1992 Tyco formed the Matchbox Collectibles division to be responsible for sale of Yesteryears. On November 18, 1997 Mattel purchased Tyco for $755 Million.

Numbers 76 & greater (& renumbering of existing models) 12/1/98 A "#76" (& greater numbered) model appeared in Japan twice – in 1977 with a Mazda RX-7 and models continuing through 79, and the second time in 1984 when the Japanese line was expanded to 100 (16 models different than the rest of the world ("ROW") line). The third appearance of the #76 cam in 1995 when for a short time models occupying numbers 76, 77 and 78 were issued and then cancelled, with the explanation that "the factory did not have some of the new castings ready for the outgoing assortments so they put three old models into the extended numbers, which got rid of old stocked models and filled the assortments being shipped" [source "Matchbox Collectors Club Newsletter", December 1998] (sometimes referred to as "error" cars).

In fall 1998, Mattel issued another number #76 (old #38 Model A van in red, white and blue, and "tampo"ed with "special 76 model" on the box and ""Make it real" on the doors), & announced the line would be expanded to 100 models in 1999). Mattel had previously announced that it would renumber existing cars to form "theme groups", e.g. "adventure", "oceanics", "wilderness" , "adventure", "law & order", "at your service' & 13 other groups. Mattel History 1/1/99 Founded in 1945 by Ruth and Elliott Handler. From inception to 1959 it produced simple and conventional toys. Ruth designed "Barbie" in 1959, and with increased revenues Mattel hired master electronic engineer Jack Ryan to head a large research and development staff, and production of cutting edge toys was one of Ryan's accomplishments.

By using modern technology Mattel stayed ahead of the competition and are the lone survivor of the "Big 4": Marx, Ideal, Mattel and Remco, that controlled the toy market in the 1960's.

[see links to other persons' history pages at top of this page] See the following books which were sources for the above information for more history: "The Encyclopedia of Matchbox Toys, with Values", by Charlie Mack, Schiffer Books, ©1997, 2nd ed 8/99 "Lesney's Matchbox Toys", The Regular Wheel Years, 1947-1969, by Charlie Mack, Schiffer Books, © 1992 "Lesney's Matchbox Toys", The Superfast Years, 1969-1982, by Charlie Mack, Schiffer Books "Lesney's Matchbox Toys", The Universal Years, 1982-1992, by Charlie Mack, Schiffer Books John Ramsay's "British Diecast, Model Toys Catalogue", Swapmeet Publications © 1995 Matchbox Originals | eBay Matchbox Originals or Best Offer Free Shipping Vehicles nos but packages beat up.the last pic shows the one box is crushed.the others are fine. $14.99 0 bids Early MGA by Matchbox faithfully reproduced from the original Lesney molds in Thailand 1992.

Both hanging cards are in good condition, as you can see in the last 6 photos. Buy It Now or Best Offer Original over 40 years before. Dated 1992. A moko Lesney Product No.4 MB 963 S3 # 11963. Green tractor with driver. Hard to find. Buy It Now Free Shipping This represents a fine reproduction of Lesney Products. I believe this is 1:64 scale. There is no reserve on this item. Buy It Now Free Shipping (4) Matchbox Originals of Early Vehicles No. 4, 9, 12 & 52 Tractor Fire Truck Race Car Land Rover. Awesome Shape with some wear from storage and age. Perfect for any Collector or Fan. - Item is SOLD a... Buy It Now or Best Offer An oversight or lack of knowledge on my part is not an attempt to deceive or mislead. $17.99 Buy It Now 1993 Matchbox Originals Lot of 5. No 6 Euclid Dump Truck, No 13 Bedford Wreck Truck, No 19 MG Midget TD, No.

26 Orange Cement Mixer, and No 32 Jaguar XK 140. Moko, Lesney. New In Packages MOC Matchbox | Robotech Saga Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Share Matchbox, the original toy company for Robotech. Originally a maker of Die Cast toy cars, Matchbox became the US distributor for some Voltron and Robotech toys. Founded in England in 1953 by Lesney Products, the Matchbox Brand was sold in 1992 to Tyco, which in turn was bought out by Mattel in 1997 . Matchbox now exists as a sub-brand under Mattel, but items in this list largely pertain to when Matchbox was its own company. Matchbox was the first toy company to license Robotech toys. They are notable for releasing a VHS of two "new" episodes, called " Robotech Wars " both of which do not fit within the Robotech continuity. Gifts and Collectibles Galore | eBay Stores Gifts and Collectibles Galore Member id jcwood43 ( Feedback Score Of 4009 ) Shopping for unique or unusual holiday gift ideas, birthday present ideas or shopping for new or old antiques and collectibles?

Wanting die cast cars, collectible dolls, memorabilia, Christmas ornaments, angel figurines, old dishware, even decorative collectibles? All are at your fingertips! Store search We accept payment via PayPal. Remember...We discount priority shipping when purchasing more than one item. 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe 1:18 Scale Diecast Car Often, questions arise about diecast cars i.e. what is the car made of or what is the size (measurements) of the car. Hopefully, the following information will help to answer these questions, and give an overview about the history of the diecast hobby/collecting. History of the Diecast Cars About Die casting …generally the casting process where molten metal is introduced into a mold. sometimes under high pressure and sometimes not. From the molten state it is allowed to cool and harden. Mostly diecast is made from non-ferrous metals i.e. zinc, copper, aluminum, magnesium, lead, pewter and tin based alloys. The diecast (or die cast, or die-cast) toys were first produced in the early 20th century.

These toys were first produced by two companies: Meccanno (United Kingdom) known as Dinky Toys… and Bowst Brothers (United States) also known as TootsieToys. These earlier cars had a body but no interior. Many had impurities in the alloy resulting in zinc pest. These pest caused a distort or crack in the car for no reason. Due to this problem, diecast toys made before WWII are hard to find in good condition and are extremely valuable. In 1947, Lesney began making the popular Matchbox 1-75 series. This series was named 1-75 because there were 75 different vehicles offered in the line. Also, it got its name Matchbox because they were packaged in a small box designed to look like a match box. The popularity of the diecast toys developed in the 1950s with an increase in the detail and quality of each toy. New companies started manufacturing cars including the Corgi brand, produced by Mettoy. This company was the pioneer for including interiors in their models around 1956. Hot Wheels by Mattel was introduced in the US as a line of toys for boys.

Barbie dolls had been introduced for the girls, but there was not a specific toy for the boys. Hot Wheels quickly became the niche due to the car being fast, equipped with low friction wheel/axle assembly….perfect for their name Hot Wheels. Now the boys had their toys! In the 1960s the diecast vehicles were used as promotional items in advertising. The thought behind the advertising was… children played a large part in a family’s decision as to what products to buy. By the1980s it became apparent that diecast vehicles were being purchased by adults …not as toys for children, but as collectibles for adults! The market exploded! Thus came the promotional models featuring companies such as… McDonald's, Sears Roebuck, Kodak, and Texaco. These companies had logos and offered by license to allow other manufacturing companies to use. And so, today we see many companies producing varieties of different diecast cars, different sizes, different details, different quality for the interiors and exteriors. Sizing of Diecast Cars and Trucks When buying diecast model cars today, the question concerning the size or scale of the car keeps coming up i.e.

how long is a 1:24 scale car or truck….can you give me the dimensions of a 1:18 scale car/truck….etc. The numbers used for scaling can be confusing because of the comparison of the real item to a small replica of the real item. Basically, the smaller the number the larger the model is to the actually real car or truck size. I.e. the larger the number…the smaller the model car. A 1:64 scale car is a matchbox size car when compared to the real car. Below is a chart to help in identifying the actual size of the car in relation to the size of the replica. There are many more sizes in the scale but I have chosen the most popular. 1:1 – The comparison to the actual car is both are the actual (same) size 1:2 – The item is half the normal size 1:12 Scale – Very large, usually around 14 to 15 inches. These vehicles are usually more expensive than the models in the 1:18 scale. This size is more for the adult collectors and used with diecast motorcycles.

1:18 Scale – Large detailed models around 8 to 10 inches in length. Not as popular due to their size, they take up room for displaying. 1:24 Scale – This is the most favorite size and usually around 5 – 8” in length. Model kits are also made in this scale. 1968 Chevy Camaro - 1:24 Scale 1:32 Scale – This is known as the intermediate size. It is used for model tractors and used by Ertl and Siku companies in their vintage car models. Some toy cars for children are in this size range also. 1:36 Scale – This scale is seen commonly in the toy vehicles for children. These are usually around 5 inches in length. Toy Vehicles - 1:36 Scale 1:43 Scale – Is the most popular scale for model cars worldwide. This scale is also comparable to the O gauge model trains sets. 1:64 Scale – is popular for farm models, American model trucks, and the Matchbox toys. These vehicles are about 2 – 3” in length.

Matchbox Cars - 1:64 Scale Collectors of diecast model cars and trucks are unique because they seek out model cars or diecast trucks which are close to the real thing as possible i.e.: in detail, in color, in accessory, and in overall looks. It is for these reasons the diecast collector treats the diecast model as though it was his or her first real original car. Like all good car lots we offer and carry a variety of diecast cars and trucks models for your viewing. Have fun shopping for collectible diecast cars and trucks models. An eBay Store maintained by: history die cast toys History and Understanding the Term: Die-cast or diecast toy as it relates to the diecast toy model car industry Some History on the term Die-cast Toy The toys are made of metal and plastic, the metal used commonly is ZAMAK (or Mazak), an alloy of zinc and aluminium. Zamak is also referred to as white metal or pot metal. The most common die-cast toys are scale models of automobiles, aircraft , construction equipment and trains , although almost anything can be produced by this method. History A Die Cast Boeing 747 model in 1:400 scale.

Diecast (or die cast, or die-cast) toys were first produced early in the 20th century by manufacturers such as Meccano (Dinky Toys) in the United Kingdom and Dowst Brothers (Tootsietoys) in the United States. The first models on the market were basic, consisting of a small car or van body with no interior. In the early days it was common for impurities in the Zamak alloy to result in metal fatigue; the casting would crack or decompose for no apparent reason. As a result, diecast toys made before World War II are difficult to find in good condition. Lesney began making diecast toys in 1947 . Their popular Matchbox 1-75 series was so named because there were always 75 different vehicles in the line, each packaged in a small box designed to look like those used for matches. These toys became so popular that " Matchbox " was widely used as a generic term for any diecast toy car, regardless of who the actual manufacturer was. The popularity of diecast toys as collectibles developed in the 1950s , as their detail and quality increased.

Consequently, more companies entered the field, including the Corgi brand, produced by Mettoy, which appeared in 1956 and pioneered the use of interiors and clear plastic windows in their models. In 1968 , Hot Wheels were introduced in the United States by Mattel , to address the complaint that they had no line of toys for boys to balance their line of Barbie dolls for girls. Due to the fact that they looked fast and were fast (they were equipped with a low-friction wheel/axle assembly), Hot Wheels quickly gained an important niche in the diecast toy market, becoming one of the world's top sellers and challenging the Matchbox 1-75 series in popularity. During the 1960s various companies began to use diecast vehicles as promotional items for advertising. The idea that children can play a large part in a family's decision as to what products to buy came into wide circulation. In addition, by the 1980s it was apparent that many diecast vehicles were being purchased by adults as collectibles, not as toys for children.

Companies such as McDonald's, Sears Roebuck, Kodak, and Texaco commissioned toymakers to produce promotional models featuring their names and logos, or licensed their use. One early example was an American Airlines London bus produced by Matchbox, an idea other some airlines quickly copied. Beginning in the mid '70s trucks and other commercial vehicles took a lion's share of the diecast market. Matchbox started the trend when they re-launched their Models of Yesteryear range. They made a score of different versions of their Y-12 Ford Model T van, along with other trucks in colorful liveries such as Coca-Cola, Colman's Mustard, and Cerebos Salt. They also made promotional versions for Smith's Crisps (potato chips) and Harrod's department store. Some models were made exclusively for certain markets and immediately became quite expensive elsewhere: Arnott's Biscuits (Australia) and Sunlight Seife (soap, Germany) are examples. Corgi copied this idea when they expanded the Corgi Classics line in the mid-'80s, producing more than 50 versions of a 1920s era Thornycroft van.

Some collectors disparaged this development as "collecting paint," as the castings were identical; only the decorations were different. Other collectors created what they called the "10-Foot Rule" when the collecting of minor variations of the same vehicle got out of hand. The idea was that, if you couldn't differentiate between two versions of a model from 10 feet away, it wasn't worthwhile to collect both of them. Despite their popularity, many diecast manufacturers went belly-up in the 1980s. Meccano (Dinky), Matchbox, and Corgi all went bankrupt within a three-year span, which essentially reflected the economic climate in the UK at that time. It had become virtually impossible to manufacture in England and compete on the world market. (Mattel had also long since shifted most of their production from the USA to the far east.) Matchbox was purchased by a Hong Kong conglomerate named Universal Holdings, which moved production from England to Macau. Later ( 1997 ), Mattel bought Matchbox, essentially making Hot Wheels and the Matchbox 1-75 line sister brands. The two brands continue to sell under their own separate names.

Meanwhile, Corgi had been acquired by Mattel, which moved the office from Swansea, Wales to Leicester, England, and moved manufacturing to China. Matchbox also bought the Dinky Toys name, long after the Liverpool factory was closed. Manufacturing resumed in China. In a series of subsequent shifts, a group of Corgi executives bought back the Corgi Classics line from Mattel, and portions of the Matchbox line were sold to an Australian company named Tyco (no relation to the Tyco line of HO scale trains, originally made by Mantua Metalworking in New Jersey, USA). Effectively from the ashes of Matchbox's bankruptcy arose Lledo, a company created by former Matchbox partner Jack Odell. Odell believed that British collectibles for British collectors could still be profitably produced in England. Lledo took over part of the Matchbox factory in Enfield, Essex and introduced their "Models of Days Gone" line of diecast vehicles in 1983. The first series of Days Gone models included re-makes of some of the most popular and respected first and second-generation Matchbox Models of Yesteryear.

Lledo models were very popular collectibles in the '80s, leading to a period of diversification (incl. the Vanguards line of classic post-war British vehicles), but by the '90s they were eclipsed by other brands, and by 2002 Lledo went broke. Parts of their line were purchased by Corgi, which moved production to China. In addition to trucks, Corgi produced hundreds of versions of their 1/64 scale Routemaster bus in the '80s and '90s. Like other collecting and promotional model trends, it started as a trickle and soon became a flood. Many versions were made to be sold exclusively in the stores whose advertising appeared on the buses. Harrods, Selfridges, Gamley's, Hamley's, Army & Navy, Underwood's, and Beatties were among the British stores employing this idea. A South African chain called Dion was one of the few overseas firms to follow suit.

Then 1/76 scale buses became very popular in Britain in the late '80s and early '90s, with competing lines from Corgi (the Original Omnibus Company) and Gilbow Holdings (Exclusive First Editions, or EFE) fighting for the market. The 1/76 scale fits in with British 'OO' scale model trains. By the 1990s NASCAR enjoyed increasing popularity and a large number of racing-related diecast cars and trucks, painted in the colors of the different racing teams, appeared from various manufacturers. Racing Champions was a leading brand of such models, but there were many others. In addition to cars, trucks, buses, agricultual implements, and construction equipment, diecast aircraft and military models were popular. While Dinky had made such models decades earlier, new companies entered the field in the '80s and '90s. One producer was Dyna Flites, which went bankrupt in the 1990s, but their market share was quickly taken up by their competitors, including Schabak, Gemini Jets, Herpa, and Dragon Wings.

Model Scales 1:50 scale and 1:48 scale metal diecast models together Diecast toys and models come in various scales, the most popular ones being: 1:18 scale - large models often targeted at adults 1:24 scale - very common size sold in toy stores - similar to G scale model trains, which are 1:22.5 scale 1:43 scale - made popular by Dinky and Corgi, popular with collectors - similar to O scale model trains 1:48 scale - aircraft sold in this scale to match plastic model kits - same as O scale model trains 1:50 scale - trucks, buses, construction equipment, promotional models, military vehicles - similar in size to O scale model trains 1:64 scale - Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars are nominally this size, as well as truck and tractor models - same as S scale model trains See also: List of scale model sizes, Scale model Accessories Items such as toy restaurants and filling stations are sometimes sold separately from the cars, to be used as playsets.

Toy raceways are also sold for use with die-cast cars, which have become more complicated in recent years, usually involving loops and complicated curves. Also produced are luggage bags made specifically for children to be able to travel with their cars. List of diecast toy brands/diecast manufacturers (past and present) Action The man who made the first boyish Matchbox toy actually made it for his DAUGHTER | Daily Mail Online The man who made the first boyish Matchbox toy actually made it for his DAUGHTER Last updated at 08:37 10 July 2007 For decades they were the toys that every little boy coveted above all others and kept in proud, neat lines on the chest-of-drawers beside his bed. Being violence-free, mercifully quiet (with none of the whizzes and bangs that plague modern playthings), needing neither batteries nor electricity, and guaranteed not to make a terrible mess all over that clean floor, they were also a favourite of parents up and down the land. Now, for millions of people all over the world, the name alone is enough to transport them back to a golden era of childhood. Scroll down for more...

Matchbox cars are the Lilliputian-sized, die-cast and authentically detailed models of real vehicles that are small enough to be clutched in a child's hand. Invented over half a century ago, they became one of the best-loved and best-known of British toy brands and are still on sale today. They owe their existence to a man called Jack Odell, a van driver, cinema projectionist, estate agent, engineer and, later, gifted toymaker, who died this weekend at the age of 87. The inspiration for Odell's creation came, surprisingly, not from a motor-obsessed small boy but a girl, his daughter Anne. Her school forbade pupils to take in any toys that would not fit in a matchbox. Anne quite happily used to fill hers with a selection of spiders and other creepy-crawlies. One day, though, in 1952, her father gave her something rather more impressive to show off to her friends. Into the sliding drawer of her matchbox he slipped a miniature model of a road-roller (based on an Aveling Barford) he had crafted from brass and painted shiny red and green.

Among Anne's friends it was a huge hit; all of them wanted one and so the Matchbox legend was born. Since then, more than 12,000 different models, and more than 3 billion miniature vehicles, have been produced and bought in 130 countries under the Matchbox brand name. The bestselling vehicle of all time is the boxy Model A Ford car, while one of the most popular has been the Shovel-Nose Tractor. One of the reasons for the toys' enduring success is that they have always sold for pocket-money prices; the very first cost around seven-and-a-half old pence and they now retail for £1 to £2. But some original, well preserved examples of super-rare models from the early Matchbox decades have acquired cult collector status and led to heady auction-room bidding frenzies. In 1999, a Matchbox model of a Mercedes Benz 250SL, part of a tiny batch to be produced in 1968 in a particular shade of apple green, sold for £4,100.

At the same auction, a red Vauxhall Victor went for £3,000 with experts predicting it could have gone for as much as £5,000 had it still been in its original box - thrilling, considering Matchbox's humble beginnings. The story starts in 1947 when Leslie Smith and his friend Rodney Smith, who had served together in World War II, pooled their savings and used them to buy a second-hand die-casting machine for £600 which they used to make parts for real car engines. They called their business Lesney Products, a combination of their two christian names, and ran it from a bombed-out North London pub. But it was the arrival of Jack Odell who changed the firm's fortunes. Born in 1920, Odell had also served his country, as an engineer in Italy and North Africa. After the war, he returned home where he worked as a casting engineer in factories on the outskirts of the capital, and, in 1952, he joined Lesney as a replacement for Rodney, who had emigrated to Australia. Their first miniature was a model of Elizabeth II's Coronation coach.

It had initially been struck to commemmorate George VI's approaching Silver Jubilee which would have been celebrated in May 1952. But the King died some months earlier, leaving Lesney with one million tiny stagecoaches on their hands and no idea what to do with them. According to Leslie Smith's son Andrew, "Someone came up with the idea of gilding the coaches and marketing them for the new Queen's Coronation. "The problem was that the Queen travels by herself and the coach they'd already made had a king and a queen in it. So they changed the colour and chopped the king off at the knees. If you look inside, you can see the Queen and a pair of shins." Nonetheless, the coaches sold like the proverbial hot cakes. Their success, and the tiny roadroller that he had made for his daughter Anne, gave Odell an idea. He began work on a series of toy vehicles cast in zinc. There were four in the initial range. No 1 had, of course, to be the Diesel Roadroller. The other three were a dumper, a Massey Harris tractor and a cement mixer. All were packed in a smart yellow box and sold through sweet shops and tobacconists.

The real beauty of them lay in their precision: each was an exactly-to-scale replica of the real thing, with all the dashboard dials in precisely the right place, and they could have more than 300 separate parts. As the company expanded, Matchbox experts would fly round the world taking countless photographs and measurements of the vehicle they were working to reproduce, just to make sure it was exactly right. More toys were added to the series every year - a Land Rover, a London bus, a bulldozer and a fire engine were all among the early additions - until it eventually numbered 75. While Smith ran the business side of things, Odell looked after manufacturing and design. He was incredibly hands-on. One worker recalls being interrupted by Jack as he was cutting the one-inch passenger seat cushion for a Model T Ford. "He said he wanted it deeper as he felt it did not look as if you could sink into it, so he started cutting it himself until he said: 'That's what I want.' He was an engineer inside and out and he wanted perfection." The company went public in 1960, making Smith and Odell millionaires.

By the end of the Sixties, Matchbox cars, with "Made in England" stamped proudly on the chassis, were being churned out of 13 factories by 6,000 employees. The cars even conquered the American market. In 1968, both its founders, Smith and Odell, were made OBEs. The following year, the firm felt its first serious competition, from Mattel's Hot Wheels cars produced in Hong Kong where labour was cheap. The Seventies brought more turbulent times for Matchbox, in the form of national electricity strikes and a strike at one of Lesney's factories. Odell and Smith persuaded the workers to return by cutting their own salaries by 75 per cent, from £100,000 to £25,000. Then, Odell retired in 1973, leaving Smith to run the company without him. Faced with fierce competition, Smith was forced to move some of his manufacturing to the Far East, and replace the distinctive matchboxes with modern blister packs, but it was not enough to save his company and Lesney was declared insolvent in 1982.

To everyone's surprise, in the next year, Odell acquired some of the Matchbox die- casting and set up in business, making a range called Days Gone at a factory in North London. As for Matchbox, it was sold first to Tyco Toys, which in 1997 was bought by Mattel, who still own the brand that has given so many millions of children millions of hours of simple and innocent fun. All about Diecast Models. Natal Diecast Model Collectors Club DIECAST MODELS - HISTORY The information below comes from The term die-cast toy here refers to any toy or collectible model produced by using the die casting method. The toys are made of metal, with plastic, rubber or glass details. Wholly plastic toys are made by a similar process of injection moulding, but the two are rarely confused. The metal used is either a lead alloy (in the first toys), or more commonly Zamak (or Mazak in the UK), an alloy of zinc with small quantities of aluminium and copper. Lead, as previously so widely used for cast metal toys, or iron are impurities that must be carefully avoided in this alloy, as they give rise to zinc pest.

These alloys are also referred to casually as white metal or pot metal, although these terms are also confused with the lead toy alloys. The most common die-cast toys are scale models of automobiles, aircraft, construction equipment and trains, although almost anything can be produced by this method. Diecast (or die cast, or die-cast) toys were first produced early in the 20th century by manufacturers such as Meccano (Dinky Toys) in the United Kingdom and Dowst Brothers (TootsieToys) in the United States. The first models on the market were basic, consisting of a small car or van body with no interior. In the early days it was common for impurities in the alloy to result in zinc pest; the casting would distort or crack for no apparent reason. As a result, diecast toys made before World War II are difficult to find in good condition. The later high-purity Zamak alloy avoided this problem. Lesney began making diecast toys in 1947. Their popular Matchbox 1-75 series was so named because there were always 75 different vehicles in the line, each packaged in a small box designed to look like those used for matches.

These toys became so popular that "Matchbox" was widely used as a generic term for any diecast toy car, regardless of who the actual manufacturer was. The popularity of diecast toys as collectibles developed in the 1950s, as their detail and quality increased. Consequently, more companies entered the field, including the Corgi brand, produced by Mettoy, which appeared in 1956 and pioneered the use of interiors in their models. In 1968, Hot Wheels were introduced in the United States by Mattel, to address the complaint that they had no line of toys for boys to balance their line of Barbie dolls for girls. Because they looked fast and were fast (they were equipped with a low-friction wheel/axle assembly), Hot Wheels quickly gained an important niche in the diecast toy market, becoming one of the world's top sellers and challenging the Matchbox 1-75 series in popularity. During the 1960s various companies began to use diecast vehicles as promotional items for advertising. The idea that children can play a large part in a family's decision as to what products to buy came into wide circulation.

In addition, by the 1980s it was apparent that many diecast vehicles were being purchased by adults as collectibles, not as toys for children. Companies such as McDonald's, Sears Roebuck, Kodak, and Texaco commissioned toymakers to produce promotional models featuring their names and logos, or licensed their use. One early example was an American Airlines London bus produced by Matchbox, an idea some other airlines quickly copied. Beginning in the mid '70s trucks and other commercial vehicles took a lion's share of the diecast market. Matchbox started the trend when they re-launched their Models of Yesteryear range. They made a score of different versions of their Y-12 Ford Model T van, along with other trucks in colorful liveries such as Coca-Cola, Colman's Mustard, and Cerebos Salt. They also made promotional versions for Smith's Crisps (potato chips) and Harrods department store. Some models were made exclusively for certain markets and immediately became quite expensive elsewhere: Arnott's Biscuits (Australia) and Sunlight Seife (soap, Germany) are examples.

Corgi copied this idea when they expanded the Corgi Classics line in the mid-'80s, producing more than 50 versions of a 1920s era Thornycroft van. Some collectors disparaged this development as "collecting paint," as the castings were identical; only the decorations were different. Other collectors created what they called the "10-Foot Rule" when the collecting of minor variations of the same vehicle got out of hand. The idea was that, if you couldn't differentiate between two versions of a model from 10 feet away, it wasn't worthwhile to collect both of them. Despite their popularity, many diecast manufacturers went belly-up in the 1980s. Meccano (Dinky), Matchbox, and Corgi all went bankrupt within a three-year span, which essentially reflected the economic climate in the UK at that time. It had become virtually impossible to manufacture in England and compete on the world market. (Mattel had also long since shifted most of their production from the USA to the far east.) Matchbox was purchased by a Hong Kong conglomerate named Universal Holdings, which moved production from England to Macau.

Later (1997), Mattel bought Matchbox, essentially making Hot Wheels and the Matchbox 1-75 line sister brands. The two brands continue to sell under their own separate names. Meanwhile, Corgi had been acquired by Mattel, which moved the office from Swansea, Wales to Leicester, England, and moved manufacturing to China. Matchbox also bought the Dinky Toys name, long after the Liverpool factory was closed. Manufacturing resumed in China. In a series of subsequent shifts, a group of Corgi executives bought back the Corgi Classics line from Mattel, and portions of the Matchbox line were sold to an Australian company named Tyco (no relation to the Tyco line of HO scale trains, originally made by Mantua Metalworking in New Jersey, USA). Effectively from the ashes of Matchbox's bankruptcy arose Lledo, a company created by former Matchbox partner Jack Odell. Odell believed that British collectibles for British collectors could still be profitably produced in England. Lledo took over part of the Matchbox factory in Enfield, and introduced their "Models of Days Gone" line of diecast vehicles in 1983.

The first series of Days Gone models included re-makes of some of the most popular and respected first and second-generation Matchbox Models of Yesteryear. Lledo models were very popular collectibles in the '80s, leading to a period of diversification (incl. the Vanguards line of classic post-war British vehicles), but by the '90s they were eclipsed by other brands, and by 2002 Lledo went broke. Parts of their line were purchased by Corgi, which moved production to China. In addition to trucks, Corgi produced hundreds of versions of their 1/64 scale Routemaster bus in the '80s and '90s. Like other collecting and promotional model trends, it started as a trickle and soon became a flood. Many versions were made to be sold exclusively in the stores whose advertising appeared on the buses. Harrods, Selfridges, Gamley's, Hamley's, Army & Navy, Underwood's, and Beatties were among the British stores employing this idea. A South African chain called Dion was one of the few overseas firms to follow suit.

Then 1/76 scale buses became very popular in Britain in the late '80s and early '90s, with competing lines from Corgi (the Original Omnibus Company) and Gilbow Holdings (Exclusive First Editions, or EFE) fighting for the market. The 1/76 scale fits in with British 'OO' scale model trains. By the 1990s NASCAR enjoyed increasing popularity in the USA, and a large number of racing-related Nascar diecast cars and trucks, painted in the colors of the different racing teams, appeared from various manufacturers. Racing Champions was a leading brand of such models, but there were many others. In addition to cars, trucks, buses, agricultual implements, and construction equipment, diecast aircraft and military models were popular. While Dinky had made such models decades earlier, new companies entered the field in the '80s and '90s. One producer was Dyna-Flytes, which went bankrupt in the 1990s, but their market share was quickly taken up by their competitors, including Schabak, GeminiJets, Herpa, and Dragon Wings.

Die-cast toys and models come in various scales, the most popular ones being: 1:12 scale - Very large, highly detailed models; usually about 14 or 15 in (36 or 38 cm) long; mainly targeted at adult collectors. These models are generally much more expensive than the 1:18 models. Many diecast motorcycles are also produced in this scale. 1:18 scale - Large, detailed models, usually about 7 or 8 in (18 or 20 cm) long; mostly targeted at adults. America is the main market for these, although some European and Australian companies also produce cars and even trucks in this scale. 1:24 scale - This has long been a favoured scale in the USA, due to many construction kits and dealer promotional models being this size. Mebetoys of Italy had a large range of cheap 1:24 toy cars. Franklin Mint and Trax also use this scale. 1:32 scale - Intermediate size, most common for model tractors and other agricultural vehicles; Britains has used this scale for decades, and it is also used by Ertl and Siku.

Vintage car models are also quite common in 1:32 scale. 1:36 scale - Popularized by Corgi in the 1970s, a common scale for toy vehicles such as those from Maisto, Kinsmart and Welly 1:34 scale - Used almost exclusively by First Gear Models of the USA for their large scale diecast trucks. 1:43 scale - the most popular scale for model cars worldwide. This scale was made popular by Dinky in the 1930s as it was compatible with O gauge model railways. This scale is the most commonly used in Britain, Europe, Japan and Australia, but less so in the USA. In continental Europe 1:43 is often favoured for model trucks. It is also widely used for handbuilt models in resin and white metal. 1:48 scale - Several companies produce diecast model aircraft in 1:48 scale, which is a popular scale for plastic construction kits. Some diecast military vehicles and model train accessories are also made in this scale. 1:50 scale - The most widely used scale for trucks, buses and especially construction vehicles.

1:55 scale - used mostly by Siku of Germany for its toy range of cars and trucks. The Disney-Pixar Cars Die-Cast Line by Mattel are nominally in this scale. 1:60 scale - the scale of the immensely popular pre- and post-war military vehicles series by Dinky Toys (including military Dinky Supertoys), and still used by many military modellers. 1:64 scale - popular for farm models and American model trucks. Matchbox, Hot Wheels, Jonny Lightning and model Nascar racers are nominally this size. However, in recent years, Japanese companies like Kyosho, Aoshima and CM's Corp have been producing ranges of highly-detailed 1:64 models, including racing cars and road cars, with CM's Corp mainly producing 1:64 rally model cars. 1:72 scale - usually used for military die-cast armoured fighting vehicles due to compatibility with 1:72 plastic construction kits. 1:76 scale - scale popular mainly in Britain, Australia and Hong Kong for highly detailed buses and lorries such as those by EFE and Corgi OOC, and Trax Models in Australia.

These models were originally intended as OO scale model railway accessories, but became collectibles in their own right. 1:87 scale - These are compatible with H0 scale model trains, and tend to be more popular in the USA and continental Europe. They are more commonly made of plastic, and German companies such as Herpa and Wiking produce wide ranges of highly-detailed models in this scale. 1:148 scale - compatible with British N scale model trains, this scale has recently gained popularity in the UK due to its compact size and low priced models from Oxford Diecast. Items such as toy restaurants and filling stations are sometimes sold separately from the cars, to be used as playsets. Toy raceways are also sold for use with die-cast cars, which have become more complicated in recent years, usually involving loops and complicated curves. Also produced are carry cases made specifically for children to be able to travel with their cars. Natal Diecast Model Collectors Club Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Question: Which company originally produced the 'Matchbox' series of die cast toys?
Answer: Lesney