When I visited Las Vegas with my family back in 2017, I was excited when I stumbled upon the Toy Shack on Fremont. Unfortunately, it was after hours and the store was closed. So, when we returned to Las Vegas in January of this year, the Toy Shack was on my must-see list. The Toy Shack is not a huge place, but it’s cram-packed with vintage toys of all varieties. I tried to stay focused and managed to find a few Superfast Matchbox that were reasonably priced and in decent shape. I didn’t break the bank, but you know I couldn’t leave this place without taking home a few souvenirs.
The Matchbox Road Dragster was first released in 1971, one of several fantastic castings produced that year in reaction to the Hot Wheels craze. Road Dragster has curvy front fenders and a wedge-shaped rear end behind an enclosed cockpit. The fore and aft sections are separated by an enormous chrome plastic engine (engines?) that has four sets of valve covers (twin V8s?) with a blower up front. The model was produced in about 8 different variations up to 1975. This red version with orange, yellow and black 8 labels is from 1971.
Matchbox | 1971 | #19 | Road Dragster | red with orange, yellow and black 8 labels, white interior, unpainted metal base | England | Superfast 5-spoke wheels front, Superfast spiro wheels rear
The Race Case MBX 