1981 and 1982 Matchbox Hondarora Motorcycles

The Matchbox Hondarora Motorcycle was first released in 1975 and has been produced in about 20 different variations up to the mid 1980s.

The Hondarora features a metal frame, gas tank and rear fender with a plastic engine, plastic seat, plastic steerable handlebars and special motorcycle wheels. There is a kickstand molded to one side of the exhaust. Later models included a plastic rider. I recenlty picked up two variations of the Hondarora from my Wichita eBay friend.

This metallic green model with a chrome engine and black 5-spoke wheels is from 1981.

Matchbox | 1981 | #18 | Hondarora Motorcycle | metallic green, black handlebars, chrome plastic engine, black plastic seat, black wheels | England

This yellow version with a chrome engine and black 5-spoke wheels is missing one handlebar and the seat. It also may or may not have had a plastic rider who might have been tan, brown or green.

Click here to compare to the Honda Motorcycle and Trailer from my childhood.

Matchbox | 1982-1983 | #18 | Hondarora Motorcycle | yellow, black handlebars (missing one), chrome plastic engine, missing black plastic seat, missing brown plastic rider, black wheels | England

1964 Matchbox Caterpillar Bulldozer

It can get confusing when it comes to all of the different castings of the Matchbox Caterpillar Bulldozer. There are four separate early models that were all assigned the number 18, and later models with different numbers.

The Matchbox wiki gives each #18 Caterpillar Bulldozer a letter designation to help keep them straight:

• Caterpillar Bulldozer #18-A was produced from 1955 to 1957. It has a yellow body with a red blade and a driver cast in the seat.

• Caterpillar Bulldozer #18-B was produced from 1958 to 1960. It has a yellow body and blade and a cast-in driver. My Dana Johnson book describes this one as having no blade braces, though the photo on the Matchbox wiki shows something otherwise.

• Caterpillar Bulldozer #18-C was produced from 1961 to 1963. It has a yellow body and blade, a cast-in driver and braces on the blade.

• Caterpillar Bulldozer #18-D was produced from 1964 to 1968. It has a yellow body and yellow blade with braces but no driver. It has either silver plastic or black plastic rollers.

The Matchbox Caterpillar Bulldozer you see here – another nice score from my Wichita eBay friend – is the #18-D with black plastic rollers and intact rubber tracks.

Click here to compare to the Matchbox Big Bull Bulldozer from my childhood.

Matchbox | 1964 | #18 | Caterpillar Bulldozer | yellow with blade braces, green rubber tracks | England | black plastic rollers