1961 Bluebird Dauphine Travel Trailer

Bluebird Caravans LTD was based in Poole, England, and became a private company in 1940. By 1961, Bluebird was manufacturing 16 different models ranging from small pull-behinds to large residential caravans. The 14-foot Dauphine was equipped with either 2 double beds or 1 double and 2 singles, and included a dinette and kitchen with a hotplate, sink and drainer. In 1963, Bluebird merged with Alperson Products and the name was changed to Caravans International.

The Matchbox Bluebird Dauphine Travel Trailer was first released in 1960 and was produced in about 4 different variations. This metallic tan model with gray plastic wheels is another of my Wichita eBay scores.

The Matchbox Bluebird Dauphine Travel Trailer features an opening door.

The label on the back reads: ON TOW MBS23.

Matchbox | 1961-1964 | #23 | Bluebird Dauphine Travel Trailer | metallic tan, opening door, On Tow label on back| England | gray plastic wheels

As for a tow vehicle, I think it looks perfectly fantastic behind my 1961 Matchbox #57 Chevrolet Impala (if we can just pretend for a minute that the Impala’s tow hook is not broken.)

Click here to compare to the Matchbox #23 Trailer Caravan, click here to compare to the Matchbox #31 Caravan Travel Trailer, and click here to compare to the Matchbox #57 Eccles Trailer Caravan.

1961 Matchbox Muir Hill Dumper

Muir Hill, an engineering company established in the early 1920s in Manchester, England, specialized in products to convert the Fordson Tractor into bucket loaders, rail locomotives and dumpers. The early Muir Hill dumper, produced in the 1930s, had a seat mounted beside the engine facing what would have been the rear of the tractor, with a tipping bucket mounted over the drive wheels. Dumper production continued through WWII for the Ministry of Supply, and many of these models were converted after the war for agricultural use and sold as the Powercart. By the late 1940s, Muir Hill dumpers had both seat and controls that could be rotated to the front or back, and a range of models were produced, the larger of which had enclosed cabs. Various models of dumpers continued to be produced up to the 1970s.

The Matchbox Muir Hill Dumper was produced from 1961 to 1967 and had either Laing or (less commonly) Muir Hill decals. It has a red metal body, green metal dump bed and black plastic wheels – small wheels on the front, and large, heavily treaded tires on the back. This example of the Laing variation is another of my Wichita eBay finds.

The Matchbox Muir Hill Dumper features a tipping dump bed.

Matchbox | 1961 | #2 | Muir Hill Dumper | red with green dumper, Laing decals, green metal base | England | black plastic wheels

1961 Matchbox Magirus-Deutz Six-Wheel Crane Truck

Magirus-Deutz was a German brand that was a combination of the vehicle maker Magirus and the engine maker Deutz. Magirus was started by Conrad Deitrich Magirus as a manufacturer of fire-fighting vehicles in 1866 (notable as the company that eventually invented the first turntable ladder), while Deutz was founded in 1864 by Nicolaus Otto, the inventor of the four-stroke internal combustion engine. The two companies began collaborations in 1936 and during WWII, Magirus-Deutz provided 4×4, 6×4 and half-track trucks. After the war, Magirus-Duetz provided a variety of commercial vehicles through the 1980s. Magirus was bought by Iveco in 1975 and the Magirus brand continues to be used on the company’s firefighting equipment. Deutz AG still manufactures diesel engines and components for use in automobiles as well as agricultural, marine, and construction equipment.

The Matchbox #30 Magirus-Deutz Six-Wheel Crane Truck was first released in 1961 and was produced in about 8 different variations. This super-clean example is another of my Wichita eBay scores.

The boom on the truck does not raise up but can be rotated in any direction.

The distinctive logo of the marque can be seen on the grille of the Matchbox Magirus-Deutz Six-Wheel Crane Truck.

Matchbox | 1961 | #30 | Magirus-Deutz Six-Wheel Crane Truck | metallic silver with orange metal boom, gray plastic hook, black metal base | England | black plastic wheels

1961 Matchbox Foden Ready-Mix Concrete Truck

Foden Trucks, based in Sandbach, England, was founded in 1887 by Edwin Foden. Initially, the company produced industrial, steam and traction engines, and later manufactured a successful line of steam lorries. In 1931, Foden introduced the F1 diesel lorry, and by 1934, steam vehicle had ceased production. In addition to lorries, Foden also manufactured motorcoaches and buses into the 1950s. In 1962, Foden introduced the first British-built, tilting cab into mass-production with the uniquely styled S21 model. Foden began its decline in the 1970s, when the market collapsed just after the company had built a massive new production facility. Paccar acquired Foden in 1980 and the marque name was discontinued in 2006.

The Matchbox #26 Foden Ready-Mix Concrete Truck – based on the Foden S20 (1956-1963) model – was first released in 1961 and was produced in about 4 different variations up to about 1967. This very clean orange example with an orange mixer and black plastic wheels is another of my scores from my Wichita eBay friend.

Click here to compare to my two variations of the eight-wheeled Matchbox #21 Foden Concrete Truck which was produced starting in 1968.

The Matchbox #26 Foden Ready-Mix Concrete Truck features a beautifully detailed cab.

Matchbox | 1961 | #26 | Foden Ready-Mix Concrete Truck | orange with orange plastic mixer | England | black plastic wheels

1961 Ford Anglia and Other Lesney Relics

My son and I have been reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets at bedtime. We’ve seen the movies and we really enjoy the scenes with the flying car. When I read in the book that the car is a Ford Anglia, it occurred to me that I had seen a die cast version and I decided it would be fun to pick one up. There were quite a few offerings of the Lesney model on eBay, but I zeroed in on a lot of cars that included an Anglia and six other old Lesney trucks, all of them in less than desirable shape.

I’ve decided this Anglia is the version of the Harry Potter flying car after it has landed in and has been beaten up by the Whomping Willow.

1961 | 7 | Ford Anglia | light blue | silver plastic wheels

I’ve gotten to where I prefer my Hot Wheels and newer Matchbox cars to be in pretty clean shape, but for some reason I don’t mind some wear and tear on the old Lesney cars. In some ways, I think it adds to their character.

1957 | 47 | Trojan 1-Ton Van | red | gray plastic wheels

1959 | 20 | ERF 68G Truck | blue | black plastic wheels

1959 | 11 | ERF Petrol Tanker | red | black plastic wheels

1961 | 3 | Bedford Ton Tipper | gray with maroon dumper | black plastic wheels

1961 | 13 | Thames Trader Wreck Truck | red | black plastic wheels

1964 | 16 | Scammell Mountaineer Snowplow | gray and orange | black plastic wheels

1961 Matchbox Chevrolet Impala – an eBay Misadventure

I’d been watching and bidding on a few of these old Impalas on eBay for awhile, but most of them were going way outside my price range – partly because they originated in the UK, but mostly just because they’re worth a fair chunk of money. Finally I managed to find one in Canada that had a hole in the back window, a missing tow hook, and less than perfect paint. A good fit for my misfit collection. I won the bidding and waited excitedly to receive my prize in the mail. But the seller had basically tossed it in a bubble wrap envelope and sent it on its way. By the time it arrived in my mailbox, the roof of the car had been crushed as you see it here. Fortunately, the seller was kind enough to refund my entire purchase, so I accepted the car into my collection despite its many flaws. Even with a crushed top, the lines of the ’61 are undeniably awesome.

1961 | 57 | Chevrolet Impala | metallic blue body, light blue roof, black base | gray plastic wheels