Matchbox has produced a lot of different Caterpillar models over the years, and much like the #18 Caterpillar Bulldozer (click here to see mine), there are a few different versions of the #8 Caterpillar Tractor. Here is a very brief comparison of the different models:
#8D Caterpillar Tractor | 1964-1966 | 2” | no driver, no blade
This example of the #8D Matchbox Caterpillar Tractor is another of my Wichita eBay scores. The 1964-1966 #8D was only made in yellow paint with black wheels. Mine is unfortunately missing the rubber tracks.
Matchbox | 1964-1966 | #8 | Caterpillar Tractor | yellow with yellow metal base, missing tracks | England | black plastic rollers
While attending my family reunion at Lake Carlos in Minnesota every summer, it has become a tradition of mine to make a visit to the Now & Then Antique mall in nearby Alexandria. Last June, as I usually do, I found some nice items.
The Matchbox John Deere Tractor was first released in 1964 and was produced until 1969 in two variations; with black plastic wheels or with gray plastic wheels. I found both of these very clean variations at the Now & Then Antique Mall.
Matchbox | 1964-1969 | #50 | John Deere Tractor | green, yellow steering wheel, green metal base | England | black tires with yellow hubs
Guy Motors was founded in Wolverhampton, UK, by Sydney S. Guy in 1914. They had a very long, successful run, producing a variety of cars, lorries, buses and trolleybuses, until the company closed in 1982. The Warrior model was introduced in 1956 with its luxurious cab featuring a distinctive wraparound windscreen. The Warrior line had an available range of 4-, 6-, or 8-wheeled chassis fitted for a variety of functions.
The Matchbox Guy Warrior Auto Transporter was first released in 1964 as the Major Pack 8. It was moved to the King Size series in 1967, with a total of about 6 different variations produced. This example with a blue-green cab, orange trailer with Farnborough Measham Car Auction Collection labels and gray tires with orange rims is the Major Pack version and is another great score from my Wichita eBay friend.
The cab on this example is a bit crooked and the front has separated from the tab on the base, but the model is in otherwise very nice shape.
On the Matchbox Guy Warrior Auto Transporter, the tailgate and upper level both drop down in the back to allow for easy loading of cars on top.
The cab and trailer on the Matchbox Guy Warrior Auto Transporter are attached using a fixed rivet so they do not separate from each other.
Although this same variation (blue-green cab, orange trailer with Farnborough Measham Car Auction Collection labels and gray tires with orange rims) was later included in the King Size series, this example is clearly marked Major Pack No. 8 on the the base of both the cab and trailer.
The below photo shows the nice detailing on the front of the cab, and here you can also see how the cab is crooked and separated from the base.
Matchbox | 1964 | M-8 | Guy Warrior Auto Transporter | blue-green cab, blue tint windows, black metal base, orange trailer with Farnborough Measham Car Auction Collection labels | England | gray plastic tires with orange plastic hubs
Of course, the best part about having an Auto Transporter is loading it up with period-correct cars.
On the Matchbox Bedford Petrol Tanker, the metal cab tips forward to reveal the plastic interior, and the interior tips forward to reveal the engine cast into the metal base.
Matchbox | 1964 | #25 | Bedford Petrol Tanker | yellow tipping cab, white tank with BP labels, white plastic interior, green metal base | England | black plastic wheels
The Matchbox #17 Hoveringham Tipper, based on a Foden S21 8-wheeled dump truck, was produced from 1964 until 1968. It features the livery of Hoveringham Gravels Ltd, which from 1939-1982 extracted gravel from a site near the village of Hoveringham in England. This nice example of the Matchbox model is another of my Wichita eBay scores.
The tipper on my truck – diecast metal with a swinging metal tailgate – still holds its raised position.
The cab of the Matchbox Hoveringham Tipper faithfully reproduces the details of the Foden S21.
Matchbox | 1964 | #17 | Hoveringham Tipper | red cab and base, orange tipper with black Hoveringham decals | England | black plastic wheels
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.
There are actually three different Matchbox castings that might be called the #6 Euclid Dump Truck:
The first is considered 6-A, has an orange cab and grey dump bed, and was produced from 1954 to 1958.
The second, 6-B, is all yellow, has a three-pane windshield, and was produced from 1959 to 1962.
The third, 6-C – the example you see here – is also all yellow but has two pairs of dual rear wheels and was produced from 1963 to 1967. I landed this nice example – very clean and with only a few paint chips – from my Wichita eBay friend.
The nicely detailed dump bed on this one has barely been played with and still holds its position when raised.
Matchbox | 1963-1967 | #6-C | Euclid Dump Truck | yellow | England | black plastic wheels
The Jeep Gladiator was a full-size pickup truck produced for more than 26 years, first by Willys Motors (1962), then Kaiser-Jeep (1963-1970), then American Motors (1970-1987), and finally Chrysler (1987-1988). Sharing the frame and front end with the Jeep Wagoneer, the Gladiator was available in both 4-wheel- and rear-wheel-drive, and initially featured the new overhead cam Jeep Tornado 230 cu. in. straight-six engine. In addition to the cab and chassis model, offerings included a wrecker, a stake bed and a camper with an extended wheelbase.
The Matchbox Jeep Gladiator was produced from 1964 to 1968 and can be found with red paint and either white or green interior, and apparently black or gray plastic wheels. This white-interior example is one of my recent 1960s Matchbox eBay finds.
The Matchbox Jeep Gladiator features opening doors.
Matchbox | 1964 | 71 | Jeep Gladiator | red with white interior | England | black plastic wheels
The first Lincoln Continental was a coach-built prototype convertible created in 1938 for Ford Motor Company President, Edsel Ford. Since then, Lincoln has produced 10 generations of the Continental, which has served various roles from the base model to its flagship. The fourth generation Lincoln Continental, with its famous suicide doors, was made from 1961-1969 and is the model on which the Matchbox Lincoln Continental is based. In 1961, the real-life Continental received a bronze medal from the Industrial Design Institute of New York and was given Car Life’s Engineering Excellence Award.
Introduced in 1964, the Matchbox Lincoln Continental was produced in about 5 different variations up to 1971. This metallic blue model with black plastic wheels is from my recent eBay score of 1960s Matchbox models.
The Matchbox Lincoln Continental features an opening trunk large enough for several bodies (at scale, of course).
Matchbox | 1964 | 31 | Lincoln Continental | metallic blue | England | black plastic wheels
Bedford Vehicles was established in 1931 and, through much of the 1900s, was a leading international brand of commercial vehicles. They were manufactured by Vauxhall Motors – a subsidiary of General Motors – headquartered in Luton, England. Relying on the Chevrolet Stove Bolt 6 engine for much of its success, Bedford produced flat-bed trucks, tippers, fire engines, military vehicles and many other varieties of utility vehicles. Into the 1980s, Bedford’s lack of product investment led to increasingly outdated vehicles, and therefore lagging sales. GM ceased production in 1986 after failing to win an important military contract. The Bedford badge still appeared on some Opel, Isuzu and Suzuki designs until the brand was retired in 1991.
The Matchbox Bedford Petrol Tanker was produced from 1965 to 1967. This yellow cab version with BP labels is from my recent eBay score of 1960s Matchbox models. It could also be found, less commonly, with gray plastic wheels. A third variation has a dark blue cab, black plastic wheels, and ARAL labels on the tank.
The cab on the Matchbox Bedford Petrol Tanker tips forward to reveal the inline 6-cylinder engine cast into the metal base. Unfortunately, the plastic cab interior is missing from this one.
Matchbox | 1964 | 25 | Bedford Petrol Tanker | yellow cab, BP labels, missing plastic cab interior | England | black plastic wheels
The Race Case MBX 