1967 Matchbox Claas Combine Harvester

Founded in 1913 by August Claas, CLAAS is a manufacturer of agricultural equipment based in Harsewinkel, Germany. Early on, the company made milk centrifuges, straw binders and cutters for mowing machines. The first combine harvester was introduced in 1930 and a model designed for European harvesting conditions began mass-production in 1937. By 2003, CLAAS had produced 400,000 combine harvesters at its main plant in Harsewinkel. Today, the product line includes tractors, balers, mowers, rakes, wheel loaders and other equipment that is sold worldwide.

The Matchbox Claas Combine Harvester, based on the Matador model that was made from 1962 until 1970, was first released in 1967 and was produced until 1972. Early models have dark red paint, while later versions are bright red. This nice example is another of my Wichita eBay scores.

Click here to compare to the Matchbox #51 Combine Harvester – of which I have four different variations – from 1978.

The Matchbox #65 Claas Combine features nice detailing and yellow hubs on the front wheels that match the yellow plastic blades.

Matchbox | 1967 | #65 | Claas Combine Harvester | red, yellow plastic blades, red metal base | England | black plastic wheels with yellow hubs front, black plastic wheels rear

1967 Matchbox Hay Trailer Repair & Upgrade

While I was on eBay looking for the Ford Tractor and Harrow, I came across a Hay Trailer that had loose tires but still had the yellow plastic hay racks. I decided I could use the hay racks to upgrade the Hay Trailer already in my collection that was missing the racks. So I bid on the Hay Trailer and was fortunate to land it (along with a couple of bonus cars, as you shall see soon.)

Once I had the Hay Trailer in hand, I was concerned about being able to remove the hay racks without breaking them. So I turned my attention to the loose tire situation. Years ago, I read a tip online explaining that the reason the tires fall off is because the plastic hubs shrink over time. The solution is to wrap a layer or two of tape around the hubs, increasing their diameter just enough so that the tires fit snugly again.

I gave this a try and it worked pretty well. Very thin strips of tape wrapped around the outside of the hubs made it so the tires fit without falling off.

Hay Trailer | 1967 | #40 | Hay Trailer | blue, yellow plastic hay fences | England | yellow hubs with black tires

I’m pretty happy now with my Ford Tractor and Hay Trailer combo.

1967 Matchbox London Routemaster Bus

The iconic AEC Routemaster was designed by London Transport and produced by a collaboration between Associated Equipment Company and Park Royal Vehicles. The front-engine, double-decker bus was introduced in 1954 and made until 1968. It stayed in service until 2005, with heritage routes continuing as late as 2019.

There are a confusing number of Matchbox #5 London Buses:
• Matchbox London Bus #5-A was first released in 1954, is only 2″ long, and was produced in about 3 different variations up to 1955.
• Matchbox London Bus #5-B was first released in 1957, is 2-1/4″ long, and was produced in about 3 different variations up to 1960.
• Matchbox London Bus #5-C was first released in 1961, is 2-9/16″ long, and was produced in about 7 different variations up to 1964. This casting is also called Routemaster.
• Matchbox London Routemaster Bus #5-D was first released in 1965, is 2-3/4″ long, and was produced in about 3 different variations up to 1969.

The Matchbox 5-D London Routemaster Bus pictured here, another of my Wichita eBay scores, has BP visco-static labels and was produced from 1967 to 1969.

Matchbox | 1967-1969 | #5 | London Routemaster Bus | red with BP Viso-Static decals, white interior, red metal base | England | black plastic wheels

Click here to compare to the partial Playart AEC Routemaster Double Decker Bus in my collection.

1967 Matchbox Mercedes Coach

The Matchbox Mercedes Coach was first released in 1966 and was produced in only two variations. Early versions had a turquoise metal lower section with a white plastic top; later versions had an orange lower section with a white plastic top as you see here. This nice bus – the second of two eBay bonus cars I picked up from the same seller when I bought my Ford GT – is the third example of the orange variation that i’ve found, and the first to have all of its parts. (The first two I found were only the bottom metal piece, devoid of any interior or glass)

While Mercedes-Benz has been in the bus-making business since 1895, it is unclear which model the Matchbox #68 Mercedes Coach is actually based on. I came across a thread on diecastgarage.org that suggests convincingly that it is actually a knock-off of an East German 1961 Robur bus, with only the grille modified to look like a Mercedes.

Even if the Matchbox Mercedes Coach is questionable in its accuracy to an specific model, it does have some very nice details.

Matchbox | 1967-1969 | #68 | Mercedes Coach | orange metal lower body and base, silver grille and bumper, white plastic upper body, clear windows, white interior | England | black plastic wheels

1967 Matchbox King Size Racing Car Transporter

This particular casting of the Matchbox Racing Car Transporter was first released in 1965 in the M-6 Major Pack. In 1967, it was moved to the King Size series and given the K-5 designation. I was excited to find this example for a good price at an estate sale last April. Though it is missing all four tires and has some deep scratches on the upper glass, it is in otherwise fair condition and the decals are almost entirely intact.

While the Matchbox Racing Car Transporter is apparently a generic model, I did stumble across an article on Model Auto Review Online where the author points out the similarities between the Matchbox toy and the vehicle used by Team Lotus to carry the racing Mark I Lotus-Cortina.

Other Matchbox King Size models in my collection include the Ford LTS Tractor and Articulated Petrol Tanker, D.A.F. Building Transporter, Bertone Runabout, Javelin AMX, Range Rover, Boat Trailer, Ambulance, The Londoner and the Mercury Commuter Police Station Wagon in both regular wheels and Superfast. I also have the Matchbox Major Pack 8 Guy Warrior Auto Transporter.

The rear compartment of the Matchbox Racing Car Transporter has a double decker ramp that allows for storage and transport of two of your favorite racing models.

I was able to test it out and found that certain Matchbox models fit particularly well inside the transporter. Here we have a 1962 Matchbox #73 Ferrari F1 Racing Car on top and a 1965 Matchbox #41 Ford GT on the bottom level.

Matchbox | 1967 King Size | K-5 | Racing Car Transporter | green with green, yellow black and white Racing Transporter BP decals, clear windows, white interior, unpainted metal ramps, tailgate and base | England | missing black plastic tires on red plastic hubs

1967 Matchbox Lincoln Continental

When I first started collecting, mostly buying played-with old cars from garage sales, a majority of my collection was made up of rough models. At some point, I acquired a few nearly-mint examples, and from that point it became harder to accept models with damaged paint and missing parts. But, as I’ve mentioned before, I still have a habit of picking up junky cars when I find them cheap – and especially if it’s a variation I don’t yet have.

The Matchbox Lincoln Continental – based on the real-life fourth generation (1961-1969) model with its famous suicide doors – was first released in 1964 and was produced in about 5 different variations up to 1971. This rough example with mostly missing mint green paint was produced from 1967 to 1969 and is another of my estate sale tub rescues.

Click here to see my metallic blue variation of the Matchbox Lincoln Continental.

The Matchbox Lincoln Continental features an opening trunk.

Matchbox | 1967-1969 | #31 | Lincoln Continental | mint green, clear windows, ivory interior, unpainted metal base | England | black plastic wheels

1967 Matchbox Hay Trailer

After I added the 1967 Matchbox Ford Tractor to my collection earlier this year, I decided I needed the Hay Trailer to go with it. There were quite a few to be had on eBay and I settled on one that was missing the yellow plastic hay fences, but still had all of its tires intact – not pristine, but a good value, and in comparable shape to my Ford Tractor.

The Matchbox #40 Hay Trailer in blue paint, yellow plastic hay racks and two-piece, yellow hub/black tire wheels was produced from 1967 to 1970. The Hay Trailer and the matching blue #39 Ford Tractor were sold individually. When Twin-Packs were introduced in 1976, a yellow version of the Hay Trailer (with no hay racks and one-piece black plastic wheels) was included in TP-2 Mod Tractor & Trailer set. Another Hay Trailer (blue with black plastic hay racks and one-piece black plastic wheels) was included in TP-11 Tractor & Hay Trailer set from 1979, and others (Macau- or Thailand-cast, yellow or red with black plastic hay racks and one-piece black plastic wheels) in the TP-108 Tractor & Hay Trailer set from the mid-1980s and the TP-126 Mercedes Tractor & Trailer set from 1991.

Matchbox | 1967 | 40 | Hay Trailer | blue, missing yellow plastic hay fences | England | yellow hubs with black tires

Here it is paired with my Ford Tractor.

Click here to compare to the 1969 Tootsietoy Farm Tractor Set from my childhood. And click here to compare to my Majorette Double Tractor + Trailer set from 1980.

1967 Matchbox Rolls Royce Silver Shadow

In 1965, British automaker Rolls Royce introduced the Silver Shadow as a replacement for the Silver Cloud. The all-new model featured unibody construction, disc brakes and hydraulic self-levelling suspension. It was powered by a 6.2 L V8 with a 4-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission. Despite being 3.5″ narrower and 7 inches shorter than its predecessor, the Silver Shadow offered increased passenger and luggage space.

The Matchbox Rolls Royce Silver Shadow is a four-door sedan first released in 1967. It was made in about seven different variations up until 1986. This metallic red version with black plastic wheels and silver hubs is the early model and is from my recent eBay score of 1960s Matchbox.

The Matchbox Rolls Royce Silver Shadow features an opening trunk.

Matchbox | 1967 | 24 | Rolls Royce Silver Shadow | metallic red | England | black plastic wheels with chrome hubs

1967 Matchbox Ford Tractor

I was on eBay recently, looking for a Matchbox #65 Claas Combine Harvester to go with my nice collection of #47 Combine Harvesters. I found a seller who had a Claas, along with a bunch of other fun 1960s Matchbox for a very reasonable starting bid. So I bid on the Claas and several other items to take advantage of combined shipping. I ended up winning 8 different items. However, about the only one I did NOT get was the #65 Claas Combine Harvester.

This 1967 Matchbox Ford Tractor is one of my scores from that seller and it will make a very suitable companion to my Combine Harvesters. The #39 Ford Tractor can be found in about 4 different variations, with variations in body/cowl paint colors, though all have the same black plastic wheels with yellow hubs.

Click here to compare the Matchbox Ford Tractor with the tractor in the Tootsietoy #1451 Farm Tractor Set from my childhood.

Matchbox | 1967 | 39 | Ford Tractor | dark blue with blue engine cowl | England | black plastic wheels with yellow hubs

1967 Matchbox Dodge Stake Truck

I was interested in this Matchbox Dodge Stake Truck because it’s the precursor to the Superfast version from my childhood. I found this one on eBay and it’s in such great shape that I had to ask the seller if it had been restored (the seller claimed it was all original).

This casting first appeared in 1966 as the #37 Dodge Cattle Truck, but it had a more enclosed plastic compartment with an opening tailgate ramp. It also came with two plastic cows. My eBay find is the #4 Dodge Stake Truck, which could be found from 1967-1969 with regular wheels, then from 1970-1971 with Superfast wheels. In 1976 it was reissued as #71 Cattle Truck with Superfast wheels and the two plastic cows (I still have the cows with mine). Since then, there are more than 40 variations continuing up until 2000.

Matchbox | 1967 | 4 | Dodge Stake Truck | yellow with green stake bed, no tow hook | black plastic wheels