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.

1978 Matchbox U.S. Mail Truck

The Matchbox #5 U.S. Mail Truck, with “No. 5 U.S. Mail Truck” appropriately stamped on the base, was released in 1978 in blue and pale blue with a white top. Also in 1978, the Matchbox Sleet-N-Snow was released in the Roman Numeral Series, given Roman numeral II, and produced in blue, olive and yellow with a white top (with “No. II Sleet-N-Snow” stamped on the base). A similar casting is the #38 Jeep that was first released in 1976 and may or may not have a gun mounted in the back. Yet another similar castin is the #5 Jeep 4×4 which was released in 1982.

This example of the #5 U.S. Mail Truck – unfortunately missing both the white plastic top and the metal windshield frame and dashboard – is another of the rough cars I rescued from the Facebook Marketplace.

Matchbox | 1978 | #5 | U.S. Mail Truck | blue with missing white top, white U.S. Mail on hood, missing windshield, black plastic front seats, white metal base | England | Superfast 5-crown

The below photo compares the Matchbox #5 U.S. Mail Jeep with the Matchbox #38 Jeep. Notice the differences in the rear interior; the Mail Jeep has diecast side benches while on the #38 Jeep the side benches are part of the plastic interior insert.