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

1966 Matchbox Lotus Racing Car Variations

The Matchbox Lotus Racing Car was first released in 1966. The earlier issues have either green or orange paint with black plastic tires on yellow hubs. In 1970, it was given purple paint and Superfast wheels. This clean example of the green model with intact labels is another of my Wichita eBay scores.

The Matchbox #19 Lotus Racing Car features a plastic driver and an unpainted metal base, engine and exhaust.

Matchbox | 1966 | #19 | Lotus Racing Car | green with 3 decals, white driver and steering wheel, unpainted metal engine and base | England | black plastic wheels with yellow hubs

This orange model with missing labels is another one I landed from my Wichita eBay friend.

Matchbox| 1966 | #19 | Lotus Racing Car | orange, missing number labels, white plastic driver, unpainted metal base, engine and exhaust | England | black tires with yellow hubs

1965 Matchbox London Routemaster Bus

When it comes to the Matchbox #5 London Bus, it can get a little confusing. This is another of those models where there are several different versions with only slight differences between them. All are referred to (in various sources) as some varition of London Bus, Routemaster, or London Routemaster Bus. The important thing to remember is that each version is slightly larger than the one that came before.

Here’s a brief description of each:

#5A London Bus | 1954-1956 | 2” | red | Buy Matchbox Series | metal wheels

#5B London Bus | 1957-1960 | 2 1/4” | red | Buy Matchbox Series | metal or gray plastic wheels

#5C London Bus | 1961-1964 | 2 9/16” | red | Player’s Please, Visco Static, Drink Peardrox, Baron of Beef | gray or black plastic wheels

#5D London Routemaster Bus | 1965-1969  | 2 ¾” | Longlife, Visco Static, Baron of Beef | black plastic wheels

This nice example – another of my Wichita eBay scores – is the 1965 #5D with Longlife BP decals. Click here to see a slightly later variation of the Matchbox 5D London Routemaster Bus, the 1967 issue with Visco Static labels.

Matchbox | 1965 | #5 | London Routemaster Bus | red with Longlife BP decals, white interior, black metal base | England | black plastic wheels

1959 Matchbox Land Rover Series II

The Matchbox #12 Land Rover Series II, based on the second generation of the successful British off-road vehicle, was first released in 1959 and was produced until 1965, wearing either gray or black plastic wheels as you see here. This example, missing part of the windshield frame, is another of my Wichita eBay scores.

Click here to compare to the 1965 Matchbox Land Rover Safari. And click here to compare to the 1966 Matchbox Land Rover Fire Truck.

Matchbox | 1959 | #12 | Land Rover Series II | olive green, missing one side of windshield frame, black metal base | England | black plastic wheels

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.

1964 Matchbox John Deere Tractor Variations

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

Click here to to compare to the 1967 Matchbox Ford Tractor and Hay Trailer in my collection.

Matchbox | 1964-1969 | #50 | John Deere Tractor | green, yellow steering wheel, green metal base | England | gray tires with yellow hubs

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.

1962 Matchbox Ferrari F1 Racing Car

After I picked up the Matchbox King Size Racing Car Transporter at an estate sale, I was on eBay looking for some period-correct Matchbox race cars to put inside it. I scored a nice Ford GT pretty quickly. Then I put in a bid on a Ferrari F1 Racing Car, but wasn’t able to land it. A few days later, I was wandering through an estate sale, when I found this Matchbox Ferrari F1 Racing Car waiting for me.

The Matchbox Ferrari F1 Racing Car was first released in 1962 and was produced until 1968. It includes a driver, which can be molded in either white or gray plastic. This example is missing the driver and one wheel, which has been sheared off at the spokes, but it has most of its paint and the decals as well.

The Matchbox #73 Ferrari F1 Racing Car features an unpainted metal steering wheel and exhaust pipes, and two-piece wheels with diecast metal spoked hubs and black plastic tires.

Matchbox | 1962 | #73 | Ferrari F1 Racing Car | red with Ferrari 73 decals, missing driver, unpainted metal exhaust and steering wheel, black metal base | England | black plastic tires on spoked metal hubs (missing one)

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

1965 Matchbox Airport Foamite Crash Tender

The Alvis Salamander fire truck was developed by the British manufacturing company in 1956 and used primarily by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force. It was powered by a Rolls Royce B81 straight-8 engine and featured firefighting equipment from the Pyrene Company Limited. The Salamander used the same 6-wheel-drive chassis and other components as the Alvis Saladin armoured car, the Alvis Saracen armoured personnel carrier, and the Alvis Stalwart, which was developed later.

The Matchbox #63 Airport Foamite Crash Tender, based on the Alvis Salamander, was first released in 1965 and was produced in only two variations: with a silver hose nozzle or gold as you see here. I picked up this example for combined shipping when I went after the Matchbox Ford GT on eBay. It’s missing the white plastic hoses and ladder from the top and it has a saggy hose nozzle, but in other respects is in nice condition.

I should note that the Matchbox Airport Foamite Crash Tender has molded white plastic lettering on the sides, a feature that I can’t say I’ve seen on any other models, Matchbox or otherwise.

Though the Crash Tender has no windows or interior, it does have a lot of other nice details.

Matchbox | 1965-1968 | #63 | Airport Foamite Crash Tender | red with white plastic lettering on sides, gold nozzle, silver grille, unpainted metal insert and base | England | black plastic wheels

Several of the Alvis vehicles were made into Matchbox models. Click here to see my Matchbox Alvis Saladin, here to see my Matchbox Alvis Saracen, and here to see my Matchbox Alvis Stalwart.

[Edit 06/23/24] Awhile back I ordered some 3D printed reproduction parts on eBay. They were produced in a kind of milky-looking material and had some imperfections and extra material here and there, so after a little clean up and a couple of coats of satin white, I feel like I got them looking okay.