Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011
Matchbox Car
In 1953, British toy company Lesney Products released a miniature model of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation coach, the company's first best seller. A few months later, company co-owner Jack Odell created an even smaller version of the coach for his daughter to take with her to school, as she was allowed to bring in only toys that could be tucked inside a matchbox. An entire series of tiny cars followed. To keep up with competition from Hot Wheels, Matchbox racing tracks were released in the 1970s, which resulted in the production of more tiny cars revered for their speed; they're now hot collectors' items.