{"id":23198,"date":"2023-05-03T07:47:23","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T07:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?p=23198"},"modified":"2023-05-03T07:47:23","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T07:47:23","slug":"matchbox-toys-fit-for-a-king","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/matchbox-toys-fit-for-a-king\/","title":{"rendered":"Matchbox \u2013 Toys Fit For a King"},"content":{"rendered":"

As some of you may be vaguely aware there’s about to be a bit of a royal do. Whether you could care less or not you can’t escape the fervour that is being kicked up around old Charlie’s coronation this weekend. From the National Gallery to Lidl, everyone is getting involved, not least of which is Matchbox. You know we love the toy car brand here at Car & Classic<\/a> and it just wouldn’t be cricket if it wasn’t doing something to mark the occasion.<\/p>\n

\"Matchbox,<\/p>\n

Well, in honour of King Charles III\u2019s Coronation the legendary toy manufacturer is recreating the historic Gold State Coach model that enabled the creation of the Matchbox brand 70 years ago. This is where it all began for Matchbox. Genesis. The origin story. Forget about the commemorative dinner sets and the Elvis Presley Dambusters Tutankhamun clock plate of King Charles III, this is the only true way for fans of the monarchy to treasure and remember this moment in history.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Seventy years ago, before Matchbox was known as Matchbox, it sold over a million units of its miniature Coronation Coach to mark Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s accession to the throne. This success allowed the fledgling Lesney diecasting firm to fund the launch of the Matchbox brand. A brand that has since gone on to produce over three billion cars to date and as an homage to that initial casting, as well as in celebration of Charles’ coronation, this most recognisable piece of royal memorabilia has been recreated as a 1:64 scale model of the 261-year-old, four-tonne Gold State Coach that has been a prominent feature in every Coronation since King George IV in 1821.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Featuring the brand’s signature craftsmanship Matchbox owner Mattel’s Global Head of Vehicles, Roberto Stanichi claims: \u201cBeing built to order, we expect this coach to be one of the most exclusive models Matchbox has ever created\u201d. The team at Matchbox have not only analysed the original Lesney model but have also pored over hundreds of images and hours of royal footage in order to faithfully reproduce the coach, including eight ‘Windsor Grey’ horses and four coachmen. Designed by William Chambers and built by Samuel Butler in 1762 the original, full size State Coach is made of giltwood, which is a thin layer of gold leaf over wood and is seven metres long and over three and half metres tall. It weighs four tonnes and needs eight horses to pull it at walking pace. At 1:64 scale the Matchbox version is a tad less cumbersome but still beautifully intricate, historically accurate and incredibly well made.<\/p>\n

\"Matchbox,<\/p>\n

We may be more akin to seeing our favourite cars in miniature toy form from Matchbox but the original Lesney coach is such an important piece of the company’s story and the precursor to its 1-75 series which were the toy cars and trucks that well and truly put Matchbox on the map. Its significance cannot be overstated and was instrumental in the ensuing success of Matchbox, something that Giles Chapman, author of Britain\u2019s Toy Car Wars, is all to aware of, stating: \u201cThe original State Coach is a pivotal piece of Matchbox heritage, and crucial to the brand\u2019s destiny\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Matchbox,<\/p>\n

The 2023 Matchbox Gold State Coach is available to order between 26 April and 18 May and is priced at \u00a360.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As some of you may be vaguely aware there’s about to be a bit of a royal do. Whether you could care less or not you can’t escape the fervour…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":23201,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[1235],"tags":[5248,15,963,13,11,5247,5246,5573,5571,5572,5570,2275,3855,3171,5245,505,3857,14,16,506],"yoast_head":"\nMatchbox \u2013 Toys Fit For a King - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To mark both 70 years in the game, as well as the King's Coronation Matchbox have released a miniature replica of the iconic Gold State Coach.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/matchbox-toys-fit-for-a-king\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Matchbox \u2013 Toys Fit For a King - 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