Forget about that Matchbox 70th anniversary Jaguar D-Type you were going to buy: the die-cast toy maker has produced a special-edition version of its 1:64 Gold State Coach model for the coronation of King Charles III.
The Coach is NZ$120 (60 pounds in old money) and “strictly produced to order” between now and May 18.
It’s more than just a coronation novelty. This is the fourth iteration of the Coach; the original was pretty much responsible for funding Matchbox in the first place.
For the 1951 Festival of Britain, Lesney wanted to produce a scale model of the Gold State Coach. Shortages of zinc meant very few of the 400mm coach were produced, but the casting was resurrected when King George VI died and Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 Coronation was imminent.
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Just a few hundred were produced when the makers noted the casting still included the figures of the late king and heir to the throne, Elizabeth. The king’s figure was unceremoniously cut off at the knees. After 33,000 examples, a smaller 118mm version was created in 1953. Over one million were sold to mark the coronation and it was instrumental in establishing the Matchbox brand.
Designers used hundreds of images taken by Julian Payne, senior manager of Matchbox Product Design, during a visit to the Royal Mews, and footage of royal celebrations. Scanners captured the form of the horses and riders from the original Lesney model.
Detail includes “tampo printed” reins on the horses, rolling wheels with a front turning axle, windows – a first for a Matchbox Coronation Coach – and inside, metal figures of King Charles III and the Queen.
Some elements of the original 1952 model have also been corrected. The tritons on the front of the coach are now accurately depicted as blowing horns, while the painted side panels are represented for the first time with additional printed decoration. For the first time, there are three cherubs, representing England, Scotland and Ireland, on the roof.
The designers also corrected some elements of the o1952 model. The tritons on the front of the coach are now accurately depicted as blowing horns, while the painted side panels are represented for the first time with additional printed decoration. For the first time, there are three cherubs, representing England, Scotland and Ireland, on the roof.
"Ideal for display" says Matchbox, the coach can be removed from its custom display box and textured plinth; the latter is modelled to reflect the surface of The Mall. As a nod to the very first model, the 2023 Gold State Coach features the draw chains between the four pairs of horses and comes in a red presentation box.
“The original State Coach is a pivotal piece of Matchbox heritage, and crucial to the brand’s destiny,” says Giles Chapman, author of Britain’s Toy Car Wars.
“Lesney’s design genius Jack Odell already had a terrific reputation for accurate detail but this gleaming horse-drawn vehicle – often used as a cake decoration at parties to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s coronation – opened his eyes to ultra-miniaturisation.
"It was the forerunner to the phenomenally successful Matchbox 1-75 series launched in 1953, that put toy cars and trucks into the eager hands of all children, not just those lucky enough to have wealthy parents. The little coach was the blockbuster product that started it all.”
The real 1:1 Coach has featured in every coronation since King George V in 1821.
