Collectible Toy: The Magirus-Deutz Crane Truck Matchbox Toy Car

When you try to start to collect toys from your childhood, a girl will most likely to choose doll, a Barbie in particular. On the other hand, a boy might always choose to collect a toy car, I don’t know about you guys but when I was young, Matchbox is the brand most children want to have.

The Matchbox name originated in 1953 as a brand name of the British die-casting company Lesney Products, whose reputation was moulded by John W. "Jack" Odell (1920–2007), Leslie Charles Smith (1918–2005), and Rodney Smith. The name Lesney was a portmanteau of Leslie and Rodney Smith's first names.

In the earliest years of the regular, or 1-75 series – well before the series actually numbered 75 models – Lesney was marketed/distributed by Moko (itself named after its founder, Moses Kohnstam). Boxes in that era mentioned this, with the text "A Moko Lesney" appearing on each. Lesney gained its independence from Moko in 1959[5] by buying out Moko's share in the joint enterprise, leading to a period of growth, both in sales and in size. Early models did not feature windows or interiors, were made entirely of metal, and were often about 2" (5 cm) in length. By 1968, Matchbox was the biggest-selling brand of small die-cast model cars worldwide. By this time, the average model in their collection featured plastic windows, interiors, tyres (often with separate disc wheels), and occasional accessories; spring suspensions; opening parts; and was about 3" (7 cm) long. Some even featured steering, including the pressure-based AutoSteer system debuting in 1969. The line was very diverse, including lorries, buses, tractors, motorcycles, and trailers as well as standard passenger cars.

On April 15, 2021 Matchbox announced that they will make a 1:64 scale Tesla Roadster in 2022, made out of 99% recycled materials (62.1% recycled zinc, 1.0% stainless steel and 36.9% recycled plastic) and classified as a carbon neutral product. This move was made as part of a plan for the brand to become more environmentally sustainable, and Matchbox pledged to make all of their cars and packaging out of 100% recycled materials by the year 2030. The first Matchbox cars to feature recycled packaging will be the Power Grabs assortment. In addition, Matchbox launched an EV-themed pack with a Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius, BMW i3, BMW i8, and an International eStar, and also announced that EV charging stations will be featured in two playsets, to encourage environmental consciousness among children.

If you have kept one Matchbox toy car, can you sell it?

According to one website, the Magirus-Deutz Crane Truck Matchbox toy car is one of the most expensive Matchbox toy car ever sold.

Just so you know, Magirus-Deutz was a manufacturer of trucks, buses, fire protection technology, fire engines, military vehicles and aerial work platforms, which belonged to Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz AG (KHD) and whose origins lie in the Ulm fire-fighting equipment factory Magirus. The trademark of Magirus-Deutz shows the stylized silhouette of the Ulm Minster in combination with an M for Magirus.

Moreover, this little brown 1961 “No.30” crane truck, as shown below, was reportedly found in a garage sale and purchased for $10.

Three years later, the owner sold it for $10,000, and another collector also purchased one for a whopping $13,000!

The reason why it’s so valuable is unclear; however, it’s likely got something to do with its age, model type, and condition.

But, whatever the reason, someone was willing to pay $13,000 for it, which is all that matters in the grand scheme of things.

And, with that sale, the Magirus-Deutz Crane became the most expensive Matchbox car ever.

Cheerio!