The Lesney model of the 13a Bedford wreck truck joined the Matchbox 1-75 series in 1955. The cab and body was painted a lightish brown with hand applied silver trim to the grille and to the front bumper. The crane jib and hook were painted a dark red and as the hook and jib were assembled before it was painted the flat head axle pin that held the two parts together was also painted dark red.
The wheels were 8.5 x 18 grey metal which were mounted on flat head axles with crimped ends.
Unfortunately the design of this model meant that the crane jib was attached to the body by the base of the jib which had two ears that located into a hole in the wrecker bed floor which was not very satisfactory so quite often on playworn examples the crane jib is missing, This was rectified on the model that followed this one which was the 13b which had the jib secured in place by the rear axle pin.
The baseplate inscription read "Lesney England" and the model was not numbered except for on the box endflap,
After just three years in production the Bedford was replaced by the new improved 13b Bedford wreck truck which had the model number "13" cast into the roof interior and "Wreck truck, Made in England by Lesney" cast on the underneath of the wrecker bed.
There were no colour, wheel or casting variations on this one which keeps the variation table simple, It was packaged in 'B' type boxes and deleted in 1958.
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