lesney matchbox 52a Maserati 4CLT

Moko Lesney Matchbox 52a Maserati 4CLT

The Lesney model of the 52a Maserati 4CLT was introduced into the Matchbox 1-75 series in mid 1958 which was handy for the previously released 41a Jaguar D type as it had been sitting on the starting grid for six months and now it finally had something to race against.
The Maserati was painted red and it had hand applied silver trim to the grille, exhaust and fuel filler cap but this was soon changed to mask sprayed silver trim to the grille only, the baseplate was initially flat black but that was also soon changed to gloss black. The die cast metal driver was painted cream.
The wheels were 12.5 x 30 black plastic whith an extension to the back to space them away from the body and they were mounted on dome head axles with crimped ends but were soon modified to axles with rounded ends.
The first issue had no decals but later racing number '52' decals were applied. The final issue of red bodied Maseratis were fitted with die cast wire wheels that also had the extension or spacer to the back and these were fitted with 14 x 60 black plastic tyres and this variation is by far the rarest.

The model was later recoloured to yellow and soon after the driver was recoloured to white.
Two short runs can be found that were fitted with either number '3' or number '5' decals and these are both quite hard to find variations.
There were two minor casting variations. First a stud was cast to the center of the bonnet (hood). I don't know what the stud was meant to represent as I can't find anything on the real car that it could be.
The second casting variation was to the drivers left arm where a round indentation was cast in just above the elbow and this was probably an ejector ring that helped remove the driver casting from the die,
The Maserati is not too hard to find and it stayed in the range for seven years so I guess it must have been a good seller in its day,
Rarities are the yellow version with either 3 or 5 decal or the red version with wire wheels, it was sold in 'B', 'C' and 'D' type boxes and was replaced by the 52b B.R.M. racing car in 1965.

above: the hard to find issue with '3' decals.

code number	general	decals	wheel type	tyres	driver colour	axle type	bonnet stud	drivers arm
code 1	red body, silver trim flat black base	none	12.5 x 30 black plastic	n/a	cream	dome head crimped	no stud	no ring
code 2	red body, silver trim gloss black base	none	12.5 x 30 black plastic	n/a	cream	dome head crimped	no stud	no ring
code 3	red body, silver trim flat black base	#52	12.5 x 30 black plastic	n/a	cream	dome head crimped	no stud	no ring
code 4	red body, silver trim gloss black base	#52	12.5 x 30 black plastic	n/a	cream	dome head crimped	no stud	no ring
code 5	red body, silver trim gloss black base	#52	12.5 x 30 black plastic	n/a	cream	dome head rounded	no stud	no ring
code 6	red body, silver trim gloss black base	#52	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	cream	dome head rounded	no stud	no ring
code 7	yellow body, silver trim gloss black base	#52	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	cream	dome head rounded	no stud	no ring
code 8	yellow body, silver trim gloss black base	#52	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	cream	dome head rounded	with stud	with ring
code 9	yellow body, silver trim gloss black base	#52	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	white	dome head rounded	no stud	with ring
code 10	yellow body, silver trim gloss black base	#52	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	white	dome head rounded	with stud	no ring
code 11	yellow body, silver trim gloss black base	#52	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	white	dome head rounded	with stud	with ring
code 12	yellow body, silver trim gloss black base	#5	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	cream	dome head rounded	with stud	no ring
code 13	yellow body, silver trim gloss black base	#5	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	white	dome head rounded	with stud	with ring
code 14	yellow body, silver trim gloss black base	#3	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	white	dome head rounded	with stud	with ring
code 15	yellow body, silver trim gloss black base	#3	8mm wire wheel	14 x 60 black plastic	white	dome head rounded	with stud	no ring

box types	notes
B2	none
B3	none
B4	none
B5	none
C	Maserati 4CLT 1948
C	Maserati
D1	one black side one blue
D2	one black side one blue

values

red, black plastic wheels, no decals £40

red, black plastic wheels, #52 decals £50

red, wire wheels, #52 decals £300+

yellow, wire wheels, #52 decals £40

yellow, wire wheels, #5 decals £100+

yellow, wire wheels, #3 decals £100+

values are for mint models in mint boxes

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