Matchbox - Arnold

[matchboxkiwi]

Dose anyone know the connection between Arnold and Matchbox ? They seemed to make the Matchbox motorway sets for the American market and didn't have the Matchbox branded sets in Germany as they were never seen in the respective countries collectors catalogues.
Here are a few Arnold catalogues I have showing Matchbox models.

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Here is an early Arnold motorway set catalogue dated 1967. Matchbox didn't have their motorways available until late 1968, early 1969!

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Here are the catalogues for four different sets once Arnold and Matchbox had come together. Note all the Matchbox models shown.

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The sets and Matchbox cars were also illustrated in Arnold's Train catalogues.

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Cheers, Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[Scrumpy70]

Most interesting, indeed! Thanks muchly for these.

Them craaaaazy Arnold guys coming up with the topple bridge & stump jump...a common feature on some Autobahns, I suppose?

[matchboxkiwi]

Here are some of the cars shown in the catalogues. They look like Matchbox but don't quite look right somehow! What do you think?

This one looks like MB-75 Ferrari Berlinetta

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Something about the base doesn't look right to me. Look at the rear rivet.


This one looks like MB-36 Opel Diplomat

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Something doesn't look right about the wheels.

The left lane, cars coming towards the viewer look like MB-33 Ford Zephyr, MB-75 Ferrari Berlinetta and MB-27 Mercedes Benz.
Right lane, cars going away from viewer, unknown car, could be another brand or MB-65 Jaguar Sedan and MB-41 Ford GT.

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Cheers, Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[cOO7rgi]

The photo of the Ferrari baseplate was retouched to remove the markings (don't forget, this was to advertise an Arnold product, not the Matchbox cars). The model looking similar to the Opel Diplomat seems to be a Wiking H0 Opel Rekord, and I think the same is seen from the front in the next picture. The car driving behind the Ford GT seems to be a Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, I guess from Wiking again.

It would have been a wise decision to market those sets under the Matchbox name only but instead they were only sold as Arnold in the "common market" (EEC) which did not yet include Great Britain.
Arnold was a respected name as a toy manufacturer but mostly known for old tinplate toys or at the time for N-scale railways but not for cars, so those accessories were probably not known by many.

[matchboxkiwi]

That's a good point about the EEC. When did the UK join? I think it was around 1973 wasn't it? If so that would tie in nicely with the Arnold and Lesney deal finishing.
From 1974 those motorway sets were not shown in the collectors catalogues or trade catalogues any more. The January 1974 price list only listed some accessories not the motorway sets.

Cheers, Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[matchboxkiwi]

Some of the Matchbox Motorway catalogues
These were up dated each year.

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Switch a track catalogues

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Cheers, Steve
Matchboxkiwi

[kay]

Steve,

I think the car in front of the No. 75 Ferrari is a Siku V 223 Opel Rekord, and the car behind the No. 41 Ford GT is a Siku V 221 Mercedes 300 SL.
So the side view of the Matchbox No. 36 Opel Diplomat actually is a Siku V 223 Opel Rekord, too - that's why the wheels look so different (and the Matchbox Version is a four-door instead of a two-door).

Kay