British Pathé: Matchbox Toy Cars ( 1965 )

Seeing a manufacturing process in action is always interesting, but this particular 1965 British Pathé film clip is extra fun to watch because it covers the process - from start to finish - of a toy Matchbox car being made....and what a detailed process it is!

In 1953, to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's coronation, Lesney Products issued a tiny replica model of the coach used by the queen during the procession. It was such a big-seller that Lesney began a line called "Matchbox Cars" which featured detailed scale-models of all of the popular British automobiles, and later, American models, too. They were known as the Matchbox series because each model was packaged in a little yellow box which resembled a matchbox.

This 1 minute 59 second British Pathé film clip from their "How They Are Made" series shows how these little motorcars are designed, carved out of wood, molded, and then put into production. It's amazing what effort went into these toys and today's manufacturing process of Hot Wheels and other models is just as fascinating. 

Ready to watch Matchbox Toy Cars? Simply click on the link below.

British Pathé - Matchbox Toy Cars ( 1965 ) 

Other similar British Pathé clips: 

Model Cars ( 1962 )  - 2:32 min

Dinky Cars ( 1967 ) - 1:10 min

Outtakes from Matchbox Cars ( 1965 ) - 9:09 min