3/10/20 74/100 London Bus

Being based in England, the Matchbox brand always had a hand in vintage British transportation, and one of them is the famed two-story London Bus.  Matchbox has made quite a variety over the years, mostly based on the classic mid-century design, but this version introduced in the 1980’s was based on the modern bus look at the time.  This means a more squared-off look with two pieces of metal body (one for the upper roof) and done in red with visual landmarks on each side and the Concorde super airplane also on the sides.  The front has detailed headlights and grille, two access doors on the left side of the bus, and multiple window and vent covers.  Speaking of windows note the lack of windows in order to create the two-piece metal body with an interior; the interior is done in white and shows off the seating, mostly up top as the lower tier has two staircases and the driver sitting up front and on the right with a flat steering wheel.  Driving the bus requires care around corners and always remembers the height of nearby bridges.  After this release the casting never got much use again compared to the earlier Lesney and later Routemaster buses.

Specifications:

· Engine: Turbodiesel I-6 est.

· Transmission: 3-speed automatic est.

· 0-60 mph: 25.0 sec. est.

· Real vehicle price: $200,000 est. 1981

Rating:  4.8 out of 5 stars