4/1/20 96/100 Elgin Pelican Street Sweeper

Probably one of the most complex Matchbox castings released in 2000 has got to be this street sweeper, a new casting based on the Elgin Pelican sweeper.  This sweeper was designed for tight streets in large cities with a rear wheel that steers the sweeper in a zero turn and a short wheelbase with brushes that can come out and reach in tight spots.  This Matchbox not only clearly shows the pelican design, but also shows all of the working parts:  Up front is a red bucket that lifts up and rotates down to empty any dirt or particles picked up by the sweeper, while on the sides two black arms come out to reveal the side brushes (the main brush on the base is stationary), two military wheels represent the rear wheel which also sits below the engine, lots of windows for visibility with the roof mounted strobe light part of the window trim, and headlights up front just ahead of the eight spoke wheels.  The interior has seating for two though the steering wheel is fitted on both sides for sweeping either side of the street, and models that have the Matchbox 2000 logo can be found at the front (this last series is the only series where I found more than one version of the same casting with the Matchbox 2000 logo on almost every model of the series).  Despite the cool factor it was overly complicated from a manufacturing perspective, so after a few years of use the casting was retired and by 2006 a new street sweeper was employed: a typical cab-over truck with a button on top that lowers the brushes.  Even the new 2019 small sweeper has nothing compared to the creativity of this original Street Sweeper.

Specifications:

· Engine: I-3 60 hp. Est.

· Transmission: 2-speed automatic est.

· 0-60 mph: 15 mph. top speed est.

· Real vehicle price: $10,000 est. 1999

Rating:  4.9 out of 5 stars