4/15/20 11/75 London Taxi

The final five vehicles of this brief ROW look also represent a part of Matchbox’s regional separation as the ROW line contained 5-car series that was only sold on one region:  you had one for Germany, one for Australia, and one for Great Britain.  I have managed to find all five of the Great Britain set so this is what I will show next.  You can’t have a British series without the famed London Taxi, and Matchbox had one that was released in 1987, the FX4R which features the iconic black paint with Union Jack on the front doors, the classic Matchbox arch wheels, and a metal base that shows the drivetrain and X-brace support.  The front has the classic fenders with round headlights and the tall narrow grille, taxi sign on the roof, detailed taillights and rear plate, and the sweep and rise of the side beltline that also has opening rear doors to access the roomy red interior.  Interestingly enough to see this casting return as I have not seen much use of it in years and at times looked a lot like the Corgi version that Hot Wheels returned in 1996, though different, and being based on the unreliable FX4R really didn’t help but don’t fear the London Taxi lives on as a new model released in 2005 with modern touches and without the opening rear doors.

Specifications:

· Engine: 2.3L turbodiesel I-4, 90 hp. Est.

· Transmission: 4-speed manual

· 0-60 mph: 18.0 sec. est.

· Real vehicle price: $20,000 est. 1985

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars