Matchbox, maker of tiny toy cars, is bringing back one if its most important models. It’s not a car, but a little horse-drawn coach, and its success led to the creation of Matchbox toy cars. And it was Matchbox cars that, in turn, inspired their one-time competitor, Hot Wheels. Both brands are now owned by Mattel, but it all goes back to an ornate little horse-drawn carriage that was sold as a keepsake for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
The new coach’s shape also more closely resembles the real coach, which has a body that rides further back from its front wheels than in the original toy. Painted side panels are recreated using printed designs. Three cherubs representing England, Scotland and Ireland are visible on the roof. in the original they were represented by a simple ribbed post. Sculptural figures including tritons, mythical sea gods, are rendered in more detail on the front and back.