Sales and Service Station (Matchbox MG1)
| Exhibit |
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Sales and Service Station (Matchbox MG1) |
| File:BTMM map 049.gif |
| location: |
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Arch Three , Area 49 1961 - 1963 |
A red and yellow plastic Matchbox Series Sales and Service Station, made by Lesney Products.
The garage parts came packed inside a large matchbox-shaped box, and required some simple assembly by the owner.
The ground and first floors are open at the back, to make it easy for the owner to put some of their Matchbox cars proudly on display in the car sales showroom areas.
Parts
The garage consists of
- a red plastic base and forecourt
- A yellow ground floor building with a car bay on the left of the entrance and a clear plastic Art Deco styled open plan area on the right.
- A similar yellow plastic first floor with symmetrical clear plastic Art Deco walls.
- A side ramp to allow cars to be driven up to the first floor.
- A red diecast advertising roof strip with curved ends and a central rectangular printed clock, with logos for AA, RAC, and ESSO, and "MATCHBOX Sales & Service Station" all printed against a white background.
The forecourt has a space specifically to take the red A-1 petrol pumps and forecourt sign, but these aren't shown on the box artwork, and presumably had to be bought separately.
1963: green version
In 1963, Lesney replaced the original red version with a revised "BP" version in green plastic, to match BP's green corporate livery (and also bought out a new BP-style petrol pump set to go with it).
