Matchbox Collector’s Series – Porsche 550 Spyder FEATURETTE
When nostalgia witnesses a memorable revival...
By Matchbox we usually remember at ordinary 1:64-scale road vehicles with plastic wheels at a very reasonable price. As well as the older generation may naturally remember the very classic models that came with the iconic yellow «matchboxes», unlike today's typical plastic boxes.
Those yellow classics were the major reason where the Matchbox brand got its name from.
The Collector's Series launched in 2021 brings nostalgia back to life. Sports cars as well as absolute classics are reissued together with the yellow box in nostalgic font as we know it from the past.
The highlight of this series is the so-called "moving parts", which means that the doors, trunk or bonnet can be fully opened. The most convincing selling point is the high level of detail. Beside the fact that those Collector’s models cost about four times as much then the regular Matchbox cars here in Switzerland (3$ standard to 12$) those diecast models do speak for themselves: Fully detailed, rubber tyres and metal base. One example which stands out the most is the legendary Porsche 550 Spyder.
American Dream meets James Dean...
Only 89 units were sold between 1953 and 1956 which already made it to an absolute unique icon of their time. With its racing successes in the USA, the Porsche 550 Spyder was instrumental in making Porsche known as a brand there especially for their passion to motorsport. Many people will recognise the vehicle in connection with the american actor James Dean, who died in exactly such a vehicle in 1955. Dean was often photographed with his silver Porsche with two red rear stripes.
That’s why it’s an absolute pleasure to see that Matchbox has based its choice of rims, colour scheme and attention to detail precisely on this vehicle of James Dean. Beside all that many US racing drivers achieved success with it and thus helped Porsche to achieve fame in the USA - without the 550 Spyder, Porsche's fame would never be where it is now.
One of the most expensive 4 cylinders of all time...
If you open the bonnet of the model it kindly reveals an air-cooled 1.5-litre four-cylinder boxer engine with 110 hp. This meant that the racer, which weighed 550 kilograms in the dry, had a perfect weight- / performance ratio for a sporty driving experience. Since there are so few of these cars in existence, millions are paid for well-preserved models these days.
Naturally a much more expensive Matchbox model than we’re usually used to doesn't sound well at all, but compared to the millions of dollars for an original model, I'm pretty sure we're happy to settle it for $12 straight.
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