Superfast 1969-1982

Rick Wilson charts the evolution of the Matchbox Superfast range during the Lesney years, from 1969 to 1982.

repainted white, lost its racing numbers and now sported a wide chequered stripe down the centre of the entire body length. This was fl anked to both edges of the upper body surface with one thick and one thin red stripe, broken only by body fittings such as the headlights and air vents. Along with No 75 Alfa Carabo, it was the joint most short-lived of the Streakers, both being replaced for the 1977 catalogue.

VW GOLF

Catalogue: 1977-82

Box Styles: K

When No 7 VW Golf first appeared in the catalogue, in 1977, it was the only car among the new models for that year.

The original real VW Golf had been handed the unenviable task of replacing the iconic VW Beetle, but it instantly became a classic.

The new Matchbox was just as impressive and had a good production run, outlasting Lesney by a couple of years to 1984. The fact that it was a very good replication of the real thing clearly helped it. Interestingly, Lesney had opted to go for the fivedoor hatchback version rather than the three-door GTi, although sales figures suggest that this wasn't an error of judgement.

Released in metallic mid-green, the car had surfboards on its roof, something that lent it automatically to the Two Packs range, for which it was paired with No 5 Seafire. It was repainted yellow and then red for subsequent catalogue years.

The other yellow version shown above is a German market release in ADAC livery - a hard one to find in the UK.

VW GOLF

Catalogue: 1982

Box Styles: L

For 1982, No 7 Golf lost its roofrack and surfboards, with the mounting holes in the roof filled in as a result. The body colour changed to silver, and was adorned with green 'Starsky and Hutch' stripes to the sides, and "GOLF" text to the forward doors.

For the US market, the Golf model was renamed Rabbit to reflect the real car's name across the Atlantic. In later life, the USA would see an outlandish version, styled after Big Foot, called Rompin' Rabbit.

▼ To the rear is the Ford Refuse Truck with original Regular Wheels, The ADAC Golf sold in Germany, and the post-Lesney Rompin' Rabbit for the US Market. In the front row are (left to right) the later sticker version of Hairy Hustler, its US counterpart, Flamin' Manta, and the two later colour versions of VW Golf with surfboards.

▼ During the post-Lesney era, the US market Rabbit transformed into Rompin' Rabbit, with outrageous wheels, clearly inspired by Big Foot.

▼ The tipping mechanism on the Ford Refuse Truck is very impressive.