Matchbox Regular Wheels 15d Volkswagen Beetle Rally Car factory preproduction colour trial, £5800 at Vectis.
Eleven lots among the collection consigned by an ex-Lesney employee reached four figures.
As so often when it come to the biggest prices in the toy market, the top results came about for test models, not ones actually released as a range - in this case factory pre-production colour trials.
Variant version
The top-seller taking £5800 against an estimate of £500-800 was a Matchbox Regular Wheels 15d Volkswagen Beetle Rally Car trial version featured a yellow body, clear windows, ivory interior, bare metal base which has not been zinc plated, and chrome hubs with black plastic tyres.
This example differs from production versions in various ways such as stating Made in England by Lesney rather than Made in England Lesney Prod& Co. Ltd text. It was offered unboxed in overall ‘good plus to excellent’ condition.
Another factory pre-production colour trial performing strongly was a Matchbox Regular Wheels 17e AEC Horse Box with a green cab. It made £1100, double the mid estimate.
Meanwhile another trial version, a Matchbox King Size K11 DAF Articulated Car Transporter with numerous differences to the production model roared past a guide of £300-400 to sell at £2100.
