Here's an intriguing little item that I saw on some site or other (forget which) - a MATCHBOX BATMOBILE. Only thing is, as far as I'm aware, Matchbox never made a TV Batmobile, so I suspect this is a clever 'custom' job using a MATTEL Batmobile. If so, whoever did it has made an excellent job of creating the box and blister-pack - in fact, I'd buy this if it were available.
However, maybe I'm mucho-mistaken and Matchbox did indeed issue the Batmobile at some stage. Anyone know?
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Actually, it could be legitimate, as I've just remembered while replying to reader McScotty's comment that Mattel owns the Matchbox brand, so they could simply have repackaged a Mattel Batmobile under the Matchbox name.
Kid, I actually had a Batmobile in the late 60's, but I think Corgi might have made it. It's still somewhere in my parents' house. It had the "rocket fire" coming out of the exhaust in the back when you rolled it. On the underside of the body, there was a impression of Batman in Carmine Infantino's famous "hands on hips" pose.
ReplyDeleteYeah, G, that would be the Corgi Toys one (got two). It was approximately 4 inches long, but this one is a typical 'Matchbox' sized one, around 2 inches or so. If the one you had was 2 inches, then it was either a Husky (made by Corgi) or a Corgi Juniors one, which, initially, I understand were just rebranded Husky's. The Husky Batmobiles also had the Infantino Batman on the base, and I think the first Corgi Juniors had too, though not the later ones.
ReplyDeleteI had the Husky edition, based on your description. It was pretty durable and was still rolling the last time I saw it.
ReplyDeleteThere's some photos of mine on the blog, G. Just type Husky into the blog's search box. It's a great wee toy.
ReplyDeleteActually, there are three posts, and I've just noticed you commented on one of them at the time.
ReplyDeleteIm not very knowledgeable on toy cars but I do remember seeing a Matchbox Batmobile not that long ago, however it wasn't the classic version.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure it wasn't one of the Mattel Hot Wheels Batmobiles, PM. They're very similarly packaged to Matchbox cars as Mattel now own the Matchbox brand. (Or at least, they did the last time I looked.)
ReplyDeleteUpdate: Just looked on Amazon and saw a Matchbox Batmobile (blue), but as you say, not the TV one. Interesting.
Yeah it was a Matchbox Kid. I think I saw it in somewhere like Home Bargains for £2, it was a strange version of the Batmobile.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've seen about three different colour versions of the strange one on Amazon. I'd love the one in the picture on this post, mainly for the box, as it's likely just a repackaged Mattel version (and I've got over a dozen of 'em) - unless it's a 'custom' one, that is.
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