With the posts about the Pasadena model being done by Matchbox, I'd like to know what your favorite Matchbox fire/rescue/police models are from the late 60's to current (the 1-75 line, not Yesteryears, etc)......

Here's a few of my favorites.....this is only Matchbox, not Hotwheels.....

Denver Pumper
Ft Wayne Int'l Pumper
Mack floodlight heavy rescue
Bumper Pumper Snorkel
KME Mini Pumper
Ford LTD Police Car from 1987 (PD-21 on roof)
Chevy box style Ambulance
Dennis Sabre from 1999

My favorites from Matchbox are:

Original Denver pumper (Non-superfast wheels)
Foamite crash truck
S&S Cadillac ambulance
Mack MC floodlight/rescue

Location: Baltimore

Number 1 is the Mack MC. After that is becomes a many way tie. The Denver pumper, Cadillac Ambulance, Galaxies, Mercurys, Furys, LTDs, Crown Vics and on and on.

In the Collectibles the KME is great. I have been trying to convince them to re-release this in generic markings for several years. They also made a 1/87 ambulance that made it all the way to test production runs that was just as nice. I have several of the pre-production models that are very close to the final model. It is a shame the "collectibles" line died before it made it to fruition.


Jeff

Jeff, I never knew about that 1-87 scale Matchbox line. That ambulance looks pretty good. What were the other models in the line, and do you know the reason it died?

The original Denver pumper, original crash rig, original Land Rover tender/pumper, & Ford Galaxy chief's car. I don't like any modern Matchbox pieces.

PS.... The KME mini pumper would have been a great piece, had it been in 1/64 as advertised by so many. 1/80 is just too "in between" for me.(Yes, I know the original pieces were not to "scale," but they were just what they were...toys. The KME had potential as a collectible & fell short in my opinion.....as do most department store packaged die-casts....as well as some "elite" replicas in the past few years.)

I used the Base Fire/Rescue as a guide to build a 1/25 scale model of the same thing. Lime green paint and graphics all. I think they are by far the best even tho' they were a bit undersized for 1/64. Really. Who cares when they are good!

Here is my list:

Denver Pumper (Code Red version) one of my first pieces of fire apparatus period.

1980's Ford LTD police car, black & white PD-21 markings.

Mack MC heavy rescue, original yellow version.

Mid-1990's Crown Vic. original blue version.

New, current Crown Vic. police car white with blue & black stripes.

1990's Ford ambulance original white with blue stripe release.

My all-time favorite MB in the regular series is the '65 Ford Galaxie in both police and fire chief versions. The original 6-wheel airport crash truck and the Denver pumper also are favorites, especially since they are from the the pre-Superfast, black wheel era. After that, I'd say the Plymouth Gran Fury and the Tahoe. Among the Fury versions, the Adam 12 car is my favorite (if the "ADAM-12" is removed from the roof) because it's the only one with markings similar to an actual department. The long-suffering Ford LTD was nice but too wide. The Ridge, NY, version was nice because it was a real department. The three series of 18 state agencies (plus the four or so city depts that didn't get into production) are the best of the LTD/Camaro/Tahoe/Crown Vic models - not regular 1-75 series, but since they're made from the same molds (like the Houston Mack M rescue and the Las Vegas ambulance) maybe they'd qualify. One of the best versions of a regular series mold by far was the LTD police car produced for Germany. Though it had generic markings on a black and white, they were much more realistic than the sometimes goofy markings MB put on most of the LTDs, and the paint quality was really super. The KME wasn't a regular 1-75 model, but if we're counting those MB Collectibles, then the NYPD and Ohio State Patrol Impalas have to be among the all-time best MB small-scale models produced (and were even close to 1:64 - I think about 1:66).

Location: Woodbridge, VA

Yes, the "MB" Impalas are 1/66.

I think the main reason the ambulance was never made is because the series ran its course before it could get to market. I also have the same model done in the Las Vegas scheme. This is different than the Ford Ambulance from the regular line.

Over the years I have tried to convince Mattel to release these models to the hobby shops etc. However it does not fit into any marketing plan or sales scheme. IN addition the models may no longer be available. Many were lost and broken in the move from China to Thailand.

If I could bring myself to do it, I would would disassemble one of these and have it cast in resin. But I just have too much time, money and memories invested in the prepros I have to do it.

Jeff

Location: PA

Here are a few more sots of my pre-pro ambulance

Location: PA

Now that Matchbox is supposed to be heading back into more accurate, collector-oriented pieces, I wonder if there's any chance they'll produce that 1/87th modular ambulance Jeff shows. It is a neat-looking piece, if anything, better than the Busch modular.

Location: Owen Sound, Ontario Canada