Danny James Collection

An impressive collection of Matchbox toy cars, assembled by owner Danny James, recently found new homes at an auction hosted by Vectis Auctions.

The Danny James Collection featured models produced between 1975 and 1982 and included some exceptionally rare colour trial examples. Some of the cars achieved more than ten times their initial estimates as an international bidding war broke out with collectors from America, New Zealand, and China all desperately trying to get their hands on these special cars for their own collection.

There have been some big money auctions happening recently with full-size classic cars. However, despite this sale being entirely comprised of Matchbox toy cars, the collection was sold for an incredible £102,000 (including buyers premium).

Standout Models

One noteworthy highlight was a Matchbox Superfast Ford Escort, a factory pre-production colour trial, which sold for a staggering £2,817, far exceeding its £400 estimate.

A Citroen CX Estate colour trial found a new owner at a price of £2,327, while a Pontiac Firebird colour trial sold for £1,715. Other standout lots included a Ford Capri Hot Rocker, produced in Brazil, that sold for £1,837. A Ford 4×4 Open Back Truck was won with a bid of £735, and a Superfast BMW 3.0 CSL, initially estimated at £70, sold for an impressive £637.

The Danny James Collection

The two-day auction, which featured an extensive offering of nearly 1,000 lots, some comprising of multiple toys, was held by Vectis Auctions, located in Teeside. Danny, a long-time collector from London, who has been building his Matchbox collection since his early years, was obviously very happy with the result although he expressed sadness at saying goodbye to the models he had owned for so long.