Marketing Manager - Bridge Classic Cars
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 ยฃ102,000 (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 ยฃ2,817, far exceeding its ยฃ400 estimate.
A Citroen CX Estate colour trial found a new owner at a price of ยฃ2,327, while a Pontiac Firebird colour trial sold for ยฃ1,715. Other standout lots included a Ford Capri Hot Rocker, produced in Brazil, that sold for ยฃ1,837. A Ford 4×4 Open Back Truck was won with a bid of ยฃ735, and a Superfast BMW 3.0 CSL, initially estimated at ยฃ70, sold for an impressive ยฃ637.
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.
