[REVIEW] Lesney Matchbox Bedford Low Loader

Lesney Matchbox time again, today we examine a heavy truck. This is Matchbox 27b, the Bedford Low Loader. This casting entered the range in 1958, and had a short run, remaining only until 1960. It’s a fine piece as expected from this era of Lesney Matchbox products:

Detail is evident from all angles. This casting replaced 27a, a nearly identical Bedford (S Type) low loader, this version being scaled up from the original. Both versions are articulated, and have a detachable trailer. The first low loader was quite dainty, this one, while larger, is still small, likely no larger than around 1:90 scale, and maybe smaller, as the actual vehicle is a large piece of equipment:

Front and rear have similar detail:

The base is basic, typical for the era:

The maker marks on this are atypical for most vehicles, the cab marked on the underside:

But the trailer is marked on the top:

The scale on this is fun, as not many Lesney Matchbox vehicles are so small. Here it is posing with a tractor of a much larger scale:

This is another unboxed model, and I am definitely glad to have it. This one is clean enough to be worthy of hunting down a box - which can be a laborious and expensive undertaking. This variant with the dark green rather than light green cab is fairly scarce, and has that soft mellow look that makes vehicles of this era charming:

A 1:1 from the Nick Jones Lesney Matchbox page: