[REVIEW] Lesney Matchbox ERF 686 Truck

Sunday is here once again, time for a Lesney Matchbox review. Today’s model is a commercial vehicle, the 20b ERF 686 Ever Ready truck. This casting entered the range in 1959, and remained until 1965. It is a charming piece from the time Lesney products were on the cusp of hitting it big outside of the UK:

The real world vehicle is a fairly large machine, and this casting is not so large. I estimate scale to be maybe just larger than HO, say 1:75-1:80 or so. It was definitely scaled to fit in a box. However, it still has play value, with the long flat bed, perfect for hauling endless little bits and pieces. These ERFs have a unique futuristic 50s styling, and the brand is memorable for being Hammond’s truck in a TG episode. As this is a 1959 casting, there is no glazing or interior - those were just ahead on the timeline. As this model bridges what I call the “golden age” of 1958-63 or so into the high detail high volume era of 1964+, it does exist with wheels from each time - grey plastic, silver plastic, and black plastic. I have this in grey and black, but silver eludes me, as it is rare and fairly expensive. I think the highlight of this model is the wonderful Ever Ready slogan tampo on the sides of the flatbed. The old fashioned Ever Ready logo and the bold slogan really give this some personality. From all angles, it is an attractive piece:

Front and rear have fine detail, the mask-sprayed grille being a nice touch:

The base is typical for the time, basic aside from identifying detail. Lots of axles to be seen. With the small black plastic wheels, I suspect this is from the early 60s:

This is a photogenic little model that I am pleased to have in my collection. My grey wheeled version is boxed, and a silver one would be a nice find, as the dark blue paint and silver wheels combination always looks amazing. This one is unboxed, as previous recent reviews, and this will continue for a little while. It has weathered the past 50+ years in fine style:

This model, an excellent survivor, sits in the same service station display as the Austin from the previous Lesney review:

And a 1:1 of a truck with a similar cab from Pinterest, one can see this is a large vehicle: