[REVIEW] Lesney Matchbox Sports Boat and Trailer

Lesney Matchbox time is here again, time something different, a boat. Today we examine Lesney Matchbox 48b, the Sports Boat and Trailer. This casting entered the range in 1961, remaining until 1966, and is an uncommon vehicle in the diecast world:

This model represents and important part of the product line - an accessory to go with wheeled vehicles, and something to place on the tow hitch. This isn’t the first boat in the Matchbox series nor is it the only small scale boat from makers of the era - nor is this casting rare, so they must have been popular, but are minor compared to the amount of wheeled vehicles. Scale is difficult to determine as this does not appear to be modeled from an actual boat, but it is probably in the 1:55-1:65 range, to fit with cars. The boat itself is plastic (maybe it floats, I didn’t think to try), while the trailer and boat motor are metal. The boat, motor, and trailer all feature accurate detail, as detail was becoming finer by this point in the history of the product line. The motor tilts to add realism. From all angles, one can see the chances for play value:

Front and rear contain additional views of the quality of this piece:

A look underneath reveals detail of the trailer, and that the boat contains identifying data:

This example is lucky enough to live in its nice original Type D box. This dates from 1962-66:

This is one I am glad to have in my collection, as it is attractive, especially when attached to a model with a tow hook. It is also not insanely expensive, so if one wants an example, it is attainable.  Another nice model that makes me thankful for my collection:

As one can see, it is quite photogenic with the right casting:

A 1:1 of a similar era boat - this model was not named to represent a specific brand, these images of vintage Glasspar boats look good: