Nouvelles urgentes- Model car enthusiast buys Matchbox toy for £10000

29.03.10

Model buffs from across the globe descended on the Holiday Inn in Harrogate on March 26 to attend the sale of some of the most desirable toys around.

Top of the list was the Lesney dumper truck, produced by the Matchbox car company in 1955 as a prototype for a range of larger toys, though the up-scale version never materialised after the toy giant opted for the miniature vehicles - which have now become world famous.

As a result, the pricey prototype on sale at Harrogate is believed to be one of only six ever to be made and the only surviving model which explains its enormous fee.

Elderly Mr Yoshise had decided it was time to pass his prized asset on to a younger collector and the Lesney truck eventually sold for 10,200 pounds to become the world's most expensive matchbox toy - eclipsing the previous record of 7,200 pounds.

Kevin McGimpsey, editor of the Matchbox Clubs magazine and convention organiser, said: This truck is the Holy Grail for Matchbox enthusiasts and we are delighted that its sale has caused such a stir.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk