Description from Mattel Creations website:
This bus is a perfect delight! It’s hard not to notice a double-decker Routemaster when you see one in person, but especially when you see our must-have Matchbox release of the Routemaster Bus. This majestic piece makes a remarkable return with this highly detailed special edition – the very first of a new collectible series! – exclusively available through the Matchbox® Collector site.
Though horse-drawn double-decker busses had appeared in the 1800s, the first engine-powered version appeared in London in the early 1920s. Appearing in other places, it is usually most closely associated with England in the public conscious. But the Routemaster™ itself first emerged in the 1950s, becoming the most iconic of double-decker busses. They were discontinued in 2005, but newer versions of double-decker busses based on the Routemaster still operate today!
The Matchbox® Routemaster™ piece first appeared in 1966, released through 1969. A fan favorite, it was slightly modified and returned in 2006 to an enthusiastic world. It was last seen in 2016 – until now! This classic edition features vintage deco, transporting you to another time and place – not just to Piccadilly Square. It features “True Grip” steelie wheels, and it’s encased in an acrylic case with authentic environment backdrop imagery, all packed in a sturdy box. It’s a smile on wheels, it is. Climb up the stairs and have a seat – or better still, seat it in your collection!
Date codes (display case and outer box): N48, N51, N52
Date codes (on model): N50 (with N51 box code)
