By Gary Barnum
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 on July 29, 2021.
Though horse-drawn double-decker buses 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 buses. They were discontinued in 2005, but newer versions of double-decker buses 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!
Specs:
- Body Color: Red and off white
- Deco: Vintage era-styled logos and banners
- Body Type: Metal
- Wheels: “True Grip” steelie wheels
- Base: Silver VUM
- Window Color: Smoke-tinted
- Interior Color: Silver VUM
- 1:64th scale
Packaging:
- Packaged in an acrylic case with environment-themed panorama background in a sturdy box
Availability:
- Anyone (until sold out): Thursday, 7/29/21 at 9:00 a.m. PT
Pricing and Purchase Limits:
- Priced at $25.00 plus shipping and processing each; extra charges may apply for express shipping or special handling (customers shipping to Canada may be required to pay additional shipping charges or taxes)
- We do offer international shipping to other countries – please see shipping costs and details here (international shipping availability subject to change)
- No purchase limits (Purchase limits subject to change at our sole discretion)
- Refunds only, no exchanges
Items and dates subject to change. Production items may vary from the photos shown. Mattel reserves the right to modify the color, decorations, scale, body, and wheel type. Product subject to availability.
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