Man's classic car collection sells for fortune at auction - but there's a twist

24 September 2023 , 11:25

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Danny James prefers the pocket-sized versions of cars (Image: Vectis Auctions/BNPS)

A man's remarkable fleet of cars has sold for a huge sum at auction - but you only hope the buyers studied the happy seller's description!

Danny James' 1,300 Matchbox toy cars he spent years collecting went for a whopping £102,000 with the 1975 to 1982 models of the popular British toy including rare colour trial examples. Some sold for almost 10 times their estimate as the sale sparked an international bidding war involving collectors from the US, New Zealand and China.

The auctioneers said there has been a surge in popularity for 1970s toys among 'nostalgic' collectors who played with them as children and have the disposable income to bid on them today. A Matchbox Superfast Ford Escort factory pre-production colour trial fetched £2,817, seven times its £400 estimate.

His fleet of cars earned him a six-figure sum (Vectis Auctions/BNPS)

A Citroen CX Estate colour trial went for £2,327, while a Pontiac Firebird colour trial made £1,715. Other standout lots were a Ford Capri Hot Rocker made in Brazil which achieved £1,837, while a Ford 4x4 Open Back Truck went for £735 and a Superfast BMW 3.0 CSL, estimated at £70, made £637.

The two day sale, consisting of almost 1,000 lots, some with multiple toys, was held by Vectis Auctions, of Teeside. Danny, from near London, who has been collecting Matchbox since his childhood, said he was 'really pleased' with the sale result. He said: "It really was an emotional rollercoaster but overall I'm really pleased it's done what I hoped and ticked all the boxes."

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A Vectis spokesperson said: "The Danny James 1975-82 Superfast Collection exceeded all expectations. The fantastic collection which featured every model in the 1-75 range attracted a worldwide audience with models now ready to make their way across the globe. The sale realised £102,000 including buyers premium over the two days, with models across both days achieving well over estimate."

Julian Royse, specialist at Vectis, added: "Toys from the 1970s are the most actively sought-after and the hottest property because the people who played with them as children are now in their 50s and have the disposable income to treat themselves. It is all about nostalgia and the rare examples did very well, with bidding from the US, New Zealand, mainland Europe and China."

James Podesta