10 of the most valuable Matchbox cars you might own, including one sold recently for £3,380

But did you know your Matchbox car or one owned by your child or grandchild could be worth hundreds or thousands of pounds?

The die-cast models were first launched by Lesney Products back in 1953, taking their name from the boxes in which they were sold, and they have been turning carpets into racetracks ever since.

The Matchbox brand has been owned by the toy giant Mattel since 1997 and is still going strong, but vintage models in good condition and in their original boxes are hugely collectable and can sell for huge amounts.

The most valuable models ever sold include the one-off Major Quarry Truck, which fetched $15,000 in 2010, and the 1961 Light Brown Magirus Deutz Crane, which went for $10,000 at auction in the noughties.

But some slightly less rare Matchbox vehicles, which could be lurking in your toybox or hidden in the attic, have fetched similarly eye-watering prices in recent months.

Below are the nine most valuable Matchbox cars sold on eBay so far this year, all worth at least £500, and one which went for more than £2,000 at auction in November 2024.

We’ve only included Matchbox vehicles sold as individual items on eBay in our list and we’ve excluded sales of the packaging alone, which can also be hugely valuable, and Hot Wheels and Dinky Toys cars.

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