Right here at the Matchbox Toy Cars Plaque we celebrate a legacy. This legacy is about more than just toys. It’s about Hackney’s industrial past.
Lesney Products, the company behind Matchbox, dominated this landscape. Their factory stood proudly by the canal. It was a concrete giant completed in 1963. By 1966, the workforce was 3,600 strong. Lesney was easily the largest employer in Hackney.
For many, Matchbox cars evoke childhood memories. They recall afternoons spent driving over sofas and screeching around table-leg bends. For others, they mean five-figure sums. These tiny cars are collector’s items.
The Matchbox story began with Leslie Smith and Rodney Smith. They founded Lesney Products in 1947. John Odell later joined them. The company initially made industrial die-castings. But they soon moved into toys.
The breakthrough came with the Royal State Coach in 1953. This was for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. It sold over a million units. This success provided capital for further investments.
Odell designed a scaled-down road roller for his daughter Annie. The toy fit inside a matchbox. Thus, the Matchbox name was born. The road roller became the first of the Matchbox 1-75 range.
Lesney hired many local women to assemble the toys. They even bought a fleet of buses. The buses transported women to and from work. This ensured a steady stream of nimble assembly hands.
One former employee recalled Lesney as more than a job. It was a way of life. In 1967, Lesney entered The Guinness Book of Records. Their annual output reached 100 million models.
The Matchbox factory at this site operated from 1969 to 1982. The plaque features replicas of a Ferrari Berlinetta and a Dodge Challenger. These models represent the first and last years of production here.
Sadly, Lesney went bankrupt in 1982. Universal Toys bought the Matchbox brand. Production moved to Macau. Jack Odell formed Lledo. He produced models similar to early Matchbox toys. Mattel now owns Matchbox.
The original Lesney Matchbox Toy Cars were made just up the canal from here. This plaque commemorates that history. The Matchbox Toy Cars Plaque reminds us of Hackney’s industrial heritage. It also reminds us of the joy these little cars brought to millions. The sculpture here was commissioned in March 2012 by Telford Homes Plc.