Matchbox SuperKings; Matra Rancho

I always thought the Matra Rancho was a bit of a fraud. To me it is a Simca 1100 pretending to be a Range Rover, but in the end it was a precursor to all those SUVs and cross-over vehicles.

It joined the King-Size range in 1982 in three variants each with sign-written decals, Trans Globe, Coastguard (not shown) and Pursuit Vehicle, the Fire Control vehicle below is a later release.. As a model it does not compare well with the Corgi offer which is a much more accomplished and better modelled item. The wheels on this one are just far too wide.