I'm guessing a lot of slot racers cut their "car" eyeteeth on Matchbox Cars; I know I certainly did and our two boys played with them when they were young, too.
Today's Hemmings Daily blog features a couple of British Pathé documentary clips showing how Matchbox vehicles were produced. It's shocking to see how many workers were employed at the time. Today's production lines are surely much more automated.
"Despite consistent demand for Matchbox products, Lesney declared bankruptcy in 1982, a victim of the poor economic climate in Britain. American toymaker Universal acquired the rights to the brand, which it sold to Tyco in 1992; Tyco was later bought out by Mattel (manufacturer of the rival Hot Wheels line), which has continued to enjoy success with the Matchbox name. "