This lovely little Escort is proof that it existed - although I reckon the contributor who sent this photo must have the very car that Matchbox used!
I thought this was as rare as the Abarth, but this is the proof I need that it did indeed exist. The car does actually differ slightly from Matchbox's catalogue example in that the blue Ford oval was light blue on the Matchbox version. The black stripe along the bonnet/hood also continued into the black stripe on the door.
Apart from this, its all looking familiar so keep your eyes peeled. Definitely in my top 10 for collectors favourites - (a list that is ongoing for now!)
