A Look at How Matchbox Cars Were Made in 1965

British Pathé is featuring wonderful archival footage from 1965 that reveals how a Matchbox cars factory in Hackney, London built the popular die-cast toys. The toys started as a conceptual design, were built into a wood model, and then headed to production and assembly for final touches.

Begins with fabulous shots of model cars and trucks on a moving conveyor belt. Looks like a surreal motorway with brightly colored cars moving along it. Traffic a go-go!

Matchbox Cars factory. Shots of men at their drawing boards designing Matchbox models. C/Us of prototypes being created – tiny parts are painted then a wooden prototype is created. Mould is made then scaled down. Man operates a pantograph – cutting a mould. Various shots of cars being made. They are then placed on a conveyor belt and are spun around as they are sprayed by a paint machine. C/Us of wheels being applied and women working on a conveyor belt adding small details like clip in seats.

via The Awesomer