The Rise and Fall of Matchbox's Toy-Car Empire

Matchbox cars were the best!

In particular, they tended to roll much better than Hot Wheels.

The "axles" were some kind of fine spring steel. The matchbox cars had noticeably less drag than other brands and rolled farther and more straight. The plastic on the wheels was more flexible and smooth.

I do think that some thought went into how these things rolled. Or maybe I am mis-remembering my childhood experiences? I guess I will never find out!

Interesting. I remember my Hot Wheels rolling better than the few Matchbox cars I had (early 90s). Maybe the Matchbox cars I had were older and left over from my brother, or maybe the quality had changed at that point.