Matchbox/Lesney 49a; M3 Halftrack Personnel Carrier

Between the world wars, the US Army sought to improve the tactical mobility of its forces. With the goal of finding a high-mobility infantry vehicle, the Ordnance Department had evaluated the half-track design by testing French Citroën-Kégresse vehicles. The White Motor Company produced a prototype half track using their own chassis and the body of the M3 Scout Car. The design, using as many commercial components as possible to improve reliability and speed up production, was standardized in 1940 and built by the Autocar Company, Diamond T Motor Company, and the White Company. Total production of the M3 ran to nearly 41,000 vehicles. To supply the Allied nations International Harvester produced several thousand of a very similar vehicle, the M5 half track for Lend-Lease.

Matchbox used this as the launch for their small range of military vehicles in 1958 and it remained in production in military green with no very noticeable changes until 1967 making it one of the longest lived models in the Lesney range. The sharp-eyed Matchbox Fundamentalist however will see lots of variations that others may miss. The front wheels can be metal, grey plastic or black plastic, the rollers can be metal, grey plastic, silver plastic or black in one of two sizes. The tracks are either grey or green. Look out for grey or silver plastic rollers as they can be quite valuable, they are however very hard to find indeed.

Matchbox/Lesney 49a; M3 Halftrack Personnel Carrier; Army Green, Metal Wheels, Metal Rollers; B2 Box	Matchbox/Lesney 49a; M3 Halftrack Personnel Carrier; Army Green, Metal Wheels, Metal Rollers; D Box	Matchbox/Lesney 49a; M3 Halftrack Personnel Carrier; Army Green, Grey Plastic Wheels, Metal Rollers	Matchbox/Lesney 49a; M3 Halftrack Personnel Carrier; Army Green, Black Wheels, Small Black Rollers

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Last Edit: 12/06/2024		Page Added 26/03/2021