Matchbox 9c; Merryweather Marquis Fire Engine

One of many Matchbox fire engines and to me the classic, this is what a proper fire engine should look like, it is a Merryweather Marquis pump based on the AEC Matador chassis.

The 9c Merryweather Fire Engine was made from 1959 until 1966, a long time for a Matchbox and they are not hard to find. It was always red but can be found with grey wheels and later with black wheels, early releases have crimped axles, but most have rounded axles, the colour of the plating on the ladder is gold, silver or tan. The ones to look for are the black wheel versions with tan or silver ladders.