POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Toy matchbox ERF petrol tanker truck made by Lesney

Object No. 85/1111-3

This is a Matchbox toy ERF yellow-painted petrol tanker with gold trim, No. 11a in the 1-75 series, made by Lesney in England between 1955 and 1957. The 11a model was first produced in green, then yellow and red. A rare blue model with silver trim was also produced. The full-size tanker on which the toy is based was made by the English firm, ERF, established by members of the famous Foden steam wagon-building family in Sandbach, Cheshire, from 1933. The initials ERF refer to Edwin Richard Foden whose company were pioneers in the manufacture of diesel trucks. Edwin foresaw the rise of diesel power and broke away from the parent company making steam wagons, building his first diesel truck in 1933. The idiosyncratic cab design, with its downward-pointing side windows, was developed by John Jennings, a coachmaker in Sandbach. Never a large manufacturer, ERF insisted on high quality, using the best gear-boxes and other components from specialist manufacturers. ERF trucks were marketed in Australia as Western Star. Dinah Hales, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences volunteer, under the supervision of Margaret Simpson, Curator, September 2015.