Adventure 2000, Crusader; Metal & Plastic, English, Lesney, 1977

Boxed toy space vehicle with accessories. The vehicle is made from die-cast metal, painted pale green, with black and transparent orange plastic parts. It is half-tracked, with a twin gun turret on top with red plastic barrels. With it are three grey plastic astronauts: two are armed with space rifles, one wears a cape and is armed with a pistol.

The box is of printed card with a transparent front, inside is printed card packaging to keep the toys in place. The box and packaging are printed with images of extraterrestrial planetary surfaces and artist's impressions of the Crusader vehicle. On the back of the box are images of the vehicle and notes annotating its various features. On the underside are shown other vehicles from the Adventure 2000 series. The astronaut figures can be slid into slots in the packaging, and the vehicle can be secured inside by the action of a metal clip.

Part of the Edward Castle collection.

Manufactured under Lesney's 'Matchbox' brand.

The futuristic 'Adventure 2000' line was debuted by Matchbox in 1977, it recycled several vehicles from their 'Superfast' line of the earlier 1970s. The sets were produced until about 1980, later ones being painted blue rather than green. Set in the context of an interplanetary war, the vehicles are highly detailed and imaginative.

B.45:1 to 5-2016