Cool Green Livestock Tractor Trailers from Diecast stalwarts Matchbox and Majorette! (and a surprise additional rig is included at the end of the blog post!)

I remember loving it as a kid in the early 1980s when Matchbox came out with their "Convoy" series of tractor trailers, with cool sleeper cab tractors and interchangeable trailers.  And this particular convoy set is one of the best!

It features a handsome Kenworth Aerodyne Tractor in showy green paint.  And it comes with a matching livestock trailer, with dropping side and rear tailgate doors to let the animals in and out, making for a different trailer than the normal run-of-the-mill box trailers that typically come with the convoy sets.  

The only real let-down for this set is that the trailer is built off of Matchbox's standard short lowboy flatbed trailer - but at first its hard to even understand why that is a letdown...

Ah - so here's the rub...  As you'd expect from one of my blog posts, I'm writing this post because we have another vintage offering - a similar Kenworth pulled livestock tractor trailer contender from Majorette - in almost the exact same color scheme as the Matchbox!  Time for a comparison test!  Which of the 1980s diecast heavyweights made the best livestock tractor trailer?!?  

Normally, I'd be the first to rate Matchbox tractor trailers as better than Majorette tractor trailers.  But after looking at this particular unit, I wondered why I was so quick to form that opinion.  It too features a Kenworth sleeper cab in green - this time with opening hood! - and mag wheels that are more unique than the cool looking (albeit common) ones on the Matchbox.  And the trailer seems like a solid contender as well - again with dropping livestock ramps on the side and back.  

Lining them up against each other, 2 things jump out:

1.  The color - The Matchbox is just a richer, more pleasing shade of green vs. the Majorette

2.  The length - the Majorette is a solid inch plus longer than the Matchbox - and makes the Matchbox look too short (a victim of the usage of the standard low-boy trailer).  In the past I've sometimes reflected on how Matchbox convoys seem slightly too short - in comparison to the Majorette - this critique seems much more magnified.  

And in the end, this 2nd critique ended up being the more important critique in this comparison test.  

Because I really like both tractor trailers.  The Matchbox rigs have always been favorites for me - and this one - especially with its sharp green paint and very unique trailer - is one of the best.  And I've always been partial to the custom look of the Kenworth cab with its extended height sleeper and skylights. 

But the Majorette is also super unique (and hard to find!) and handsome.  The opening hood is a plus, though not a huge plus.  But the length... ...the longer length just makes the Majorette seem more correct.  And in the end - this was enough to sway the scale just enough to make the Majorette the winner.  

At least, the winner until another contender rears its head...  ...read on to the end of the article for a surprise additional consideration!

So - the suspenseful part of the article - the additional contender - is a larger scale rig from Majorette - a slightly older piece with a 1970s cab - but a show-horse livestock trailer that incorporates a camper!  

Including this rig into the comparison test isn't at all fair - since the scales are all different.  But as another legitimate livestock trailer - and a super cool casting - I felt that I had to show it also...  

Overall, all 3 rigs are very nice - some of the nicest available.  Among the traditional Matchbox sized pieces - both contenders are really nice - but I give the advantage to the Majorette.  And the larger scale red Majorette is as cool of a piece as you'll ever find.  Get all 3 if you can!