Smith, Leslie Charles

▪ 2006

      British toy manufacturer (b. March 6, 1918, Enfield, Middlesex, Eng.—d. May 26, 2005, London, Eng.), as joint founder of Lesney Products, in 1953 pioneered Matchbox toys—scale-model die-cast metal replicas small enough to fit inside a British cardboard matchbox. The phenomenally popular miniatures, which featured realistic detail and movable parts, were marketed around the world, with as many as 50 million sold annually by 1962. The company later added plastic toys and dolls. Smith managed the business side of the enterprise, while his partner Jack Odell oversaw the creative design of the tiny cars, airplanes, and other miniatures. Lesney, which went public in 1964, was bought by Universal Toys in 1982 and was acquired by Mattel, Inc., in 1997. Smith was made OBE in 1968.

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