THE STRETCHA FETCHA BY PAUL ADAMS

THe futuristic Matchbox Stretcha Fetcha ambulance was released in 1972, as model number 46 in the 1-75 series. 

It had a white body, with a detailed interior, a lift-up rear door in white plastic, and blue or orange-tinted clear plastic windows and twin roof lights. There were red crosses on each side.

A point about the side windows on the Matchbox model is that these extend up in to the roof, with the metal portion of the roof comprising only a narrow central bar.

For the German market there was a red emergency ambulance version - with Unfall Rettung on the sides. For the US there was a light green version with Viper Van written on the sides.

Stretcha Fetcha | Matchbox Cars Wiki | Fandom

A Spanish company called Mira copied this model. Apart from releasing it as a normal ambulance, and a military ambulance in dark green, there was also a Charlie's Angels version in pink. This looks to have had solid sides, with the show logo on the flanks, but on closer inspection of photographs it seems that paper stickers have simply been applied over the windows. 

The title appears in its Spanish form - Los Angeles de Charlie. Obviously, a copy of the Corgi Charlie's Angels Van, but using an existing casting in the Mira range. The underside is marked Mini-Mira, Made in Spain, and it is still called Stretcha Fetcha. Model number 127.

I say that the Mira model is a copy, rather than a re-issue, of the Matchbox model as there are differences between the two. Most obvious is that the large side transparencies are no longer a single window. There is now a narrow bar along the edge of the roof, creating separate side and roof windows.

This is a brief look at the Mira van (and a Charlie's Angels revolver) from You Tube.

Charlie's Angels Toys: Spain Revolver & Van - YouTube

coche furgoneta stretcha fetcha de los angeles - Buy Model Cars at other Scales at todocoleccion - 250327210

There was a whole slew of these futuristic models from various die-cast companies in the 1970s. Often in wild colour schemes, as companies sought to compete with Hot Wheels.

Paul Adams from New Zealand