Category:Models of Yesteryear (display): Difference between revisions

Display Area
36 - Lead figures (display) Arch Four
––   01   02   03   04   05   06   07   08   09 10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19 20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39 40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49 50   51   52   53   54   55   ––   57   58   –– ––   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   ––   –– ––   71   72   73   74   ––   76   77   78   79 80   81   82   83   84   85   86   ––   ––   ––

The museum currently (2015) has a display cabinet of Matchbox Models of Yesteryear vehicles on display in Arch Four, in the cabinet that used to house the "100 Years of Steam" display. At some point this display area is expected to be turned over to small-gauge railway models.

There is a further display of Matchbox models under the 00-gauge model railway layout, in Arch Three.

Matchbox Models of Yesteryear

The Models of Yesteryear range first appeared in 1956, and underwent continual revision and additions until around 1989.

One of the odder (and more annoying!) aspects of the MOY range was its numbering system. Although each item had a number (usually prefixed with a "Y"), when individual models stopped being produced, the company seemed to decide that it would give a bad impression if the range appeared to have "gaps" in, so numbers from older discontinued models were recycled when newer pieces appeared.

This resulted in a numbering system that, globally, was almost completely inconsistent, with the majority of the later numbers from Y-17 to Y-66 uniquely identifying a specific model (except 18,19, 21, and 23), while the first sixteen numbers were reused so many times that each of these numbers appeared at various times on three or four or five different MOY models.

Listing of earlier models

Y1

1: 1956: 1925 Allchin Traction Engine)

2: 1964: 1911 Ford Model T Car)

3: 1977: 1936 SS100 Jaguar)

Y2

1: 1956: 1911 B Type London Bus

2: 1963: 1911 Renault Two-Seater

3: 1970: 1914 Prince Henry Vauxhall

4: 1985: 1930 4.5 Litre Bentley

Y3

1: 1956: 1907 London E Class Tramcar

2: 1965: 1910 Benz Limousine

3: 1974: 1934 Riley MPH

4: 1981: 1912 Ford Model T Tanker

Y4

1: 1956: 1928 Sentinel Wagon

2: 1960: 1905 Shand Mason Horse Drawn Fire Engine

3: 1967: 1909 Opel Coupe

4: 1967: 1930 Duesenberg Model J Town Car

Y5

1: 1958: 1929 Le Mans Bentley

2: 1962: 1929 4.5 Litre Bentley

3: 1969: 1907 Peugot

4: 1978: 1927 Talbot Van

5: 1989: 1929 Leyland Titan Bus

Y6

1: 1957: 1916 AEC Y Type Lorry

2: 1961: 1926 Type 35 Bugatti

3: 1968: 1913 Cadillac

4: 1977: 1920 Rolls Royce Fire Engine

5: 1988: 1932 Mercedes Benz L5 Lorry

Y7

1: 1957: 1918 Four Ton Leyland Lorry

2: 1961: 1913 Mercer Raceabout Type 35J

3: 1968: 1912 Rolls Royce

4: 1985: 1930 Ford Breakdown Truck

Y8

1: 1958: 1926 Morris Cowley Bullnose

2: 1962: 1914 Sunbeam Motorcycle with Milford Sidecar

3: 1969: 1914 Stutz Type 4E Roadster

4: 1978: 1945 MG TC Car

5: 1987: 1917 Yorkshire Steam Wagon

Y9

1: 1958: 1924 Fowler "Big Lion" Showman's Engine

2: 1968: 1912 Simplex Car

3: 1985: 1920 Three Ton Lorry

4; 1989: 1936 Leyland Cub Fire Engine FK-7

Y10

1: 1958: 1908 Grand Prix Mercedes

2: 1963: 1928 Mercedes Benz 36-220

3: 1969: 1906 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost

4: 1986: 1957 Maserati 250F

5: 1988: 1931 Diddler Trolley Bus

Y11

1: 1958: 1920 Aveling and Porter Steam Roller

2: 1964: 1912 Packard Landaulet

3: 1972: 1938 Lagonda Drophead Coupe

4: 1986: 1932 Type 51 Bugatti

5: 1990: 1924 Type 35 Bugatti

Y12

1: 1959: 1899 London Horse Drawn Bus

2: 1967: 1909 Thomas Flyabout

3: 1979: 1912 Ford Model T Van

4: 1987: 1829 Stephenson's Rocket

5: 1988: 1937 GMC Van

Y13

1: 1959: 1862 American "General" Class Locomotive

2: 1966: 1911 Daimler Type A12

3: 1975: 1918 Crossley

Y14

1: 1959: 1903 "Duke of Connaught" Locomotive

2: 1965: 1911 Maxwell Roadster

3: 1974: 1931 Stutz Bearcat

4: 1986: 1935 E.R.A. "R1B"

Y15

1: 1960: 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost

2: 1969: 1930 Packard Victoria

3: 1987: 1920 Preston Tramcar

Y16

1: 1961: 1904 Spyker Tourer

2: 1972: 1928 Mercedes Benz SS Coupe

3: 1986: 1960 Ferrari Dino 246 V12

4: 1988: 1922 Scania Vabis Half Track Post Bus

5: 1989: 1929 Scammell 100 Ton Low-Loader

Y17

1975: 1938 Hispano Suiza

Y18

1: 1979: 1937 Cord 812 Sedan

2: 1985: 1918 Atkinson Model D Steam Wagon

Y19

1: 1979: 1936 Auburn Speedster 851

2: 1986: 1905 Fowler B6 Showman's Engine

3: 1987: 1929 Morris Cowley Van

Y20

1981: 1937 Mercedes Benz 540K

Y21

1: 1981: 1930 Ford Model A Woody Wagon

2: 1983: 1930 Ford Model A Tradesmans Woody Wagon

3: 1987: 1894 Aveling and Porter Steam Roller

4: 1988: 1957 BMW 507

5: 1989: 1926 Ford Model TT Van

Y22

1982: 1930 Ford Model A Van

Y23

1: 1983: 1922 AEC Omnibus

2: 1989: 1930 Mack Tractor

Y24

1983: 1928 Bugatti T44

Y25

1983: 1910 Renault Type AG Van

Y26

1984: 1918 Crossley Delivery Truck

Y27

1984: 1922 Foden Steam Wagon

Y28

1984: 1906 Unic Taxi

Y29

1985

Further reading and external links

• Kevin McGimpsey, Stewart Orr et al, Collecting Matchbox Diecast Toys: The first forty years (Major Productions, 1989) 8: The Models of Yesteryear Range, pages 156-207 ISBN 0951088513
• Robert Carter and Eddy Rubenstein, Yesterday's Yesteryears: Lesney 'Matchbox' Models (Haynes Publishing, 1986) ISBN 085429578X

• Models of Yesteryear (chezbois.com)
• Matchbox Memories (matchboxmemories.com)
• Models of Yesteryear, Frequently Asked Questions (robbinsplace.com)
• Yesteryear series, 1956 – mid ‘60s (virginmedia.com)