Moko Lesney Matchbox lesney matchbox 32b Jaguar 'E' type

Moko Lesney Matchbox 32b Jaguar 'E' type

The Lesney Jaguar 'E' type replaced the earlier Jaguar XK140 at the number 32 spot in the Matchbox 1-75 series towards the end of 1962.
It was fitted with an ivory plastic interior and featured intricate die cast wire wheels fitted with plastic tyres.
It had a gloss black baseplate and the plastic window unit was molded so the two front windows were in the open position.
The first issues were painted metallic red but shades can vary,
It had wire wheels with 11.5 x 72 grey plastic tyres on dome head axles with rounded ends and it had green tinted windows but this was very soon changed to a clear plastic window unit.
After a while the colour was briefly changed to metallic bronze,
I believe the bronze to be a valid colour variation but that is just my opinion,
Other collectors believe the bronze to be the undercoat that missed the top coat of red lacquer and some red versions can appear to be bronze when you view the underneath but as mentioned earlier the red does vary in shade and can appear quite light but the bronze is a definite colour shade of its own.

The colour soon reverted back to metallic red but now the tyre colour was changed to black plastic and the tyres can now be found with either a 72 or a 45 tread pattern.
The models with black tyres always seem to be a strong metallic red that can't be mistaken for bronze although one catalog lists the bronze E type as having black tyres and makes no mention of the bronze E type with grey tyres.
The issue with green tinted windows and the bronze variation are both fairly hard to find,
The regular grey and black tyre versions in metallic red are quite common.
The 'E' type was packaged in 'D' and 'E' type boxes, The 'D' box is common but the 'E' box is quite hard to find and can fetch a small premium.
The Jaguar was deleted when it was replaced by the 32c Leyland 'BP' petrol tanker early in 1968.
Updated: 17-09-09, After much conversing with George Marshall and Bob Willis three additional metallic Bronze variations have been added, The new variations are very hard to find but both Bob and George assure me that they exist and have supplied photographs of the new models.

above: left, the rare bronze E type

above: left the early 72 tread and right the later 45 tread tyres
photo courtesy George Marshall

code number	general	wheel type	tyres	windows
code 1	metallic red body, ivory plastic interior, black baseplate	7mm cast wire wheels	11.5 x 72 grey plastic	green tinted plastic
code 2	metallic red body, ivory plastic interior, black baseplate	7mm cast wire wheels	11.5 x 72 grey plastic	clear plastic
code 3	metallic bronze body, ivory plastic interior, black baseplate	7mm cast wire wheels	11.5 x 72 grey plastic	green tinted plastic
code 4	metallic bronze body, ivory plastic interior, black baseplate	7mm cast wire wheels	11.5 x 72 grey plastic	clear plastic
code 5	metallic bronze body, ivory plastic interior, black baseplate	7mm cast wire wheels	11.5 x 72 black plastic	green tinted plastic
code 6	metallic bronze body, ivory plastic interior, black baseplate	7mm cast wire wheels	11.5 x 72 black plastic	clear plastic
code 7	metallic red body, ivory plastic interior, black baseplate	7mm cast wire wheels	11.5 x 72 black plastic	clear plastic
code 8	metallic red body, ivory plastic interior, black baseplate	7mm cast wire wheels	11.5 x 45 black plastic	clear plastic

box types	notes
D1	one black side one blue "new model"
D2	one black side one blue
D2	two blue sides
D2	light blue sides
E3	light blue sides
E4	light blue sides

values

metallic red, grey plastic tyres, green windows £ 150+

metallic red, grey plastic tyres, clear windows £40

metallic bronze, grey plastic tyres, £300+

metallic red, black plastic tyres £35

values are for mint models in mint boxes

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