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Happy to say this arrived today. The real deal beyond doubt. I've rescued the box as best I can, and will keep it with the model despite the poor condition as it has a corresponding orange identification sticker inside, and the price appears to be in Rand/cents.

Never having seen a genuine example before I can not comment on this example's status, so will have to take Bob's word for it's originality. Bob, did the Geoffrey Leake letter come with it or is that from your files and looking at the sticky label at the rear of the model, is it 'NBI' or NB1' and what is the Red 12 for, is that the number of that example, I.E. 13 examples and your's in number 12.

Ghosthunter.

Reading the letter again, it does say the label is 'NBI' so is a contraction of Nairobi, so the Red 12 is the number of the example shown by Bob.

Ghosthunter.

The letter did not come with this model. However, I've been fortunate enough to handle two other examples of this model (one from Horace Dunkley's collection, and one from Joe Rechia's collection). Both were accompanied by letters, and wore stickers as this one does, although I can't remember what numbers they were. Both are owned by MOYBOYZ members.

Great acquisition Bob, very pleased for you.

Thank's Bob, like you I hope those members come forward with their numbers, it would be nice to know how many have survived.

Ghosthunter.

Bob I know Chris here has one and with the original letter but not sure what number it is. Will try and find out but he works in the mines and away for a month at a time so hard to get hold of.

A stunning find! Well done!
I hadn't realised that Geoffrey was UK Matchbox member no. 2. A genuinely nice man, he was a great loss to the collecting community. Does anyone know what became of his collection?

What a lovely little model!

I have now searched for a picture of the standard model for comparison. Are there three separate decals on the side and the Nairobi model is without the middle decal?
Or is this one large decal? And are the two black stripes part of the decal?

I guess three separate decals would be very time-consuming to apply but then the Nairobi decals must have been cut and the upper and lower parts applied separately?