Matchbox Models of Yesteryear Y-12 1912 Ford Model T Van

The Y12-3 1912 Ford Model T Van page 2.
This page.
Cerebos, Arnott's, Harrods, Sunlight Seife, Royal Mail and Captain Morgans.
PAGE 1
Coca Cola, Colman's Mustard, Suze, Smith's Crisps, Yesteryear Silver Jubilee and Bird's Custard.
PAGE 3
Hoover, Pepsi Cola, Motor 100, Imbach, Heinz and Rosella.

The Cerebos Salt van joined the range in 1982 and it had a light blue body with a black chassis. It usually had a white roof but issues released with yellow roofs are known and are rare. It had a gold plated radiator and windscreen frame with black seats but one hard to find issue with brown seats has been found. It had red, chrome or gold 12 spoke wheels and white type 2 rear doors.

Above. The white roof on the Cerebos van, Yellow roofs are known and rare but beware of fakes that have had the roof swapped over with the roof taken from the Bird's Custard issue.

Above. The rare yellow roof Cerebos.
phot courtesy George Marshall.

Above. The "Arnott's Biscuits" van was released in 1982 and is probably the most desirable of the Y12's. It had an orange-red body with a black chassis and seats. The roof can be matt or gloss black and it had a gold plated radiator, windscreen frame and 12 spoke wheels. It had yellow type 2 rear doors. The Arnotts van was supposed to be a worldwide release and after Australia had received their quota of 18,000 pieces Lesneys were declaired bankrupt and put into the hands of the official receiver so all versions of the Arnotts have been re-exported from Australia and are at least hard to find if not rare.

The very smart looking Harrods van was introduced in 1982. It had a dark green body with a black chassis and a light brown roof. It could have black, brown or pale cream seats and it had gold plated 12 spoke wheels. It could have white type 2 or type 3 rear doors. It came packed in a special box which featured the Harrods name on the header card, There are no rare variations.

Above. The Harrods van with type 3 rear doors, It can also be found with white type 2 doors but none are rare.

Above. The Sunlight Seife joined the range in 1983. It had a yellow body and a black chassis and seats and a matt black roof, It had gold plated radiator and windscreen frame and red 12 spoke wheels with red type 2 rear doors. Unusually the "Sunlight" label completely covered the side windows, There are no known variations on this hard to find model but fakes are known to exist but these usually have the washing line post detail behind the girl on the label omitted.

Above. The hard to find "Sunlight Seife", Fakes are known to exist but can easily be spotted by carefully examining the label detail.

Above. The Royal Mail van was released in 1983 and it had a red body and a black chassis, seats and roof. The radiator and windscreen frame were usually gold plated but one issue had these components chrome plated. It had a variety or wheel types fitted as it can be found with 12 spoke bright or dull red, 12 spoke chrome or gold plated or 24 spoke chrome plated. It usually has type 3 rear doors but the first run had yellow type 2 doors and the body was a much more orangy red than the later issues because these were made from unused "Arnott's" bodies which were overpainted hence the very rare orangy colour.

Above. The Royal Mail van with type 3 rear doors, The first version with yellow type 2 rear doors is rare.

Above. The Captain Morgan Rum was released in 1983, It had a black body and chassis with a white roof and either brown seats or the hard to find black seats. It had a gold plated radiator and windscreen frame with gold 12 spoke or red 12 spoke wheels and type 3 rear doors. Early issues had a one piece "Captain Morgan" label which had a small "RUM" printed. Later issues had a two piece decal which had a larger "RUM" printed. The last issue had a hole cast into the underneath of the rear body.

Above. The Captain Morgan van had type 3 engraved rear doors.

Above. The Captain Morgan van with the later (left) large "RUM" text on a 2 piece decal and the earlier (right) small "RUM" text on a one piece label. Note also the bright and dull "ropework" detail.

PAGE 1 Coca Cola, Colman's Mustard, Suze, Smith's Crisps, Yesteryear Silver Jubilee and Bird's Custard.

PAGE 3 Hoover, Pepsi Cola, Motor 100, Imbach, Heinz and Rosella.