Yesteryear Collection

In 1983 the ‘Maroon’ boxes were introduced, like the ‘straw’ box they were uniform in colour but no longer included a window in the back panel.
Due to the shift in production of Matchbox to Asia, the Maroon box was divided into 3 main sub-groups based around the production location - J was Made in England; J1 was made in Macau and J2 was made in China.The boxes are otherwise are the same.

The J boxes themselves have three basic variants:
Variant (a) - from 1984, without text at the bottom edge of the back ( PRINTED AND MADE IN ENGLAND is missing !!!)
Variant (b) - from 1984 - 1985 with the text on the bottom line of the back "PRINTED AND MADE IN ENGLAND" in three language versions. In the warnings above this text is the German text "GEEGNET FUR KINDER AB DREI JAHREN".
Variant (c) - from 1986 - warnings are written in a smaller font than in versions a, b - the German text reads "UNGEEGNET FUR KINDER UNTER 3 JAHREN" .

When the first boxes for the Grand Prix series were made, the text " PRINTED AND MADE IN ENGLAND" was again omitted. They can therefore be assigned to variant (a), because the boxes still have the German text "GEEGNET FUR KINDER AB DREI JAHREN", even though they are from 1986. Some boxes had the text " PRINTED AND MADE IN ENGLAND" additionally reprinted. The individual language versions have been printed in three lines below each other in the space between the text! Then the correct boxes appeared, which can be assigned to variant (b).

There are other variations on this box such as the designated Box L which was a gift set of 3 box.


	Variant (a)	Variant (b)	Variant (c)


Grand Prix Series - Front	Grand Prix Series - Variant (a)	Grand Prix Series - Variant (b)

Yesteryear J-type Box Issues
Red 'Made in England' with clear panel
Series No.	Model	Issues	Notes
Y1-3	1936 Jaguar SS100	12; 13; 14
Y2-4	1930 Bentley 4 1/2 litre	1; 2; 3
Y3-4	1912 Ford Model T Tanker (D: CARNATION)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6
Y3-4	1912 Ford Model T Tanker (E: MOBILOIL)	1; 2; 3
Y3-4	1912 Ford Model T Tanker (F: CASTROL)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10
Y3-4	1912 Ford Model T Tanker (G: RED CROWN)	1; 2; 3; 4
Y4-4	1930 Duesenberg Model J Town Car	26; 27; 28
Y5-4	1927 Talbot Van (H: EVER READY)	1; 2; 3
Y5-4	1927 Talbot Van (I: DUNLOP)	1; 2; 3; 4
Y5-4	1927 Talbot Van (J: ROSE'S)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6
Y6-4	1920 Rolls-Royce Fire Engine	17
Y7-4	1930 Ford Model A Breakdown Truck (A: BARLOW MOTOR SALES)	1; 2; 3
Y7-4	1930 Ford Model A Breakdown Truck (B: SHELL)	1; 2; 3
Y8-4	1945 MG TC	21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26
Y9-2	1912 Simplex Tourabout	25; 26
Y10-3	1906 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost	14
Y10-4	1957 Maserati 250F Lightweight	1; 2; 3; 4	Part of the Grand Prix Series set of four (Extra artwork applied to help differentiate the box from standard models)
Y11-4	1932 Bugatti Type 51	1; 2	Part of the Grand Prix Series set of four (Extra artwork applied to help differentiate the box from standard models)
Y12-3	1912 Ford Model T Van (O: PEPSI-COLA)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9
Y12-3	1912 Ford Model T Van (P: MOTOR 100)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5
Y12-3	1912 Ford Model T Van (Q: IMBACH)	1; 2; 3	Issued as one of the four Special Limited Editions; all of which were packaged in superior dark red and gold foil printed cartons
Y12-3	1912 Ford Model T Van (R: HEINZ)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12
Y12-3	1912 Ford Model T Van (S: ROSELLA)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8
Y13-3	1918 Crossley Lorry (C: CARLSBERG)	8; 9; 10
Y13-3	1918 Crossley Lorry (D: WARING & GILLOW)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5
Y13-3	1918 Crossley Lorry (E: KOHLE & KOKS)	1; 2
Y14-3	1931 Stutz Bearcat	16; 17; 18; 19
Y14-4	1935 ERA R1B	1; 2	Part of the Grand Prix Series set of four (Extra artwork applied to help differentiate the box from standard models)
Y15-2	1930 Packard Victoria	27; 28; 29; 30; 31
Y15-3	1900 Preston Tramcar (B: DARLINGTON CORPORATION)	1; 2
Y16-2	1928 Mercedes-Benz SS	24; 25
Y16-3	1960 Ferrari Dino 246/V12	1; 2; 3	Part of the Grand Prix Series set of four (Extra artwork applied to help differentiate the box from standard models)
Y17-1	1938 Hispano Suiza	9; 10; 11
Y18-2	1918 Atkinson Model D Steam Wagon (A: LAKE GOLDSMITH)	1
Y18-2	1918 Atkinson Model D Steam Wagon (B: BLUE CIRCLE CEMENT)	1; 2
Y19-1	1936 Auburn Speedster 851	12
Y20-1	1938 Mercedes-Benz 540k	7
Y21-2	1930 Ford Model A Tradesman Woody Wagon (B: CARTERS)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8
Y22-1	1930 Ford Model A Van (C: TOBLERONE)	1; 2; 3; 4
Y22-1	1930 Ford Model A Van (D: PALM TOFFEE)	1; 2; 3
Y22-1	1930 Ford Model A Van (E: CANADA POST)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6	Issue 1 packed in a specially lettered box marked 'Exclusively from Canada Post' and 'Exclusente De Postes Canada'
Y22-1	1930 Ford Model A Van (F: SPRATTS)	1; 2; 3
Y23-1	1922 AEC S Type Omnibus (B: RAC)	1
Y23-1	1922 AEC S Type Omnibus (D: HAIG)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7
Y24-1	1928 Bugatti Type 44	10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19
Y25-1	1910 Renault Van (A: PERRIER)	5; 6; 7; 8
Y25-1	1910 Renault Van (B: JAMES NEALE)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16
Y25-1	1910 Renault Van (D: EAGLE PENCIL)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6
Y25-1	1910 Renault Van (E: BRITISH RED CROSS)	1; 2
Y25-1	1910 Renault Van (F: TUNNOCK)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7
Y26-1	1918 Crossley Delivery Truck (A: LÖWENBRÄU)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13
Y26-1	1918 Crossley Delivery Truck (B: ROMFORD BREWERY)	1; 2; 3; 4
Y26-1	1918 Crossley Delivery Truck (C: GONZALEZ BYASS)	1; 2; 3
Y27-1	1922 Foden Steam Wagon (A: PICKFORDS)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10
Y27-1	1922 Foden Steam Wagon (B: HÖVIS)	1; 2; 3
Y27-1	1922 Foden Steam Wagon (C: TATE & LYLE'S)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5
Y27-1	1922 Foden Steam Wagon (D: FRASERS')	1; 2
Y27-1	1922 Foden Steam Wagon (E: SPILLERS)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8
Y28-1	1906 Unic Taxi	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11
Y29-1	1919 Walker Electric Van (A: HARRODS LTD.)	1; 2; 3; 4
Y29-1	1919 Walker Electric Van (B: JOSEPH LUCAS)	1; 2
Y29-1	1919 Walker Electric Van (D: HARRODS SPECIAL BREAD)	1; 2; 3; 4	It came packed in a special green box which featured the "Harrods" name on the header card
Y30-1	1920 Mack Truck AC (A: ACORN STORAGE)	1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10
Y30-1	1920 Mack Truck AC (B: CONSOLIDATED)	1; 2; 3