Yesteryear Collection

Built in New York, Simplex cars were among the finest made in America in their day. This is the Model 50 fitted with a Holbrook toy tonneau body and a 5 and ? inch bore and stroke engine, which is an display at the Long Island Automotive Museum, Southampton, New York, U.S.A.

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Simplex Automobile Co. existed from 1908 to 1920 in New York. In that period, 121 cars were built. The cars were the most luxurious cars in the market and were very expensive. This model is Model 50 and is the oldest known model of the company.

The (Y9-2) 1912 Simplex Tourabout joined the range in 1968.

Variations/Rarities:

  • The first colour scheme was light lime green body & chassis. It had a smooth tan hood, bright red seats, dark red grille insert and brass plated grille, headlights, bulkhead, spare tyre carrier and 12 spoke wheels. It had body mounted hood supports and no brace by the rear seat (A-type body).
  • It was soon recoloured to mid green body & chassis but this version can be found with or without rear seat brace and the version with seat brace can have body mounted (B-type body) or seat mounted (C-type body) hood supports. The version with seat brace and seat mounted supports may have a dark or light brown textured roof.
  • The model was recoloured to glossy dark gold body with a glossy dark red chassis and a textured black hood. It had dark red seats & grille insert and it can have 12 spoke brass plated or chrome plated wheels. This version and all further versions always had seat mounted hood supports with seat brace (C-type body).
  • The next colour scheme was due to a mix of parts from the previous model and the next model giving us a glossy gold body and bright red chassis with a textured black hood, dark red seats and 12 spoke chrome wheels. This variation is rare.
  • Next came a bright red body & chassis with a textured black hood and yellow seats and grille insert.
  • It was recoloured again to a darker red body & chassis with a black textured hood, yellow seats, and either red or chromed 12 spoke wheels.
  • The next issue had a dark red body with glossy black chassis. It had yellow seats and textured black roof with either red 12 spoke or chrome plated 12 or 24 spoke wheels. Usually red wheels have tyres with a white rim. Later it was given a yellow or orange-yellow textured hood.
  • It was recoloured yet again to yellow body with a glossy black chassis with light brown seats and gold plated 12 spoke wheels with either a yellow or black textured hood.
  • The final issue was in a darker yellow with a gloss black chassis. It had a textured yellow hood and brown seats with gold 12 spoke wheels. This version has a 'MACAU' baseplate
The first issue in light lime green is hard to find and the metallic gold version with a bright red gloss chassis is rare.

 

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Lime green body & chassis; tan roof

Glossy dark gold body, glossy dark red chassis (Wanted)

Bright red body & chassis; black roof

Dark red body, glossy black chassis; yellow roof

Yellow body & bonnet, glossy black chassis
 

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White body, red chassis; yellow seats (Rare pre-production prototype) (Wanted)

Body type (A) with roof retaining pins cast with body and (C) with roof retaining pins attached to seat

Body type (A) without a seat brace and (B) later issue with a seat brace

Different battery box lids

Red body, gold trim; from the 1996 Matchbox Collectibles 40th Anniversary Collection

 

Information as from "The Yesteryear Book 1956-2002"
Issue Year of Release Colour Hood Seats Grille Plated Parts Body Type Wheels Battery Cover Baseplate Rarity Box
1 1968 Lime green body & chassis Smooth tan Bright red Dark red Brass A Brass 12 spoke Type 1 LESNEY ENGLAND S E1
2 1969 Glossy pale green body & chassis Smooth tan Bright red Dark red Brass A Brass 12 spoke Type 1 LESNEY ENGLAND S E1
3 Glossy light green body & chassis Smooth tan Bright red Dark red Brass A Brass 12 spoke Type 1 LESNEY ENGLAND D E1
4 Glossy mid green body & chassis Smooth tan Bright red Dark red Brass A Brass 12 spoke Type 1 LESNEY ENGLAND D E1
5 Glossy mid green body & chassis Smooth tan Bright red Dark red Brass B Brass 12 spoke Type 1 LESNEY ENGLAND D E1/F
6 Dull pea green body & chassis Smooth tan Bright red Dark red Brass B Brass 12 spoke Type 1 LESNEY ENGLAND D E1/F
7 Dull pea green body & chassis Smooth tan Bright red Dark red Brass C Brass 12 spoke Type 1 LESNEY ENGLAND E1/F
8 Dull pea green body & chassis Smooth tan Bright red Dark red Brass C Brass 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND F
9 Dull light green body & chassis Smooth tan Bright red Dark red Brass C Brass 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND F
10 Dull pea green body & chassis Textured dark tan Bright red Dark red Brass C Brass 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND F
11 Dull pea green body & chassis Textured pale tan Bright red Dark red Brass C Brass 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND S F
12 1970 Glossy dark gold body, glossy dark red chassis Textured black Dark red Dark red Brass C Brass 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND F/G
13 Glossy dark gold body, glossy dark red chassis Textured black Dark red Dark red Brass C Chrome 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND S F/G
14 1973 Glossy gold body, bright red chassis Textured black Dark red Dark red Brass C Chrome 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND VR H
15 1975 Bright red body & chassis Textured black Bright yellow Bright yellow Brass C Chrome 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND H/L
16 Dark red body & chassis Textured black Bright yellow Bright yellow Brass C Chrome 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND H
17 Dark red body & chassis Textured black Bright yellow Bright yellow Brass C Red 12 spoke Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND H
18 1979 Dark red body, glossy black chassis Textured black Bright yellow Bright yellow Brass C Dark red 12 spoke (BW) Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND I
19 Dark red body, glossy black chassis Textured black Bright yellow Bright yellow Brass C Chrome 12 spoke (BW) Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND I
20 Dark red body, glossy black chassis Textured black Bright yellow Bright yellow Brass C Chrome 24 spoke (BW) Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND I
21 Dark red body, glossy black chassis Textured yellow Bright yellow Bright yellow Brass C Dark red 12 spoke (BW) Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND I
22 1983 Dark red body, glossy black chassis Textured orange yellow Bright yellow Bright yellow Brass C Dark red 12 spoke (BW) Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND D I
23 Dark red body, glossy black chassis Textured orange yellow Orange yellow Bright yellow Brass C Dark red 12 spoke (BW) Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND D I
24 Dark red body, glossy black chassis Textured orange yellow Orange yellow Orange yellow Brass C Dark red 12 spoke (BW) Type 2 LESNEY ENGLAND S I
25 1986 Yellow body & bonnet, glossy black chassis Textured yellow Light brown Black Brass C Gold 12 spoke (WW) Type 2 ENGLAND J
26 Yellow body & bonnet, glossy black chassis Textured black Light brown Black Brass C Gold 12 spoke (WW) Type 2 ENGLAND J
27 1988 Darker yellow body & bonnet, glossy black chassis Textured yellow Brown Black Brass C Gold 12 spoke (WW) Type 2 MATCHBOX MACAU VR J1
28 Darker yellow body & bonnet, glossy black chassis Textured black Brown Black Brass C Gold 12 spoke (WW) Type 2 MATCHBOX MACAU VR J1
BW - Black or White Walled Tyres; WW - White Walled Tyres; WF - White Flanged Tyres
D - Difficult; S - Scarce; R - Rare; VR - Very Rare; ER - Extremely Rare
E - Picture of model on end flap; E1 - End flap picture plus 'Matchbox ®'; F - Pink and yellow see-through; G - Purple and yellow see-through; H - Woodgrain effect with clear panel; I - Straw coloured with clear panels; J - Red 'Made in England' with clear panel; J1 - Red 'Made in Macau' with clear panel

 

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