There are three Code 1 versions:
The first release in 1989 was lime over a green chassis with cream upper lower decks in Southdown livery with Robin Starch advertising. In 1990 it was recoloured blue with a cream lower deck in Ashton Under Lyne livery and advertising Swan 'fountpens', then came the Coventry livery bus in 1991 in dark maroon with cream upper & lower decks usually advertising Newcastle Brown Ale, but has been listed as having 'Whisky decals'.

Southdown:The adverts were for "Robin the new Starch" and it had Southdown in gold lettering to each side. The upper deck seats were the early type without the extension that secured the seat unit against the roof, The lower deck window frame was the early molding with a small window to the drivers cab and the baseplate had a "Made in Macau" inscription. The awful looking wheels and tyres were borrowed from the Y-10 Diddler.

Ashton Under Lyne:The 'Swan Fountpens' livery was used for the third U.K. 'passport scheme'. Collectors within the United Kingdom were invited to send their remittance plus a fully stamped 'passport' in order to obtain the bus, which only came with framed cabinet. Later the bus with cabinet was made available to other markets, but at double the price to United Kingdom collectors i.e. around 55 pounds. Subsequently 750 were purchased by MICA and issued with Matchbox agreement in individual pictorial card boxes.
A couple of variations on this model - the rear upper seat may have a pillar going half way up or right up to the roof. The front of the cab window section has thick frames at the front where the driver would sit. Total production 9.996.

Coventry:The Coventry City bus was painted maroon with cream windows and roof. It had cream plastic seats.
The staircase, wings and Made in China baseplate were black die cast metal. It had black plastic lifeguards and a chrome plated grille and headlights with a black grille insert.
The adverts were for "Newcastle Brown Ale" and it had "City of Coventry" tampo to the lower deck window frame.

The Coventry bus had the later upper deck seat unit with the roof support molded in and the lower deck window unit was modified so the drivers cab door had a full height window frame.

In 1992 Matchbox relabeled 5000 Coventry buses with labels for "MICA for Collectors of Matchbox" which were all purchased by MICA members

Rarities: None are particularly rare and all prices are low. Best price appears to be for Swan fountain pens in blue.

Scale: 1:76

Southdown

Ashton-Under-Lyne (Swan Fountpens)

City Of Coventry

The green (Southdown) bus with it's early upper deck seat molding (A) and the later issue (B) with the roof securing extension molded in

Showing on the left the early type (1) small window to the drivers cab door and to the right the later type (2) full height