Category:Models of Yesteryear (Lesney)

Toy Brands and Manufacturers

Models of Yesteryear (Lesney)

1956 -

1959: catalogue page [image info]

1963: Models of Yesteryear advertising, souvenir programme for the 1963 London to Brighton Rally [image info]

Matchbox Y1 Allchin Traction Engine [image info]

Matchbox Y2 B Type London Bus [image info]

Matchbox Y3 LCC Tramcar [image info]

Matchbox Y4 Sentinel Steam Wagon [image info]

Matchbox Y5 Le Mans Bentley [image info]

Matchbox Y6 AEC Y Type Lorry [image info]

Matchbox Y7 4-Ton Leyland Truck [image info]

Matchbox Y8 Morris Cowley Bullnose [image info]

Matchbox Y9 Fowler "Big Lion" Showman's Engine [image info]

Matchbox Y10 1908 Grand Prix Mercedes [image info]

Matchbox Y11 Aveling and Porter Steam Roller [image info]

Matchbox Y12 Horse-drawn bus [image info]

The Lesney Models of Yesteryear Series appeared in 1956 to capitalise on the pubic's growing nostalgia for some of the more distinctive "old fashioned" prewar vehicles what had now disappeared from Britain's roads – classic vintage cars, steam-powered lorries steamrollers and traction engines (made obsolete by improved diesel engines) and even a couple of older steam railway locomotives – and underwent continual revision and additions until around 1989.

Although the "Models of Yesteryear" range is often referred to loosely as the "Matchbox Models of Yesteryear" (the "Matchbox Series" being Lesney's earlier, other, more famous range), they were supposedly promoted as two different ranges ... although Lesney rather confused things by packaging the early MOY sets in yellow matchbox-styled boxes, just like the Matchbox range, and sometimes even using the Matchbox name on the pack artwork.

Models of Yesteryear Gift Set G-6 ("A Lesney Product"). Packaging styled like an (oversized) matchbox, but without featuring the word "matchbox"

Numbering

One of the odder (and more annoying!) aspects of the MOY range was its numbering system. Although each item had a number (usually prefixed with a "Y"), when individual models stopped being produced, the company seemed to decide that it would give a bad impression if the range appeared to have "gaps" in, so numbers from older discontinued models were recycled when newer pieces appeared.

This resulted in a numbering system that, globally, was almost completely inconsistent, with the majority of the later numbers from Y-17 to Y-66 uniquely identifying a specific model (except 18,19, 21, and 23), while the first sixteen numbers were reused so many times that each of these numbers appeared at various times on three or four or five different MOY models.

Box for a Lesney "Models of Yesteryear" Y-4 Horse Drawn Fire Engine. As we can see from the box, definitely NOT a Matchbox-branded product. Erm...

Listing of earlier models

Y1: 1: 1956: 1925 Allchin Traction Engine); 2: 1964: 1911 Ford Model T Car); 3: 1977: 1936 SS100 Jaguar)
Y2: 1: 1956: 1911 B Type London Bus; 2: 1963: 1911 Renault Two-Seater; 3: 1970: 1914 Prince Henry Vauxhall; 4: 1985: 1930 4.5 Litre Bentley
Y3: 1: 1956: 1907 London E Class Tramcar; 2: 1965: 1910 Benz Limousine; 3: 1974: 1934 Riley MPH; 4: 1981: 1912 Ford Model T Tanker
Y4: 1: 1956: 1928 Sentinel Wagon; 2: 1960: 1905 Shand Mason Horse Drawn Fire Engine; 3: 1967: 1909 Opel Coupe; 4: 1967: 1930 Duesenberg Model J Town Car
Y5: 1: 1958: 1929 Le Mans Bentley; 2: 1962: 1929 4.5 Litre Bentley; 3: 1969: 1907 Peugot; 4: 1978: 1927 Talbot Van; 5: 1989: 1929 Leyland Titan Bus
Y6: 1: 1957: 1916 AEC Y Type Lorry; 2: 1961: 1926 Type 35 Bugatti; 3: 1968: 1913 Cadillac; 4: 1977: 1920 Rolls Royce Fire Engine; 5: 1988: 1932 Mercedes Benz L5 Lorry
Y7: 1: 1957: 1918 Four Ton Leyland Lorry; 2: 1961: 1913 Mercer Raceabout Type 35J; 3: 1968: 1912 Rolls Royce; 4: 1985: 1930 Ford Breakdown Truck
Y8: 1: 1958: 1926 Morris Cowley Bullnose; 2: 1962: 1914 Sunbeam Motorcycle with Milford Sidecar; 3: 1969: 1914 Stutz Type 4E Roadster; 4: 1978: 1945 MG TC Car; 5: 1987: 1917 Yorkshire Steam Wagon

Y9: 1: 1958: 1924 Fowler "Big Lion" Showman's Engine; 2: 1968: 1912 Simplex Car; 3: 1985: 1920 Three Ton Lorry; 4; 1989: 1936 Leyland Cub Fire Engine FK-7
Y10: 1: 1958: 1908 Grand Prix Mercedes; 2: 1963: 1928 Mercedes Benz 36-220; 3: 1969: 1906 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost; 4: 1986: 1957 Maserati 250F; 5: 1988: 1931 Diddler Trolley Bus
Y11: 1: 1958: 1920 Aveling and Porter Steam Roller; 2: 1964: 1912 Packard Landaulet; 3: 1972: 1938 Lagonda Drophead Coupe; 4: 1986: 1932 Type 51 Bugatti; 5: 1990: 1924 Type 35 Bugatti
Y12: 1: 1959: 1899 London Horse Drawn Bus; 2: 1967: 1909 Thomas Flyabout; 3: 1979: 1912 Ford Model T Van; 4: 1987: 1829 Stephenson's Rocket; 5: 1988: 1937 GMC Van
Y13: 1: 1959: 1862 American "General" Class Locomotive; 2: 1966: 1911 Daimler Type A12; 3: 1975: 1918 Crossley
Y14: 1: 1959: 1903 "Duke of Connaught" Locomotive; 2: 1965: 1911 Maxwell Roadster; 3: 1974: 1931 Stutz Bearcat; 4: 1986: 1935 E.R.A. "R1B"
Y15: 1: 1960: 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost; 2: 1969: 1930 Packard Victoria; 3: 1987: 1920 Preston Tramcar
Y16: 1: 1961: 1904 Spyker Tourer; 2: 1972: 1928 Mercedes Benz SS Coupe; 3: 1986: 1960 Ferrari Dino 246 V12; 4: 1988: 1922 Scania Vabis Half Track Post Bus; 5: 1989: 1929 Scammell 100 Ton Low-Loader
Y17: 1975: 1938 Hispano Suiza
Y18: 1: 1979: 1937 Cord 812 Sedan; 2: 1985: 1918 Atkinson Model D Steam Wagon
Y19: 1: 1979: 1936 Auburn Speedster 851; 2: 1986: 1905 Fowler B6 Showman's Engine; 3: 1987: 1929 Morris Cowley Van
Y20: 1981: 1937 Mercedes Benz 540K
Y21: 1: 1981: 1930 Ford Model A Woody Wagon; 2: 1983: 1930 Ford Model A Tradesmans Woody Wagon; 3: 1987: 1894 Aveling and Porter Steam Roller; 4: 1988: 1957 BMW 507; 5: 1989: 1926 Ford Model TT Van
Y22: 1982: 1930 Ford Model A Van
Y23: 1: 1983: 1922 AEC Omnibus; 2: 1989: 1930 Mack Tractor
Y24: 1983: 1928 Bugatti T44
Y25: 1983: 1910 Renault Type AG Van
Y26: 1984: 1918 Crossley Delivery Truck
Y27: 1984: 1922 Foden Steam Wagon
Y28: 1984: 1906 Unic Taxi
Y29: 1985