The ‘Models of Yesteryear’ were the flagship range of the company. The name ‘Matchbox’ came from the original packaging that resembled a matchbox in size. The scale of each model wasn’t of concern .. no attempt to make the models to a consistent scale; instead they were built to a size that fitted into a standard box, irrespective of their subject.
The following was taken from Matchbox Models of Yesteryear – Model Scales. I pulled everything into Excel and sorted by date. I model in American O Scale – 1:48 .. and for me any of these from 1:46 to 1:50 are “Good nuff”. The steering wheel is on the right side but that was true of American built cars well into about 1912 or so. I figure that is easy enough to change and most of the vehicles are generic enough I can use them on my 1940′s era layout.
| Scale 1:34 | |||
| Scale 1:34 | 1914 | SUNBEAM MOTORCYCLE WITH MILFORD SIDECAR |
Y-08-2 |
| Scale 1:35 | |||
| Scale 1:35 | 1912 | FORD MODEL ‘T’ TANKER | Y-03-4 |
| Scale 1:35 | 1912 | FORD MODEL ‘T’ VAN | Y-12-3 |
| Scale 1:35 | 1924 | BUGATTI TYPE 35 | Y-11-5 |
| Scale 1:35 | 1932 | BUGATTI TYPE 51 | Y-11-4 |
| Scale 1:35 | 1934 | RILEY MPH | Y-03-3 |
| Scale 1:35 | 1936 | E.R.A. ‘R.1.B’ | Y-14-4 |
| Scale 1:35 | 1945 | MG ‘TC’ | Y-08-4 |
| Scale 1:35 | 1957 | MASERATI 250F | Y-10-4 |
| Scale 1:35 | 1960 | FERRARI DINO 246/V12 | Y-16-3 |
| Scale 1:38 | |||
| Scale 1:38 | 1909 | OPEL COUPE | Y-04-3 |
| Scale 1:38 | 1910 | RENAULT BUS | Y-44-1 |
| Scale 1:38 | 1910 | RENAULT TYPE AG VAN | Y-25-1 |
| Scale 1:38 | 1928 | BUGATTI T44 | Y-24-1 |
| Scale 1:38 | 1936 | JAGUAR SS100 | Y-01-3 |
| Scale 1:38 | 1957 | BMW 507 | Y-21-4 |
| Scale 1:39 | |||
| Scale 1:39 | 1929 | MORRIS COWLEY LIGHT VAN | Y-47-1 |
| Scale 1:39 | 1929 | MORRIS COWLEY VAN | Y-19-3 |
| Scale 1:40 | |||
| Scale 1:40 | 1911 | RENAULT TWO SEATER | Y-02-2 |
| Scale 1:40 | 1930 | 4.5 LITRE BENTLEY | Y-02-4 |
| Scale 1:40 | 1930 | FORD ‘A’ BREAKDOWN TRUCK | Y-07-4 |
| Scale 1:40 | 1930 | FORD MODEL ‘A’ PICK-UP TRUCK | Y-35-1 |
| Scale 1:40 | 1930 | FORD MODEL ‘A’ TRADESMAN WOODY WAGON |
Y-21-2 |
| Scale 1:40 | 1930 | FORD MODEL ‘A’ VAN | Y-22-1 |
| Scale 1:40 | 1930 | FORD MODEL ‘A’ WOODY WAGON | Y-21-1 |
| Scale 1:41 | |||
| Scale 1:41 | 1926 | FORD MODEL ‘TT’ VAN | Y-21-5 |
| Scale 1:42 | |||
| Scale 1:42 | 1906 | UNIC TAXI | Y-28-1 |
| Scale 1:42 | 1911 | FORD MODEL ‘T’ CAR | Y-01-2 |
| Scale 1:42 | 1936 | AUBURN SPEEDSTER 851 | Y-19-1 |
| Scale 1:43 | |||
| Scale 1:43 | 1820 | PASSENGER COACH & HORSES | Y-39-1 |
| Scale 1:43 | 1880 | MERRYWEATHER FIRE ENGINE | Y-46-1 |
| Scale 1:43 | 1905 | BUSCH SELF PROPELLED FIRE ENGINE |
Y-43-1 |
| Scale 1:43 | 1907 | PEUGEOT | Y-05-3 |
| Scale 1:43 | 1928 | AUSTIN 7 | BMW | ROSENGART | Y-65-1 |
| Scale 1:43 | 1930 | DUESENBERG MODEL ‘J’ | Y-04-4 |
| Scale 1:43 | 1938 | LAGONDA DROPHEAD COUPE | Y-11-3 |
| Scale 1:43 | 1938 | LINCOLN ZEPHYR | Y-64-1 |
| Scale 1:44 | |||
| Scale 1:44 | 1931 | STUTZ BEARCAT | Y-14-3 |
| Scale 1:45 | |||
| Scale 1:45 | 1904 | SPYKER VETERAN AUTOMOBILE | Y-16-1 |
| Scale 1:45 | 1911 | DAIMLER TYPE A12 | Y-13-2 |
| Scale 1:45 | 1928 | MERCEDES BENZ SS COUPE | Y-16-2 |
| Scale 1:45 | 1937 | G.M.C. VAN | Y-12-5 |
| Scale 1:45 | 1937 | MERCEDES BENZ 540K | Y-20-1 |
| Scale 1:46 | |||
| Scale 1:46 | 1913 | MERCER RACEABOUT TYPE 35J | Y-07-2 |
| Scale 1:46 | 1926 | ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM I | Y-36-1 |
| Scale 1:46 | 1930 | BUGATTI ROYALE NAPOLEON | Y-45-1 |
| Scale 1:46 | 1930 | PACKARD VICTORIA | Y-15-2 |
| Scale 1:46 | 1932 | MODEL ‘AA’ FORD 1,5 TON TRUCK | Y-62-1 |
| Scale 1:46 | 1933 | CADILLAC 452 V16 | Y-34-1 |
| Scale 1:46 | 1933 | CADILLAC FIRE ENGINE | Y-61-1 |
| Scale 1:46 | 1939 | BEDFORD TYPE ‘KD’ TRUCK | Y-63-1 |
| Scale 1:47 | |||
| Scale 1:47 | 1914 | PRINCE HENRY VAUXHALL | Y-02-3 |
| Scale 1:47 | 1918 | CROSSLEY | Y-13-3 |
| Scale 1:47 | 1918 | CROSSLEY DELIVERY LORRY | Y-26-1 |
| Scale 1:47 | 1927 | TALBOT VAN | Y-05-4 |
| Scale 1:48 | |||
| Scale 1:48 | 1909 | THOMAS FLYABOUT | Y-12-2 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1912 | ROLLS ROYCE | Y-07-3 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1912 | SIMPLEX | Y-09-2 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1913 | CADILLAC | Y-06-3 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1914 | STUTZ TYPE 4E ROADSTER | Y-08-3 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1920 | ROLLS ROYCE FIRE ENGINE | Y-06-4 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1920 | ROLLS-ROYCE ARMOURED CAR | Y-38-1 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1926 | TYPE 35 BUGATTI | Y-06-2 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1931 | MERCEDES BENZ 770 | Y-40-1 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1937 | CORD 812 SEDAN | Y-18-1 |
| Scale 1:48 | 1938 | HISPANO SUIZA | Y-17-1 |
| Scale 1:49 | |||
| Scale 1:49 | 1911 | MAXWELL ROADSTER | Y-14-2 |
| Scale 1:49 | 1923 | SCANIA VABIS HALF TRACK POST BUS | Y-16-4 |
| Scale 1:49 | 1936 | LEYLAND CUB FIRE ENGINE FK-7 | Y-09-4 |
| Scale 1:50 | |||
| Scale 1:50 | 1912 | PACKARD LANDAULET | Y-11-2 |
| Scale 1:50 | 1926 | MORRIS COWLEY BULLNOSE | Y-08-1 |
| Scale 1:51 | |||
| Scale 1:51 | 1906 | ROLLS ROYCE SILVER GHOST | Y-10-3 |
| Scale 1:51 | 1919 | WALKER ELECTRIC VAN | Y-29-1 |
| Scale 1:52 | |||
| Scale 1:52 | 1928 | MERCEDES BENZ 36-220 | Y-10-2 |
| Scale 1:52 | 1929 | 4,5 LITRE BENTLEY | Y-05-2 |
| Scale 1:54 | |||
| Scale 1:54 | 1908 | ‘GRAND PRIX’ MERCEDES | Y-10-1 |
| Scale 1:54 | 1910 | BENZ LIMOUSINE | Y-03-2 |
| Scale 1:55 | |||
| Scale 1:55 | 1907 | ROLLS ROYCE SILVER GHOST | Y-15-1 |
| Scale 1:55 | 1929 | LE MANS BENTLEY | Y-05-1 |
| Scale 1:59 | |||
| Scale 1:59 | 1929 | GARRETT STEAM WAGON | Y-37-1 |
| Scale 1:59 | 1931 | MORRIS COURIER | Y-31-1 |
| Scale 1:60 | |||
| Scale 1:60 | 1894 | AVELING & PORTER STEAM ROLLER |
Y-21-3 |
| Scale 1:60 | 1918 | ATKINSONS ‘D’ STEAM WAGON | Y-18-2 |
| Scale 1:60 | 1920 | AC MACK TRUCK | Y-30-1 |
| Scale 1:60 | 1930 | MACK AC TRUCK | Y-33-1 |
| Scale 1:60 | 1930 | MACK TANKER | Y-23-2 |
| Scale 1:60 | 1939 | ALBION 10 TON CX27 LORRY | Y-42-1 |
| Scale 1:61 | |||
| Scale 1:61 | 1917 | YORKSHIRE STEAM WAGON | Y-08-5 |
| Scale 1:61 | 1917 | YORKSHIRE TEAM WAGON TYPE WA | Y-32-1 |
| Scale 1:62 | |||
| Scale 1:62 | 1920 | 3 TON LEYLAND LORRY | Y-09-3 |
| Scale 1:64 | |||
| Scale 1:64 | 1829 | STEPHENSON’S ROCKET | Y-12-4 |
| Scale 1:64 | 1929 | SCAMMEL 100 TON TRUCK-TRAILER | Y-16-5 |
| Scale 1:68 | |||
| Scale 1:68 | 1905 | FOWLER B6 SHOWMAN’S ENGINE | Y-19-2 |
| Scale 1:69 | |||
| Scale 1:69 | 1932 | MERCEDES BENZ L5 LORRY | Y-41-1 |
| Scale 1:69 | 1932 | MERCEDES BENZ ‘L5′ TRUCK | Y-06-5 |
| Scale 1:72 | |||
| Scale 1:72 | 1922 | AEC OMNIBUS | Y-23-1 |
| Scale 1:72 | 1922 | FODEN STEAM WAGON | Y-27-1 |
| Scale 1:76 | |||
| Scale 1:76 | 1929 | LEYLAND TITAN BUS | Y-05-5 |
| Scale 1:76 | 1931 | DIDDLER TROLLEY BUS | Y-10-5 |
| Scale 1:80 | |||
| Scale 1:80 | 1920 | AVELING & PORTER ROAD ROLLER |
Y-11-1 |
| Scale 1:80 | 1924 | FOWLER ‘BIG LION’ SHOWMAN’S ENGINE |
Y-09-1 |
| Scale 1:80 | 1925 | ALLCHIN 7 NHP TRACTION ENGINE | Y-01-1 |
| Scale 1:87 | |||
| Scale 1:87 | 1920 | PRESTON TRAM CAR | Y-15-3 |
| Scale 1:100 | |||
| Scale 1:100 | 1899 | LONDON HORSE DRAWN BUS | Y-12-1 |
| Scale 1:100 | 1911 | ‘B’ TYPE LONDON BUS | Y-02-1 |
| Scale 1:100 | 1914 | 4 TON LEYLAND VAN | Y-07-1 |
| Scale 1:100 | 1916 | AEC ‘Y’ TYPE LORRY | Y-06-1 |
| Scale 1:100 | 1928 | SENTINEL STEAM WAGON | Y-04-1 |
| Scale 1:105 | |||
| Scale 1:105 | 1762 | GOLD STATE COACH | Y-66-1 |
| Scale 1:112 | |||
| Scale 1:112 | 1862 | AMERICAN ‘GENERAL’ CLASS LOCOMOTIVE ‘SANTA FE’ |
Y-13-1 |
| Scale 1:130 | |||
| Scale 1:130 | 1903 | ‘DUKE OF CONNAUGHT’ LOCOMOTIVE |
Y-14-1 |
| Scale 1:130 | 1907 | LONDON ‘E’ CLASS TRAMCAR | Y-03-1 |
Brilliant – just wish every diecast model had the scale on it – might stop the idiots on e-bay listing 1:64 and 1:35 as O-scale!!
Bob,
I agree. When Matchbox produced these they made them fit into a standard box as was pointed out. What you said though is so true .. they had the .. common sense? .. to put the scale on the model. I mean .. how hard is that? I keep saying that I need to carry one of those scale cards around with a scale person on it .. I could at least hold it up against a model of unknown scale. Note to Self: do that!
Great site! I just wanted to thank you for the work you did on scales in relation to Matchbox model vehicles. I have a huge collection of Matchbox and Lledo models, and I’m using some of them on my On30 layout. I’m doing a blog of my work, too, at the web site listed above.
Mark. You might be interested in this then. I am not happy with the wheels and tires on my 1927 Talbot .. they are relatively modern. I’m working on designing something that would be true for that 1927 date. I modeled a ‘quick and diry’ wheel and tire – http://www.shapeways.com/model/688134/sw-wheelandtire-r.html .. and just finished a wheel I am pretty happy with – http://www.shapeways.com/model/688743/sw-wheel2-r.html
My plan is to have a wheel, tire, and wheel and tire combo. What I want to do is re-produce these in Resin but depending .. could produce the wheels via a 3D print. The problem there is you can’t specify how you want the items arranged for printing so you can get weird layering depending on how they print the suckers. Using the 3D printed wheels as masters would work since you can take time to clean them up .. until you have pristine masters to make your molds from.