Matchbox Collectibles, from £9.95

There was a time when a Matchbox car was something you picked up from the local newsagent for the price of a two-bob coin, slipped your way by a doting grandfather.

But Matchbox, today controlled by US giant Tyco, doesn’t just make ‘toys’. Its Yesteryear range has long appealed to a broad clientele. The company has now put a slightly different slant on its marketing strategy, with the launch of Matchbox Collectibles. These are designed purely and simply for adult collectors. And, with the exception of a one or two specialist dealers, they’ll be available only by mail order. It’s a system Matchbox pioneered with success in Australia a few years ago. The initial range will comprise commercial vehicles, but a series of cars will follow in due course. First out of the hat is the charismatic Citroën H van, one of a series of six (at £9.95 apiece) bearing the logos of leading French brands.

Full details are available from Matchbox Collectibles, Freepost CV2639, PO Box 35, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 1BR, and orders can be placed on Freephone 0800317913. We can report that the Evian-liveried Citroën H is a faithful and appealing reproduction of the original shape, if a touch on the pink side. Matchbox apparently has no plans, as yet, to launch a rusty grey one. S A