Matchbox 22b; Vauxhall Cresta PA

There are at least 36 listed variations of this Lesney toy and none of them is very common. Most variations don't affect value a great deal and some are really very slightly different, only the Matchbox fundamentalists can tell those apart, however the colour range is impressive: pink, cream, pink with sea green side panels, metallic grey-brown with sea green side panels. metallic bronze-brown with sea green side panels. grey with lilac side panels, light metallic gold, dark metallic gold, light metallic copper and finally dark metallic copper.

Wheels were originally metal, then grey plastic, silver plastic and finally black plastic. Early releases were without windows, Later issues had green tint windows. production began in 1958 and continued until 1965 which explains the many different versions.

So - what to look for? Any of them actually, a couple of versions nudge into four figures - pink with metal wheels and even better pink & sea green two-tone. Most of the other versions are in the £50-£150 if in un-chipped condition in a nice box, so well worth finding.