BOX FACTS

SERIES :

Regular Wheels

FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION :

1956

BOX TYPES :

B

SIZES AVAILABLE :

2, 3

TOTAL VARIATIONS :

5

NUMBER OF MAJOR VARIATIONS :

4

 

 

 

 

 

GENERAL INFO

Despite being on the market for a short time, 22A Vauxhall Cresta had quite a few different boxes. The first, B1 in size 2, shows a slightly blurred drawing of the model which stands pretty high in the picture, where 5 pillars are visible. The model numbers are outside the scroll and small. A dark background completes it. A second version of the B1 sees the model lower in the picture, with bigger wheels and sharper picture, completed with model numbers closer to model. This variation would be used for a B2 box as well.

Yet, another variation was released, still in B2 sub-type. This time, only three pillars are visible.

C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\22A-BBoxB1Sharp.jpgC:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\22A-B2BoxThreePillars.jpg

The model is also higher again, with smaller numbers outside the scroll.

The 22A would often puncture the very short size 2 box. Maybe that’s why a size 3 box was finally made. Still in B2 sub-type, it’s surrounded by the blue rectangle, using a size 2 picture. And yes, the drawing is different again! The larger model seems to lean towards the front of the car (to the right of the picture!) and five pillars are visible. Large model numbers were used on that one.

The artwork of the 22A would be also used for the first two boxes of 22B Cresta 1958.

RARITY

The last box with the blue rectangle is definitely harder to find. One has to be careful as it is not very different from the first variation used for 22B.

C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\22A-BBoxB2Sie3FivePillars.jpgC:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\22B-B4BoxSmallerNumberModelLower.jpg

 

VARIATION LIST

 

A red toy car Description automatically generated with medium confidence

RW22A - VAUXHALL CRESTA

 

 

Front/Back

#

Type/Sub-type

Size

Top/Bottom

End Flap

Variation Name

C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\22A-BBoxB1Blurred.jpg

(Blurred picture, model high in picture, five pillars shown, dark background, small numbers)

1

B1

2

Blue/Black

All blue

RW-22A-B1-1a

C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\22A-BBoxB1Sharp.jpg

(Sharp picture, larger model lower in picture, five pillars shown, light background, larger numbers)

2

RW-22A-B1-2a

3

B2

A picture containing text, case Description automatically generated

RW-22A-B2-2b

C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\22A-B2BoxThreePillars.jpg

(Sharp picture, larger model higher in picture, three pillars shown, light background, small numbers)

4

RW-22A-B2-3a

C:\Users\Patrice\Documents\Pictures\Images\Matchbox Images\Matchbox\VintageLesneyOnTheWeb\NewVintageLesneyOnline2006\images\22A-BBoxB2Sie3FivePillars.jpg

(Sharp picture, larger model leaning towards right, five pillars shown, light background, larger numbers, blue square)

5

3

RW-22A-B2-4a