A ‘real life matchbox van, built in 1937 as an advertising vehicle for England’s Glory matches, will go under the hammer on October 29th at Barons’ sale next Sandown Park auction sale.

The van, was based on a 1932 Austin Seven and is a fully-functioning, road-legal vehicle, although as this gloriously non-politically correct picture shows, it is quite a small vehicle:

This 1937 promotional Matchbox van was based on an Austin Seven and will be sold on October 29th, 2013, at an auction at Sandown Park.

It was comprehensively restored in the 1970s/’80s, and is now due for a refresh, so is offered as a fascinating rolling restoration, with an estimated hammer price of £12,000-£15,000.

Update 4 November 2013: The Matchbox van sold at Sandown Park on October 29th for £10,700 to a UK-based collector. Here’s a more recent picture of the van in question:

The real-life Matchbox van sold for £10,700 at auction in October 2013.

Other vehicles that may be of interest include a Group N 1996 Escort Cosworth rally car in road legal trim (estimate £9,000 – £11,000) and a 2007 Jaguar Sovereign 4.2 that was formerly used by the Royal Household and has every option under the sun, including some aimed at chauffeur-driven occupants, such as rear televisions, fold-away business tables and heated rear seats. There’s also a bizarre extra that allows rear seat passengers to electrically adjust the front passenger seat — so if  your ‘man’ is using too much space in the front and you want to stretch our for a snooze in the back, you don’t have to condescend to speak to him — just hit the remote and slide his seat forward!

Finally, there’s also a personal favourite of mine — a 1972 Saab 99, which is thought to be one of just 18 still registered in the UK. The Saab 99 was the forerunner of the classic 900, a car I could once have owned and didn’t — a decision I’ve regretted ever since… This particular model has emerged from eight years in storage and is in excellent, unrestored, original condition. It offers a rare chance to obtain a superb, original collectors’ car, at an estimate of £3,500-£4,500.

For more details on all of the vehicles in the sale, visit www.barons-auctions.com.