The first small matchbook contained Bryant and May's safety matches, and was given away by Kennings Limited, of Brookfield in Glossop. They dealt in new and used cars and commercials, all from the BMC motor group.
On one side is the company's address, as shown in the picture alongside, and on the other side, a list of the marques they dealt in - namely Morris, MG, Wolseley, Riley, Morris Commercial Vehicles, and Nuffield Tractors.
Flick the matchbook open, and your pipe chewing Wolseley buyer would be delighted to see a set of individual safety matches, each printed with one of the vehicle makes that Kennings dealt in - nice touch.
Fast forward thirty years from the days of BMC, and we have a freebie from Saab, by this time another brand within the GM empire. The box of matches was a giveaway in the mid 1990s when they launched the GM-powered 900, replacing the proper Saab-designed 900 (itself based on the 60s 99 model). The new 900 looked vaguely like the old model, and incorporated the side sweep alluded to on the cover of this matchbox. However its underpinnings, rather than being hewn from Swedish stone as on the old model, was a re-worked Vauxhall Vectra. Long-term Saab enthusiasts shook their collective heads in dismay. Not that they were bad cars, but some of the trademark Saab quirkyness was gone forever.
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