Matchbox is a popular toy brand which was introduced by Lesney Products in 1953 and is now owned by “Mattel, Inc.” The brand was so named as the original die-cast Matchbox toys were sold in boxes similar in style and size to those in which matches were sold. Subsequently the brand would encompass a broad range of toys including larger scale die-cast models and various non die-cast lines such as plastic model kits and action figures. During the 1980s, Matchbox started to switch to the more conventional plastic and cardboard "blister packs" that were used by other die cast toy brands such as “Hot Wheels”. The box style packaging was re-introduced for the collectors' market in recent years, particularly with the release of the "35th Anniversary of Superfast" series in 2004.

These re-casted Sonett III models, launched in 1985 during the ’Super GT-series’, have a few differences from the original Lesney-Sonett. Most important is the hatch, which can’t be opened anymore. During the first two years, they were still ‘Made in England’, but from 1987 on, they were produced in China. Like the early Lesney-Sonett, you can find them in several different boxes, blister-cards and multi-packs.