Recently this model was offered for sale on ebay. Fortunately, due to a bit of controversy the model was withdrawn from sale before someone was suckered into buying it. You will notice in the description the seller states he is "selling this for a friend". For some reason this is often a statement made by con men (or women!) when selling on ebay.

The number 28c Jaguar was originally issued with grey wheels. It is not confirmed but is generally considered to be a "pre production" version. However, this is open to interpretation. Facts that we do know about this version are that the grey wheel variation had "3 lines of text" on the base plate, instead of the general issue version that had 4 lines of text. Also, the engine was painted the same brown as the body colour. Later versions had an unpainted engine. So in knowing these facts we look at the model offered for sale below.

The base is the give away that the model offered for sale is a definite fake. The top photo (the model for sale) shows 4 lines of text, where by the bottom photo (genuine) shows 3 lines of text. On the early versions the words "Matchbox Series" were omitted. This is also an indication that the genuine grey wheeled version was a pre production model.

The above example is why it is important to have reference books AND REFER TO THEM! Before buying that rare model (or any vintage Matchbox Toy) always refer to books like "The Definitive Guide to Matchbox Toys 1-75 Series 1953 - 1969" to make sure the model you are buying is genuine. It may save you hundreds, or even thousands of dollars!