Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week from tomorrow Monday December 9, 2024 until Thursday December 12 on our site
AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION
en vente cette semaine: Dinky Toys GB – Foden Mk 2 citerne Mobilgas 941- Dinky Toys GB – Leyland Octopus citerne Esso 943 – Corgi Toys – Ford 5000 remorque bétaillère GS1 – Corgi Toys – coffret London passenger set GS35
I remember
of a crossing of Place Bellecourt in Lyon, one summer day, under a blazing sun. It was 1972. I think especially of the object that I was holding preciously in my arms.
It is without doubt the most beautiful toy that I have ever had; a PL4 construction set from Solido. It allowed you to create carriers or semi-trailers with four different cabins and two chassis wheelbases. It gave me the impression of making extraordinary models.
Later I understood that this was not the case. I also learned that the four cabins came from four different manufacturers. Two of them, Bernard and Willeme were “small” manufacturers, producing quality trucks. We could even add the mention “top of the range”.
Their semi-artisanal production could not be compared to that of Berliet or Unic, other manufacturers also represented in the set. I seem to remember that my favorite was the Berliet TBO. Its long, square hood and impressive air filter gave it a proud look. Nothing seemed to resist it.
Solido Berliet TBPet présentoir carton d’origine – collection personnelle AutoJaune
This week we have a sample that brings me back to those memories. The Berliet TBO tractor semi-trailer dropside is an example of what could be achieved with the kit. This version was not mass produced.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Berliet TBO semi remorque ridelles PL4
This week we also have this same trailer, but coupled to the original Willeme Horizon cabin.
This configuration was the one that Solido had chosen to distribute in an individual case. It is a great classic that you have to know how to appreciate. The original treatment of the roof and the panoramic windshield make it a modern truck for the time.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Willeme Horizon semi remorque ridelles 302
The Bernard truck bodied by Pelpel on a design by Philippe Charbonneaux is intriguing and deserves some explanation.
Enthusiasts will have recognized original JRD decals.
At the beginning of the 80s, the Decalkit firm of Montpellier, offered for sale two large sheets of decals to restore the original French utility miniatures of the fifties and sixties.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Bernard cabine Charbonneau fourgon transports internationnaux PL4
At that time, there was a real craze, a real momentum in the collection. The idea of saving old models by restoring them had germinated among many enthusiasts. The already very high prices had also forced a certain number of enthusiasts to turn to restoration. There was no internet to occupy the evenings. It is in this context that these two sheets were published.
The example offered for sale is a real Solido. The Oulins firm marketed this beautiful van for a while without the traditional advertisements for La Vache qui Rit. Out of stock of decals, contract not renewed with the Bel cheese factory, I do not know the exact reason.
What is certain is that many examples, including a large part of the vans in the PL4 box set, are without them. This makes one more variant for lovers of this truck.
On the model offered, the enthusiast applied the decals intended to restore the Unic JRD on a Bernard refrigerated van. The story is simple and without controversy. Its fairly low sale price is a solid argument for those who like to decline the variants of this beautiful “high-end” truck.
Collection personnelle Autojaune – Solido Bernard BLANC ROSSET et LA VACHE QUI RIT – 304
Let’s stay with Solido with two models from the mid-seventies: the Volkswagen Golf and the Mercedes 280.
Solido has divided its collection of miniature cars into 3 ranges.
The first, more simplistic, less detailed includes popular models. The programmed VW Golf belongs to the latter. Solido’s idea is to sell these miniatures cheaper. They are in tune with the clientele for which they are intended. We also understand that these products are still toys intended for a young clientele.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Volkswagen Golf 19
The difference in finish with the other ranges is mainly in the treatment of the rear faces: the lights are not reported.
Only the doors are opening.
The Mercedes 280 logically belongs to the “Gam 3”. Opening doors and hood, detailed reproduction of the engine, headlights and lights reported: luxury. This Mercedes is a very beautiful miniature. These series are finally starting to interest enthusiasts. It is justified. It took longer than I thought.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Mercedes 280 E 47
beautiful norev
There is a magical side to the world of miniature collecting that is rarely taken into consideration. A child of the sixties could buy a Ferrari, a Citroën DS or a 2CV for the same price.
Much later, when they entered collections, miniatures reproducing popular cars were often more highly rated than those reproducing exceptional cars. They are more in demand because they evoke more childhood memories.
Not everyone grew up in Monaco surrounded by Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
Popular cars were part of the family landscape of most of us.
This week we have three beautiful French popular cars from Norev. They were the core target of the Villeurbanne firm. Thanks to their relatively low selling price, they were in line with the purchasing power of this clientele.
The Renault 12 is a perfect example.
It is not the purity of its line that attracts us but the memories that connect us to it. You just have to listen in the aisles of the shows dedicated to vintage cars. It is a stage in the production of the Régie. At the time, cars remained in the manufacturers’ catalog for a long time. They had time to mark, to leave memories. They were passed on to the youngest, just like toys. For example, I inherited my father’s old BMW 2000.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Renault R 12 140
The Citroën 2cv van remained in production even longer. It left its mark on our lives for almost fifty years. This model intended for commercial use was used a lot. Few have survived and we come across it in trade fairs much less often than the saloon version. The absence of advertising panels and the sobriety of its sheet metal body in place of advertising panels is an asset. Many Dinky Toys fans have expressed regret that the management in Bobigny did not program this basic Citroën 2cv van in its catalog. So enjoy the Norev version!
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Citroën 2cv’51 fourgonnette 16
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Citroën 2cv AZ 27
The Citroën DS 21 Norev brings back a childhood memory. Before retiring in 1970, my grandparents bought a superb Citroën DS21 injection. My grandmother wanted to give a miniature model to each of her grandchildren. I remember how disappointed she came back from the toy store located a stone’s throw from the shoe store. She thought she was giving us a special gift and bringing us back a “metal” car. She brought back three plastic Norevs, one for each grandchild. Mine was turquoise. I appreciated this gift. The white model for sale is superb. This color suits this elegant car very well.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Citroën DS21 158
corgi speciales
“Top of the range”, the Citroën DS 19 coupé Chapron is certainly one of them. It is the exclusive side of these “special” bodies released drop by drop by this famous French coachbuilder that allows them to be classified in this category. Corgi Toys, which sought to stand out by offering unusual miniatures, has delivered a high-class reproduction. This week we have the two-tone version, less common.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Citroën DS19 coupé Chapron 259
Corgi Toys also had to include reproductions of Rolls Royces in its catalogue, which symbolise luxury and high-end in the eyes of the general public. This week we have a Silver Shadow. It meets the criteria in force in Swansea at the end of the sixties and beginning of the seventies. The engraving is not very fine. Miniatures are not common.
en vente cette semaine: Corgi Toys – Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 280
Corgi Toys quickly looked across the Atlantic for inspiration, and perhaps its downfall, but that’s another story. The stretched Lincoln limousine on the menu this week is an example of flashy luxury and, for some, bad American taste. The car doesn’t leave you indifferent. Even its bronze color is puzzling. Children could marvel at the television screen in the passenger compartment that an electrical system highlighted. It’s the beginning of extravagant limousines, perhaps the beginning of a form of automotive decadence.
modèle en vente cette semaine :Corgi Toys – Lincoln Continental limousine 262
my italian favorite of this week
My favorite for popular cars from post-war Italy. Mebetoys, created in 1966, will benefit from the rise in living standards on the other side of the Alps. Arriving on the market well after Mercury and Politoys, its first reference will nevertheless be the Fiat 850, the popular car par excellence at that time. It is a beautiful model. The example on sale is interesting because of its equipment: it receives the very first chrome steel rims with the most beautiful effect. Its color also allows us to date it, we are at the beginning of the adventure of the Milanese firm.
en vente cette semaine: Mebetoys – Fiat 850 A-1
Politoys, another Milanese firm well established in the transalpine landscape at the time of the launch of Mebetoys, has always favored popular cars in its catalog. This week the Fiat 600 and the Opel Kadett are excellent examples. These carefully manufactured miniatures benefited from an exceptional quality-price ratio.
This is in my eyes the strong point of many Italian products of the time and still today. Quality, beautiful products at affordable prices. These models have kept all their charm. The improbable metallic finish of the Fiat 600 certainly gives the “miniature” a high-end side.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Politoys – Opel kadett coupé 510
modèle en vente cette semaine : Politoys – Fiat 600 511
Rivarossi Fiat 500 – Collection personnelle AutoJaune
palette Mercury Fiat 500C – Collection personnelle AutoJaune
Vincent Espinasse
also coming this week :
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