Seine-et-Marne, early 1980s

I remember…very well the discovery, in the early eighties, on a farm in Seine-et-Marne, of my first Icis miniatures. The place didn’t correspond to the standing of these high-priced toys, designed to be distributed in fine city stores. We imagine them in Milan, Rome or Turin. But they hadn’t arrived there by chance. In this case, it was the farm of the in-laws of Mr. Chabut, a Parisian real estate agent. The latter had recovered a splendid… and imposing collection. So imposing, in fact, that it had to be stored on the family farm. It was there that my father bought his 18 Cadillac Eldorado Mercurys.

I don’t remember the person or the article that made me understand the rarity and interest of these objects. What is certain is that upon seeing them, I alerted my father to the interest in acquiring them. Which was done. The notion of rarity is relative. It is experience and knowledge that give it its value. I dare to put forward the idea that Icis are rare. This does not necessarily mean that they are unaffordable because, for that to happen, there must also be demand. Enthusiasts often forget this, confusing rarity with high prices.

I thought about this story again when I saw this week the superb Lancia Appia from Icis equipped with chrome-plated steel rims.

At the end of the 1950s, a few companies like Gégé and Jep in France, and Icis in Italy, thought they had found a niche by offering luxurious, detailed miniatures injected in plastic and equipped with a zamac chassis (for the French companies) or chrome-plated steel rims (Icis and Gégé). These models were sold at a certain price and positioned themselves in the “Dinky Toys” niche. It was a failure. People had a bad image of plastic, which they associated with low-end products.

However, were these Icis, Gégé, and Jep models significantly superior to the Norev or Politoys of the time? I don’t think so. Later, in discussions with knowledgeable collectors like Mr. Dufour, I realized we had made the right choice. In the 1970s, the latter had to give up some beautiful pieces to obtain a few from Paolo Rampini. Fifty years later, they are still as beautiful and rare, and I’m delighted every time I can find a new color. My daughter knows something about that.

It was in Jean-Michel Roulet’s first book published by Adepte that I discovered the Dinky Toys Poch and understood their rarity. That was in 1978. Many years later, in discussions with Robert Goirand, I realized that at the same time, he had still found some in a store, right in Madrid! In the early 1980s, he had put a number of these models into circulation. Mr. Claverie, who lived in the southwest, which made traveling across the Pyrenees easier, had done the same. My father knew these two people, and, logically, we bought some from them.

These models, assembled and painted in Barcelona, ​​equipped with Pirelli-engraved tires, have always generated justified enthusiasm. The presence of the specific box, on the flaps of which appears the name “Pirelli” is a real plus. The colors of the two models offered this week are different from those produced in Bobigny.

Over time, through purchases, I noticed that there were significant nuances that surely correspond to different manufacturing periods.

I don’t know why this model is difficult to obtain. Dalia had, however, gone to the effort of engraving a specific chassis, suggesting that the model was intended to remain in the catalog. However, I only have two color variations in my collection, which is few for a Dalia, and it took me a long time to find them. To stay on the “rare” side, we also have a Citroën Ami 6 estate box for sale. Dalia boxes are difficult to obtain, especially in this condition.

I could make the same observation with the few beautiful C-I-Js for sale this week. There is no quality book on the brand, at least not one that would take the time to explain the variants and thus distinguish the current from the rare. As with the Dalias described above, in the absence of a reference book, it is experience that allows one to understand the range. Discussions with other enthusiasts are a good way to advance in knowledge, but it is still necessary to validate the information gathered over time.

This week we have two Panhard Juniors that I could describe as “infrequent” variants. The model is charming. I appreciate the design of its hood and windshield, in folded sheet metal, summarizing the experience and knowledge of the Briare firm with this material. The stencil treatment of the straps of this same hood, folded, and the demarcations of the doors is questionable. This attention to detail on a miniature of outdated design is touching. This is all the poetry of the C-I-J summarized in one model. The particularity of these two Panhards is that, with their silver plastic rims and anodized chassis, they are at the end of production. The colors, much brighter than those of the first models, are an element that encourages acquisition. I have kept in my collection only the first variants, with their pale colors and aluminum rims, and these late variants, superb with their bright colors and silver plastic rims.

Let’s move on to the Renault Dauphine also on the program. It is equipped with windows and suspensions and belongs to the Europarc range, intended to revitalize the company after the termination of its contract with the management company. It is an uncommon miniature. For the occasion, the C-I-J painted it in a metallic color, modernizing its model, which, incidentally, seems to me superior to the one offered by Dinky Toys. It is a beautiful miniature. The box is rare, the adjective is not usurped. As it is fragile, it would be interesting to know the total number of copies remaining, and the percentage of copies remaining with their box.

Vincent Espinasse