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Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week, from tomorrow, Monday, May 11, 2026, until Thursday, May 14, 2026, on our website. AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION
en vente cette semaine: Dinky Toys GB – Austin Sommerset bicolore 161 – Cherryca Phenix – aihatsu Berlina 41 – Cherryca Phenix – Isuzu Bellett 30 – Tekno – Volvo 121 break vitré 830
I remember...
…rotating displays, positioned on the counters of elegant toy stores.
Marketing professionals understood the value of putting the available models right in front of children.
This obviously boosted sales. I believe Matchbox was the first to grasp this concept in the field of miniature cars. Thanks to a reduced scale (approximately 1/75), retailers could display the entire range (75 models) on a compact stand.
The equation was complex: how to entice customers to buy by presenting the entire range in a fun way (who didn’t want to spin the display?) while also minimizing the display’s footprint on the counter. They had to play with height and depth.
Dinky Toys produced two sizes of thermoformed plastic rotating displays.
These displays were an invitation to discover the range. I remember that as a child, I had only one thing on my mind: seeing the models hidden behind the display, the ones that were unseen but surely the most beautiful. From a child’s eye level, the view from below of this large display was truly impressive.
I remember a feeling of immensity. This display, filled with models in shimmering colors, remains a wonderful memory. I even had the pleasure of recreating this atmosphere at home thanks to two display stands from Robert Goirand.
I sometimes think that we became collectors when I see these miniatures in their transparent boxes with their yellow and black bases, lined up side by side in the thermoformed compartments, protected by acetate sheets in Dinky Toys’ yellow and red colors.
Model models contemporary to this type of display (around 1968-1970) were priced high.
I thought of this when I saw some beautiful examples on offer this week.
A complete Porsche Carrera 6 with its rare cardboard prop used to hold the rear hood open. I imagine it displayed like that in one of the display case compartments.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Porsche Carrera 6 503
We also have two Ford Thunderbirds in both trim levels. This large model fits easily in the display case: everything had been planned for.
In the late 1960s, since Tri-Ang’s arrival, Liverpool exported a large part of its production to France.
This was not the case in the early 1960s.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Ford Thunderbird coupé bicolore 1419
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Ford Thunderbird coupé 1419
The Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III and the Cadillac Eldorado are contemporary models and can be displayed alongside the previously mentioned ones.
These two miniatures are presented here in less common liveries. Furthermore, they are attractive and their colors can add vibrancy to a display case dedicated to these models.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III 127
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – Cadillac Eldorado 175
We could also include the rare Triumph Spitfire in metallic purple with a bronze interior. This late color combination, reminiscent of 1968, is perfectly suited to this type of display. Just like the Volkswagen 1200, without windows or interior fittings, which was still in the catalog during those years… as well as the Citroën U23 tow truck or the Citroën 2CV postal van.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – Volkswagen 1200’54 181
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – Triumph Spitfire 114
I think it’s interesting to mix these products, which have been staples in catalogs for a long time, with the more modern designs described above. They form a chronologically coherent group.
We could also include the Opel Rekord taxi. It’s a bit dated, but we know that Bobigny had stock of it, and although it was designed for the German market in the mid-1960s, some of the stock was later distributed in France and Italy.
So it’s not anachronistic, especially if it’s fitted with white knobby rubber tires. The work and pleasure of the collector lies in being able to place their miniatures in their historical context.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Opel 546
a multitude of media
Norev’s success with customers is due to the quality of its products, their excellent value for money, but also, let’s not forget, to the brand’s sales network, which allowed it to sell its large production volume.
Norev also used displays of all sizes, dioramas, and of course its famous Ferris wheel very early on, which made a lasting impression on many children who are now collectors.
Its simple and economical design stood out from the competitors’ displays. Indeed, the Villeurbanne-based company clearly aimed to differentiate itself from the competition in the way it presented its products, using a multitude of cardboard and plastic stands in a wide variety of sizes.
For me, it was the large wooden display stand, with its diamond-shaped compartments, that stood out. To have one, the retailer had to be a good sales outlet and, above all, have the space to house it.
I remember buying one at a fair in Reims, which I stored in the cellar until better days. Later, I displayed it in a shop window because I didn’t have enough floor space…before selling it to a customer!
It’s a beautiful piece…but you really do need space to display it, and that taught me a lesson about how to approach buying this type of item.
Even the most passionate collector has to face reality: walls aren’t expandable!
modèle en vente cette semaine: Norev – Simca 1100 avec voilier 505 94
I thought of that display stand and the childhood memories it evoked when I saw the superb Simca 1100 set and its 505 sailboat for sale.
I can still picture that set in the toy shop just down the road from my house, like the beautiful burgundy Citroën Ami 6 station wagon in its second-type box, with openings.
This display stand was designed to hold this type of box, which was rectangular in shape. They fit perfectly in the compartments.
I imagine collectors being able to recreate that shop atmosphere from the late sixties. The condition of the box and the miniature seems paramount to me.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Citroën Ami 6 break 2
We also have a beautiful Land Rover recovery vehicle that’s typical of that era.
The Land Rover holds a special place in the Norev range among enthusiasts. It’s certainly the best reproduction of this vehicle ever made.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Land Rover 109 dépanneuse 154
Nothing is premeditated.
It’s by associating images of certain programmed models that the ideas for my text come to me.
Nothing is premeditated.
Seeing the original Lady Penelope from Dinky Toys this week, in its rare late-model box, consisting of a base and a bubble, and the three vehicles associated with three television series from Corgi Toys, I reflected on how much the former had destabilized the Swansea firm.
It had even been the first sign of a rapid decline, one that nothing had foreshadowed.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – Auto Lady Penelope Fab 1 100
The contract with Gerry Anderson and all his series should have been a sure thing for them.
It was important because it paved the way for the reproduction of numerous models from very popular British series. Nothing is ever guaranteed, and against all odds, Dinky Toys and Tri Ang, its new shareholder, won the contract. Corgi Toys’ management took this setback hard.
The version of Lady Penelope offered this week is rare.
This display case, less attractive than the early production version, is made of a beautiful case and is fragile. It is very difficult to find one in this condition.
Many collectors are even unaware of its existence.
The three Corgi Toys models planned are associated with television series from the mid-seventies.
They are also quite rare. Ten years have passed since the failed signing of the contract with Gerry Anderson. A lot has happened, including a change in scale, switching from 1/43 to 1/38. This upset die-hard fans of the brand. The repercussions are still felt today.
However, I’m pleased to see that enthusiasts are now taking an interest. I’ll digress for a moment here. Even though my personal tastes differ, I appreciate the arrival of new enthusiasts, and I always wonder about their motivations.
Sometimes, I even find myself persuaded and charmed by these products. For example, I discovered Whizzwheels, as well as Matchbox Superfast with their vibrant colors.
If my display space allows, perhaps I’ll be tempted by these Corgi Toys that appeared in the mid-seventies.
One thing is certain: I’ll start with the TV series because the products, and especially the boxes, are so expressive.
I love the “Charlie Angels” van, its color and its box.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Simca 1308 39
I wasn’t familiar with the other two TV series that were on the program.
I know that the Ford Capri from “The Professionals” has always been popular in the UK. Furthermore, and this could be a unique theme, Corgi Toys revived the formula of its earlier successes during those years: TV series.
You could build a great collection with Magnum, P.I., Starsky & Hutch, Kojak, The Incredible Hulk, and many others, all associated with that era. The boxes and their condition are crucial.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Ford Thunderbird Vegas 348
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Ford Capri The professionals 342
My favorites are these three construction vehicles produced by Gesha in Germany.
…in the early 1970s.
They marked a turning point. Strenco and Gesha, just before Conrad and NZG, were the first manufacturers to produce almost exclusively replicas of construction equipment.
They also produced some utility vehicles and agricultural machinery. Initially, this stemmed from an order placed by the manufacturer of the machine being reproduced: a contract was signed, the manufacturer often contributed to the tooling costs, the order was placed, and the manufacturer then distributed the models through its dealerships.
Most often, a clause authorized Strenco, Gesha, and later Conrad and NZG, to then distribute them through toy retailers.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Gesha – O&K pelle rétro sur roues 265
There was fierce competition among manufacturers, each wanting to offer their customers a sophisticated model.
Understandably, the quality of the model’s execution conveyed the image of the machine being reproduced. This was a promotional gift, and each marketing department had its own specific requirements.
I experienced this firsthand with Poclain. My childhood friend Philippe Gouble’s father worked in Poclain’s marketing department.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Gesha – Caterpillar 920 chargeuse sur roues 288
He explained to me the negotiations with toy manufacturers and revealed that, as head of this sector, he regularly received boxes from Conrad and NZG filled with models produced for competitors (Liebehr, Caterpillar, and others) to demonstrate the new quality standards achieved. This certainly put pressure on Poclain’s management!
modèle en vente cette semaine : Gesha – Atlas AB 1302 pelle rétro sur roues 290
also on sale this week
