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Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week, from tomorrow, Monday, December 1st, 2025, until Thursday, December 4th, on our website. AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION
en vente cette semaine: Nicky Toys – Jaguar Type E coupé 120 – ATC – Honda S800 coupé 35 – ATC – Honda S800 cabriolet 34 – Dinky Toys GB – Volkswagen 1200’54 PTT Suisse 262
I remember...
of acquiring my first Peugeot 402 Coupé Fuseau Sochaux from AR.
It was at the Saint-Ouen flea market. On several occasions, I had already refused examples that I found too damaged or partially restored. I remember how often this model was cited as a benchmark in a collection of model cars. I learned this from the “old-timers,” the collectors who came before me.
And in my opinion, it’s the most beautiful 1/43 scale model ever made.
The already fluid lines of this coupé appear even more refined. The result is an extraordinary miniature. When you place it in its historical context and display it alongside the best models of the time, in the mid-1930s, you understand the admiration of the pioneers of collecting for this model.
By placing it alongside other miniatures reproducing cars also designed with a focus on achieving a good aerodynamic coefficient, such as the Märklin Tailfin, the Dinky Toys Chrysler Airflow, or the Tootsietoys La Salle coupé, one can see that the AR is truly superior.
It’s an extraordinary toy, whether or not it’s equipped with a wind-up mechanism. The model has a sheet metal chassis.
The engraving of the side vents and the markings on the spare wheel are exceptionally fine.
Finally, the added chrome grille demonstrates how AR wanted to stand out and offer a truly unique object.
The high price hindered its widespread distribution. I like to imagine what a wonderful gift it must have been for the lucky recipients!
modèle en vente cette semaine : AR – Peugeot 402 fuseau Sochaux
We have one example for sale, as well as two other, more modest but equally interesting, AR models.
The Peugeot 301 utility series reminds me of the GM Tootsietoys cars produced in the 1930s.
Same design and same materials: a chassis with a molded hood common to the entire series, combined with a different body, and lead as the material.
This week’s milk truck version is particularly charming. AR produced several versions, distinguished by the number of different milk cans found in the cargo area.
modèle en vente cette semaine : AR – Peugeot 301 camion laitier
The upholsterer’s box, also included in the program, is considerably rarer. It’s an aesthetic triumph. Its rarity can be explained by the greater difficulty in producing this openwork box. One can imagine the significant amount of deburring required. It’s a very beautiful piece.
modèle en vente cette semaine : AR – Peugeot 301 tapissière
rhodialite, the change of everything
The evolution of how toy collectors approach collecting is interesting. I remember how, in the 1980s, Dinky Toys enthusiasts became aware of the significance of the boxes containing the models.
Once again, this trend divided the collecting world. I often observed how difficult it was for collectors to accept that others collected differently, with different criteria.
Everyone believes they possess the truth. The idea that packaging mattered, therefore, took hold and became the norm.
Among Norev collectors, about twenty years ago, a current of demanding, perfectionist collectors emerged, striving to go as far as possible.
The guiding principle was to acquire models in a condition as close as possible to that found in the store, and this meant finding models still bearing the “Rhodialite” label attached. In the early years of production, Norev affixed a label to its miniatures, known to collectors as “Rhodialite.”
This label informed the consumer of the material used. It was a way to convince the buyer of the product’s quality: the miniature they held in their hands wasn’t molded from cheap, low-grade plastic, but from “Rhodialite.”
This made all the difference and was meant to reassure the buyer that they were in the presence of a little gem from the Lyon chemical industry. In the retail world, this type of label is often a sign of a quality product.
Following this logic, some collectors have limited their purchases to models still bearing this label. One can only imagine the level of discernment they possess. This week, we thought of them!
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Citroën 2cv commerciale Teppaz 16
We have a few complete examples with their original labels.
You rarely see the Citroën 2CV commercial van with this label. It’s attached to the rear pillar. You might be tempted to tear it off… My father did it once!
The same goes for the Beaulieu. It’s attached under the front bumper! You’d have to be a model from unsold stock to find it still attached.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Simca Beaulieu 20
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Chrysler New Yorker avec bateau Rocca 92
We also have a fairly common Saviem SC10 Parisian bus with Michelin advertising. This model is from the early production run. It’s a successful model that can be displayed alongside the Somua OP5 bus, also in the colors of the Parisian transport authority, from Minialuxe.
They share the same 1/43 scale. The latter, fragile around the bumpers, gave me quite a bit of trouble forty years ago.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Minialuxe – Somua OP5 bus parisien
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Saviem SC10U bus ville de Lyon Michelin 98
Finally, we have a model from the beginning of production: the red Citroën 15hp police car. I appreciate its unusual color and very particular shade. Finding one in good condition, without any damage, complete, and with its box indicating the correct color is a challenge.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Citroën 15 Six Police 15
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Citroën 15 six familiale 3
plastic beauty
Let’s hit the roads of Europe with this beautiful Scania 76 flatbed truck with a tarpaulin cover, “Europa Tour 63.”
I appreciate this model for its aesthetic appeal and harmonious color scheme. Orange was chosen by Scania in those years as a unifying color for the entire range.
It’s “the” Scania color. You can see this just by looking at a shop window full of Scania Tekno trucks. The combination with the yellow tarpaulin is an aesthetic success. The “Europa Tour 63” markings were designed for an advertising campaign carried out on European roads to promote the qualities of this truck.
Its presence is a real plus. The surplus ordered by Scania from Tekno was distributed to toy stores.
It’s a beautiful product, a beautiful toy, robust, just like the truck itself.
Modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Scania 76 ridelles bâché Europa Tour 63 450
Let’s continue our journey. On the agenda, we also have a few other industrial vehicles designed on the other side of the world.
The Morris First Aid Vehicle from Micro Models (Australia) is interesting for several reasons. Its design is what’s striking. Morris, an English manufacturer, combined a recognizable European-style cab with a pickup truck bed featuring two side-mounted ladders, an American design. It’s original and well-executed. This Micro Models product is an original contemporary with the brand’s early productions.
Later, in the 1970s, two different entrepreneurs took over production. This toy is of high quality. It easily met the standards in force in Europe at the time.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Micro Models – Commer camion de pompier premier secours GB:13
I won’t make the same comment about the Colombian Chico Toys. We’ve arrived in South America. This model was designed using tooling purchased from Vilmer, Denmark!
The color combination of the cab and sideboards is original, let’s say unexpected. The appeal of this model lies in its distant, exotic origin and its connection to Europe.
The example offered is in excellent condition, without any issues with the metalwork, unlike what is often seen with this manufacturer. Its reasonable price is a plus, as is the inclusion of the box.
It would look perfect displayed in a showcase, next to the Vilmer.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Chico Toys – Volvo N88 ridelles rabatales
Let’s finish this world tour in France. We have two charming Berliet Stradair brewery trucks.
The first was produced at FJ. It’s painted in the colors of the American soda Coca-Cola. A curious detail: its production coincided with the color change decreed by the Atlanta-based company.
FJ Brasseur Stradair Coca Cola Collection AutoJaune extrait du blog Lettre au père Noel à lire ICI
FJ Brasseur Stradair Coca Cola Collection AutoJaune extrait du blog Lettre au père Noel à lire ici
Logically, this Berliet Stradair should have been red and white, the colors the Atlanta manufacturer had just adopted in the mid-1960s (see the Dinky Toys Bedford TK). Curiously, FJ produced his Stradair in orange, the color of this company’s vehicles before the change described above.
modèle en vente cette semaine : FJ – Berliet Stradair brasseur Coca Cola
The second model is a Berliet Stradair from Champion. This French manufacturer had acquired the molds from FJ.
This Kanterbräu version is well-executed and convincing. The French manufacturer Berliet enjoyed some commercial success with this revolutionary truck among brewers.
However, it also experienced a number of technical setbacks with its revolutionary suspension. Champion’s execution is commendable. The presence of the Kanterbräu drawbar in the center of the body is a nice touch.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Champion – Berliet Stradair brasseur Kanterbraü
My favorites are these three vehicles made by my British friend Geoff Goodson.
My favorites are these three vehicles created by my British friend, Geoff Goodson.
Thanks to his father, he has been immersed in the world of model collecting since childhood.
He knew and visited the Modelisme shop in Paris. A French speaker, he has driven nothing but Peugeot station wagons since the early 1960s.
A devoted reader of the model magazine, Geoff drew inspiration from the conversions of Claude Thivilliers, based on the industrial models of the time, primarily Dinky Toys, and photographed in the magazine.
A few years ago, he created a small series of Aston Martin DB5 shooting brakes using Dinky Toys reissues made in China.
It was a great commercial success. He put a few examples up for sale in the shop, all of which went to top collectors. He then created a station wagon version of the Ford Galaxie, readily correcting and modifying his models throughout his small production run. He uses original photographs.
Thus, the two Ford Galaxie police cars, one American and one Canadian, offered this week, inspired by those created by Claude Thibivilliers in “French” colors, actually exist.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Goodson:Dinky Toys – Ford Galaxie police US 1402
modèle en vente cette semaine : Goodson:Dinky Toys – Ford Galaxie police canadienne 1402
I saw the period photos. The enthusiast quickly grasped the nostalgic nod to the series of four American cars from Liverpool that appeared in the early 1960s, two of which were also produced as Canadian police cars.
Geoff maintains the original spirit of the toy in his creations; these aren’t scale models but rather models made in the style of Dinky Toys.
That’s where the appeal and charm of these passionately crafted products lie.
The third miniature offered today is quite interesting. While doing some research, Geoff discovered that the Ford Galaxie produced by Dinky Toys was slightly inaccurate.
With supporting documentation, this model should have had a two-tone finish with a vinyl-style roof. The engraving on the rear roof pillars confirms this. This model is a Ford Galaxie LTD. Nevertheless, Geoff has made several of them. There’s one left!
Take advantage of it.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Goodson:Dinky Toys – Ford Galaxie LTD 1402
Never short of ideas, he’s just finished an extraordinary project. He asked me for the plans for the tanker designed by Dinky Toys to be coupled to the Berliet GBO Saharan truck and built three trailers. A monumental undertaking. Unfortunately, all three have already been pre-sold. I can’t wait to see what his next projects are.
Vincent Espinasse
also on sale this week
