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Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week, from tomorrow, Monday, January 12, 2026, until Thursday, January 15, 2026, on our website AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION
en vente cette semaine: Dynam – Abarth 1000 14 – Tekno – Volkswagen Kombi fourgon Philips 413 Tekno – Volkswagen Kombi minibus 410 -Dynam – NSU Prinz IV 13
I remember...
…when I started my professional career in 1984, many collectors had a specific theme: coaches, military vehicles, fire trucks, construction equipment, police vehicles…
I thought of this when I saw this week’s program.
This choice was sometimes linked to their professional activity. I remember, for example, some coach company executives who had amassed significant collections…of coaches.
Collecting is not a gratuitous act, and in this particular case, the collector’s commitment stemmed from their professional commitment. I seem to recall that one of them displayed his treasures in his company’s offices in Seine-et-Marne, so that employees and clients could enjoy them.
In the early 1960s, Philippe Moro, an early collector and enthusiast of miniatures and objects related to public transportation, published a beautiful book dedicated to reproductions of buses, trolleybuses, and coaches.
This is the kind of book that sparks collectors’ imaginations and inspires them to gather these kinds of objects.
The splendid photos and the way Mick Duprat, the book’s co-author, showcased the toys later became a source of inspiration for my blog. It’s a superb book that I recommend to everyone.
This week we have several models featured in this book, which come from the collection of a friend of Philippe Moro.
The theme of public transportation is an invitation to travel, so let’s continue and head to Spain with the Pegaso from Rico. This toy has always thrilled me. I appreciate the design of Spanish toys.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Rico – Pegaso Seida car 710
The equation is simple: how to create something beautiful with limited resources.
Rico found the solution: a body molded from plastic, then skillfully painted and decorated with stencils! The illusion is perfect. It’s very difficult to tell it’s plastic until you actually hold the toy.
The engraving is high quality, and, placed next to the very attractive Daf “Riviera Express” bus from the German manufacturer Siku, featured this week, it compensates for its lack of interior details with meticulous finishing and numerous details highlighted using stencils.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Siku – DAF car Riviera Express V129
The same applies to the other, more modest model, also from Rico and also released this week: the DKW Auto-Union school bus. This German-made vehicle was very common in Spain. The only two toy manufacturers to have included it in their catalogs are Iberian: Rico and Commando. It is reproduced at 1/43 scale and is a real success.
Given its intended use, the Siku DAF “Riviera Express” is also a wonderful invitation to travel. Seeing this superb miniature, one can imagine the luxury in which the passengers must have been transported.
All three models described have an additional, and significant, advantage: the presence of their original boxes. A real plus that could motivate someone whose model is missing one to purchase it.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Rico – DKW F 1000 minibus jardin de la infancia 740
The Commer bus from Corgi Toys is a classic. Its elegant color scheme and meticulous finish make you forget its scale, approximately 1/70. This is a common feature among British manufacturers (Dinky Toys, Chad Valley, Budgie Toys, etc.) when it comes to bus models.
Here again, the attractive, sturdy cardboard box is a bonus.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Commer car Midland Red Motorway 1120
I’ve saved the splendid Hubley GMC school bus for last. Its harmonious colors are truly captivating. I really love this type of bus model with a hood, a “bonnet bus” as the English say.
They reflect a specific era, and toy manufacturers often used a chassis common to their trucks to produce these hooded buses. These buses are medium-sized, well-balanced, and aesthetically pleasing.
Be aware that prior to this American version, there’s a Canadian version produced under the “Real Type” label, even rarer, which is distinguished by the markings and engraving under the chassis.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Hubley – GMC car School bus
footbridges
The tanker truck collection was our first foray into the world of heavy goods vehicles.
It took a lot of imagination to go from racing cars to tankers… yet that’s exactly what we did. Collectors often find ways to break free from certain patterns and well-trodden paths. I know this firsthand.
The Old Car trucks, specifically the OM 90 tankers featured this week, were part of our early collecting journey in the mid-seventies. I still look at them fondly, reflecting on how far we’ve come. The model is very well made. Originally, it was designed for promotional use by Dugu for OM, before the latter’s business was taken over under the Old Car name.
It’s a fine, detailed model. I appreciate its short wheelbase and its equipment. This small tanker suits it perfectly.
The presence of the hose reel and its hose behind the cab is a nice touch. This model served as the basis for numerous variations representing oil companies.
It was the first model in a series, as my father created versions for about a dozen different oil companies.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Old Car – Fiat 90 citerne AGIP
modèle en vente cette semaine : Old Car – Fiat 90 citerne BP
modèle en vente cette semaine : Old Car – Fiat 90 citerne AGIP
Next came the Tekno models…and I had to wait until last December to complete my tanker collection with the acquisition of the Volvo N88 in the colors of the German chemical company Meteor from Mannheim. I wonder, can one ever truly finish a collection?
We imagine there will surely be other versions to discover, not yet listed. Finally, we have another beautiful tanker in the colors of the oil company Esso, from Siku.
One detail hasn’t escaped your notice: the presence of the Esso logo on the grille. This detail helps to identify the model’s origin. Indeed, in Germany, oil companies used to decorate the grilles of their semi-trailer tanker trucks with their logos.
Unfortunately, this practice has faded, which is a shame because it gave the oil companies a distinct identity. Siku will make the effort to repaint several of its trucks with the appropriate oil company logo. That’s what you call attention to detail.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Siku – Henschel tracteur semi citerne Esso Extra Motor oil V47
In Jean Becker’s film “Echappement libre” (Free Escape), Jean-Paul Belmondo is picked up hitchhiking in Germany in a superb Esso MAN semi-trailer truck sporting the Esso logo on the grille… just like the Strüver model from Siku offered this week. A superb product.
The Siku range, first in plastic, then the die-cast series in zamac, up until the mid-seventies, deserves your attention. Together, they form a unique world, one that resonates with me more than many other productions from major manufacturers, despite their global success.
I particularly appreciate the consistent quality of their products. Dinky Toys and Corgi Toys haven’t always delivered on quality, and their offerings are far less cohesive than those of Siku.
Image extrait du film “Echappement libre ” de Jean Becker
enough to occupy a collector's entire life.
Police cars are a far more interesting subject than they might seem. In one of his books, Mr. Nakajima even dedicated a chapter to this topic—a first, I believe.
As you read, the idea emerged that each country had its own specific markings, equipment, and colors, which also varied depending on the era of manufacture. In short, enough to occupy a collector’s entire life.
Saying this, I’m thinking of Mr. Orange, who has assembled an impressive collection of these types of vehicles, including current models. He has also self-published several books.
Children have a special connection with law enforcement vehicles.
My granddaughter, for example, has a certain admiration for the cars of the Italian Carabinieri. This is perfect timing, as we have two beautiful new additions this week: a Romeo van from Politoys and a Fiat 1500 from Mebetoys.
Modèle en vente cette semaine : Politoys – Romeo 2° fourgon polizia 229
Modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Fiat 1500 vigili urbani civetta A15
I appreciate the elegance and harmonious colors of the Fiat 1500 Vigili Urbani.
These models rarely come up for sale, new in their original boxes.
Corgi Toys quickly understood, even before Dinky Toys, the value of producing police cars. The first advantage is, of course, the easy amortization of existing tooling. For the Chevrolet and the Oldsmobile, the addition of a flashing light and an impeccable two-tone finish were enough to transform these road cars into “Sheriff” vehicles.
The antenna on the Chevrolet is a real plus; Corgi Toys clearly understood the value of this accessory. I remember how much I loved it as a child. The Swansea-based company succeeded in offering children sturdy, non-removable antennas that lasted a long time. You had to be a real brute to break them.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Oldsmobile 88 county sheriff 237
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Chevrolet Impala police 481
For the Austin station wagon, Corgi Toys went a step further, creating a police officer figure and, most notably, a dog on a leash. It’s hard to resist the model, especially when it’s brand new in its box. We have these three miniatures planned.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – BMC Mini van tôlé police 448
Corgi Toys also explored another interesting theme: ambulances.
For the Commer 3/4, featured this week, simply adding a flashing light and specific decorations was enough.
For its Cadillac Criterion, Corgi Toys had to create a costly mold necessitated by the electrical components used to power the flashing light. Personally, as a child, I never had any interest in this type of “gadget”: I found its operation unreliable and, above all, ineffective.
I’ve grown up, and my opinion hasn’t changed! The model remains a beautiful miniature, with an exemplary two-tone finish.
This model is fragile, and finding one in the condition shown here is difficult.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Commer 3:4 fourgon ambulance 463
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Cadillac Superior ambulance 437
American miniatures
Let’s stick with reproductions of American miniatures: the Dodge Dart from Rico, the Oldsmobile F85 Cutlass, and the Pontiac Parisienne from Politoys.
These are my favorites. These three miniatures share many common features that make them particularly appealing.
All three are reproduced at approximately 1/43 scale. I’d like to take this opportunity to point out to the sticklers who sometimes criticize my measurements for accuracy that we’re talking about toys, not models.
I understand and respect the idea that the accuracy of the dimensions of the reproduced miniature is an important criterion.
Those for whom this becomes paramount might be better off looking at model kits, designed to meet these kinds of criteria, which will offer them greater satisfaction.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Rico – Dodge Dart 21
For me, whether the car is reproduced in 1/45 or 1/43 scale is of little importance. It’s the overall look that matters. The three miniatures described above are consistent in style. They are also all three made of high-quality plastic. What I find most interesting is that they were designed to diversify the product range of these toy manufacturers. In Spain (Rico) or Italy (Politoys), these cars embody the idea of success.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Politoys – Pontiac Parisienne sport 49
Their extraordinary size must have fueled the dreams of many a child in Barcelona or Naples. I like the idea that these miniatures, belonging to budget ranges, were designed to inspire dreams. It’s important to understand their context. Norev, a major manufacturer of plastic models, was never tempted to reproduce this type of vehicle and stuck to popular models.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Politoys – Oldsmobile F-85 cutlass coupé 50
also on sale this week
