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Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week, from tomorrow, Monday, January 19, 2026, until Thursday, January 22, 2026, on our website. AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION
en vente cette semaine: Siku – Magirus camion benne à ordures V126 – Micro Models – Standard Vanguard break G-15 – Icis – Fiat 1200 granluce 3 Siku – Krupp DK 801 V208
I remember...
From a trip to Poitiers last autumn.
The city is superb, and Saint-Pierre Cathedral is magnificent. I had the morning for a quick tour of the historic center. The city has done a great job of showcasing its history and ancient buildings. I was impressed by the Palace of the Counts; I appreciated the scenography.
As a child, at school, I learned during history lessons that Poitiers was the place where Charles Martel stopped the Arab troops coming from Spain.
Before this visit, Poitiers was mainly associated with the racing driver Robert Buchet, linked to Porsche and French motorsport in the 1960s and 70s. He owned a garage there.
RD Marmande Porsche Buchet Le Mans 1961 Collection AutoJaune
Mercator Porsche Buchet Le Mans 1961 Collection AutoJaune
I was captivated by his exploits at Le Mans, in rallying, at the wheel of his Porsches, often blue, always decorated with black and white checkerboard patterns and easily identifiable by their license plates bearing the number 86 (Vienna). Later, he would enter RSRs for Claude Ballot Lena and Bob Wollek.
From now on, Poitiers will be associated with a different memory: an attic and a dozen boxes filled with…empty boxes.
I had come to appraise a large, varied, and very dusty collection. The sheer amount of work it represented made me wonder.
All the models were displayed without their boxes, which were stored in the attic: nearly 6,000 miniatures accumulated since the mid-1950s.
The collector had sold some over the years. I remembered it well, because Jean-Bernard Sarthe had given me a few very interesting Tekno trucks from this collection. I knew the collection had evolved, its owner having preferred over the years to replace older models with more faithful, modern reproductions that better met his standards.
It was undoubtedly the contents of the boxes in the attic that convinced me to buy it. The first box I opened contained boxes of miniature toys of Italian origin.
Upon examining its contents, I noticed that many boxes were missing their corresponding models, the owner having given them away over the years without bothering to find the matching boxes. The surplus of empty boxes was therefore a real find.
The attic was in good condition, and the thick cardboard boxes had contributed to the toys’ preservation. For a collector, it’s a pleasure to open these boxes filled with empty containers.
I even discovered some rare boxes, such as those designed for the Dutch chain Hemma in the 1960s. These stores notably distributed C-I-J and Budgie toys in boxes decorated with their logo.
The boxes are a real bonus; they tell us about the toy. In my opinion, they are just as important as the toy itself. Toy manufacturers long delivered to retailers in boxes designed simply to protect the merchandise during transport from the factory to the store. They then realized the commercial advantage of delivering them in high-quality, decorated containers. It was at this point that these containers acquired a strong identity, linking them to the toy itself. The boxes we’re featuring this week come from this very attic.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Edil toys – Ferrari 275GTB ref 9
modèle en vente cette semaine : Edil toys – Iso Grifo Bertone ref 12
Finding an empty Edil Toys box in good condition is quite a feat. This week we found two. They are superb and high-quality, just like the cars they were designed for.
This isn’t the case with the Siku boxes from the plastic series, which date from the beginning of production. The cardboard used at the time wasn’t very rigid. These toys were lightweight and didn’t require strong cardboard, but over time the flimsy cardboard used doesn’t hold up well. Siku boxes from the plastic series are rare. I know this firsthand. It took me a long time to find them all. The Ford Katastrophen box is particularly rare. It dates from the time when Siku abandoned plastic for die-cast models.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Siku – Mercedes D L22 grande échelle pompier V56
modèle en vente cette semaine : Siku – Ford FK fourgon Kastastrophen V215
Italian manufacturers may have been the first to understand the importance of quality packaging. Just look at the care Mebetoys took with its first boxes to see for yourself. We have some beautiful boxes to offer, including a legendary first “white” box for the Fiat 1100R.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Lamborghini Miura A20
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Fiat 1100R A-9
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Iso S4 berline A30
As a Frenchman, I grew up with the Solido red and yellow display-box models. They are of excellent quality, and some are quite rare due to their limited production run.
This is the case with the Ford Mustang rally model, which was also planned and, towards the end of its production run, received this type of box. It’s less spectacular than the boxed version, but it’s much rarer.
It corresponds to the model without the electric dome light. The term “rare” also perfectly applies to the Lamborghhi Miura, which was planned to come in this type of box.
The Opel Manta coupé model didn’t have any variations, but it’s much rarer than the miniature itself.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Ford Mustang rallye 147 bis
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Lamborghini Miura 161
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Opel Manta 188
As I mentioned earlier, the boxes tell us about the variant of the model inside. Let’s take the Dinky Toys Vespa 400 as an example.
“Ordinary,” you might say. However, it’s much more interesting than it appears, and its numbering is what makes it so compelling. It belongs to the second, short-lived series, released when Dinky Toys renumbered its range. Initially, it was designated 24L and contained a blue miniature. Later, it was distributed under number 529.
Most often, the miniature was then painted orange. But you can also find blue models, in a slightly darker shade.
modèle en vente cette semaine :Dinky Toys France – Ford Thunderbird cabriolet 555
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Vespa 400 529
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys GB – Plymouth 178
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Chrysler New Yorker 24A
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Panhard AML 814
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Panhard FL10 827
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – White Half track 822
I’ve saved one of the most beautiful empty boxes offered this week for last. It’s practically a presentation box.
Admit it, without this display case, the Volkswagen 1200 Rallye is rather uninteresting, especially since Corgi Toys hasn’t exactly produced the best VW 1200 model in history. But the presentation box, showcasing it in its element—the East African Safari—is magnificent.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Volkswagen 1200 East African Safari 256
Italian graphic design
If searching for an empty box to complete a model is a hassle, and you’d prefer to find the complete model with its box right away, we have something to satisfy you this week.
We also have the Fiat 1100R, described above, splendid in its red livery with its rare first-type white box.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Fiat 1100R A9
It shares this vibrant color with the Autobianchi Primula, also featured. The latter is equipped with the chrome steel wheels characteristic of early production models. These wheels are superb and date the model. We also have an elegant Alfa Romeo 2600 sedan, also in an early production version, with its chrome zamac wheels and, of course, its black and white illustrated box.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Alfa Romeo 2600 A4
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Autobianchi Primula A5
Less sought after than illustrated boxes, the generously sized display cases from Mebetoys coincided with the arrival of needle axles.
They marked a turning point in the history of miniature car manufacturing and, as such, hold considerable appeal. I didn’t hesitate to keep them in my collection.
They are fragile and immediately identifiable by their printed inscriptions on the cardboard base: “Gran Toros” or “Sputafuoco.” Their manufacturing cost, bulk, and fragility during shipping and storage quickly doomed them.
They struggled to withstand the test of time. The models included—Abarth 3000, De Tomaso Pantera, and Lotus Europa—are superb.
modèle en vente cette semaine: Mebetoys – De Tomaso Pantera 6627
modèle en vente cette semaine: Mebetoys – Abarth 3000 6624
modèle en vente cette semaine: Mebetoys – Lotus Europa Hot Wheels 6618
Italian toy manufacturers have incorporated into their packaging the changes in graphic design codes that began in the mid-1960s. This makes sense, as Italy has always been an innovative country in this field. I appreciate this aspect. These boxes should pique your curiosity. Through the packaging of Italian miniatures, you can trace the evolution of industrial design and the changing colors of the time. It’s as informative as a visit to the Design Museum in Milan.
Musée MUBA – Milan – Décembre 2025
Let’s now head to Turin, to Mercury, a more traditional manufacturer and less cutting-edge than the Milanese manufacturers in this field.
Like any manufacturer that has kept its products in its catalog for a long time, Mercury boxes have seen many variations. The dominant feature of Turin’s production is the illustrated box.
The miniature is shown in a scene. It’s classic.
However, there’s a distinctly Italian touch in the way the models are presented.
This week we have three good examples: Innocenti 950, Bianchina Panorama, and Fiat 1500 Polizia, all reduced to 1/45 scale and dating from the early 1960s.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mercury – Innocenti 950 10
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mercury – Fiat 1300 polizia 35
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mercury – Bianchina Panoramica 11
Then, Mercury began reproducing its models in 1/43 scale, and the packaging evolved. The models themselves became heavier.
Gone was the flimsy cardboard of the early series. It was now of better quality and even received a varnish finish. The illustrations then lost some of their naivety in favor of a more realistic, almost stark, aesthetic.
This week’s Fiat 124 perfectly illustrates this point. It’s depicted on a golf course. Later, the requirement imposed by the competition to allow the model to be seen through the box forced the Turin-based company to add an opening on one side.
The Ranger and the Fiat 124 featured here are good examples. These boxes are fragile.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mercury – Fiat 128 berline 22
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mercury – Ferves Ranger 21
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mercury – Fiat 124 46
My favorite are these miniatures from Tekno.
It’s hard to remain unmoved by a black Volvo 121 Amazon or a green Saab 96. I appreciate two details.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Volvo Amazon 121 810
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Saab 96 827
The treatment of the headlight lenses, and, more subtly, that of the windshield, either clear or tinted blue.
Added to the superb wheels and the quality of the paintwork, it’s easy to see why these miniatures made such an impression on those lucky enough to have played with them.
One last detail. On these early production models, Tekno even painted the bumpers and grilles. Later, they would be made of raw zamac, like those of the Volvo 121 station wagon, which was also part of the lineup. Its unusual gray paint job suits it well.
modèle en vente cette semaine :Tekno – Volvo 121 break 830
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Lincoln Continental 829
also on sale this week
