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Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week, from tomorrow, Monday, March 2nd, 2026, until Thursday, March 5th, 2026, on our website. AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION
en vente cette semaine: Dinky Toys Poch – Peugeot 204 510 – Mebetoys – Fiat 1500 Vigili del Fuoco A21 – Mebetoys – Fiat 124 S Taxi de Milan A43 – Dinky Toys France – Renault 4 postes 561
I remember...
…miniature collectors who, forty years ago, loudly proclaimed, so everyone could hear, that they collected the models themselves, not the boxes that came with them.
They were mocking these “new” collectors for whom the box was important.
They refused to acknowledge this newly emerged phenomenon.
It’s a fairly common trait among miniature collectors to believe they possess the truth and refuse to accept that others simply have a different perspective.
Newcomers, responding to a trend that originated in Great Britain, were willing to pay a premium for the coveted packaging.
Over the years, this premium became increasingly substantial.
At the risk of surprising new collectors, I remember a time when there was no price difference between a model with or without a box.
That seems hard to imagine today. I can even confess that on several occasions customers have left the boxes of the models they had purchased at the shop, not wanting to be burdened with them.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Morris 850 Mini 75
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Saviem SG2 fourgon 132
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Peugeot 404 coupé 71
I thought back to that time when I saw the empty Norev boxes.
I should clarify one more thing. Forty years ago, while collectors readily accepted the price premium for a Dinky Toy with its box, they were more reluctant to accept it for a C-I-J.
Norev, on the other hand, wasn’t even concerned about this issue. How times change, how things evolve. I think it’s worthwhile to examine this selection process.
At that time, only miniatures trading at a certain price level benefited from the added value associated with having a box. There was a form of discrimination against certain brands, primarily those that produced plastic models.
Once C-I-J and then Norev found their audience, their value and collectors’ expectations naturally evolved.
I thought it was important to explain this, because nowadays no one finds it surprising that a basic Norev model sells for more than a basic Dinky Toy.
I admit I never would have imagined putting empty Norev boxes with black and yellow bases up for sale. I would have kept them until I found the models.
This week we have empty boxes in very good condition for a Citroën DS19 convertible, a Renault Estafette electric van, a Peugeot 404 coupé, a Morris 850, and a few others. Very interesting models.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Citroën DS 19 cabriolet 88
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Peugeot J7 car 25
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Monteverdi 375L 18
modèle en vente cette semaine : Norev – Renault Estafette ELECTRIQUE 94
Norev models were produced in large quantities and in a wide variety of colors.
Many collectors own the models described above, in six, eight, or even ten different color variations. But do they all have a box? It has to be said, finding an empty Norev box is quite a feat.
Besides these seven empty boxes, we also have some beautiful empty Corgi Toys boxes, including a fragile and spectacular boxed version of the Lincoln Continental.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Lincoln Continental 292
The sheer size of this miniature, with its long base, its garish, slightly vulgar bronze and black color scheme, the American flags affixed to the stand, and of course the silhouette of the White House against the cardboard background, leads me to believe that the current occupant of the White House would surely have been quite pleased with this billionaire’s miniature.
Furthermore, the model was equipped with a television… a toy one, but the child could insert a few colored laminated pictures, evoking the image of a television program.
For your information, this rare piece of cardboard is still in the box.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Ferrari 156 F1 154
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Oldsmobile 88 county sheriff 237
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Bedford 10cwt ambulance militaire 414
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 300
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – De Tomaso Mangusta 271
happy moments
This weekly newsletter writing task has the power to revive my memories.
It’s said that certain smells, most often associated with happy moments, remain etched in our memory for life.
For me, it seems that certain color harmonies have the same power.
This is what happens with the splendid Scania 76 Gulf tanker semi-trailer. Enthusiasts recognized a very early version, with a 76 cab, without interior fittings, finished in a violet-blue and orange. The violet shade is distinctive.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Scania 76 tracteur semi remorque citerne Gulf 447
I found this truck in Marseille, in the middle of summer, in Xavier de Vaublanc’s very first shop, not far from Cours Lieutaud.
Its striking beauty hasn’t aged a day. This version is hard to find, especially in this condition.
It’s possible that my attachment to this tanker truck is linked to the exploits of the Ford GT40 and then the Porsche 917 in the late sixties.
One detail hasn’t escaped your notice. The tanker’s purplish-blue color is nothing like that of the racing cars described earlier, which were pale blue and orange.
You should know that at the beginning of the tanker truck’s racing adventure in 1967, the Ford GT40 Gulf entered was painted navy blue and orange, like the tanker truck described above. Then, Gulf’s management decided that the color wasn’t striking enough and opted for the light blue color of Wilshire, Gulf’s Californian subsidiary. We know the rest of the story. Tanker trucks and service stations remained faithful to the splendid blue-violet and orange color scheme.
The semi-trailer tanker trucks produced by Tekno enjoyed a long run, remaining in the catalog for over fifteen years.
No other model manufacturer kept a tanker truck, also common to Volvo and Scania tractors, in its catalog for so long. They perfectly encapsulate the evolution of the oil companies’ branding during this period.
On the Gulf version offered, white is very limited, consisting of a thin line separating the blue and orange.
Over the years, the white color would gain more surface area…and the semi-trailer would lose some of its appeal. In the 1950s, Esso trucks were painted red.
As an example, we have a superb Viberti from Mercury for sale, dating from the mid-1950s. It is solid red. Only the background, on which the Esso lettering appears, is white.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mercury – Viberti BC5 citerne Petrolcaltex 96
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mercury – Viberti BC5 citerne Shell 96
The Volvo semi-trailer from Tekno, also featured, marks a significant evolution. The white stripe, which on the first production model was thin and positioned on the sides of the trailer, was widened and, most importantly, was now positioned on the tank. This version is rare and very attractive. Later, in the mid-1960s, the color scheme was completely reversed: an all-white tank with a red stripe down the middle.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Volvo N88 Titan tracteur semi citerne Esso 434
The version in BP colours, also programmed, is at the very beginning of production.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Volvo N88 Titan semi citerne BP 434
The model shares with the small Somua tanker truck produced by C-I-J, the solid green color and yellow stripes.
The presence of the flanged wheels and the Volvo logo applied in sheet metal are details that the Tekno enthusiast appreciates.
However, you may have in mind the version of this truck produced in the mid-sixties. The tanker is predominantly white, like that of the Dinky Toys Unic Estérel Air BP. No oil tanker escaped this rule.
One could also consider the Saviem JL20 Mobil programmed. White covers the tanker in a trapezoidal shape. The first trucks bearing the Mobil logo, like the Dinky Toys Foden MK2, were entirely painted red.
modèle en vente cette semaine : C.I.J. – Saviem JL20 tracteur semi remorque citerne Mobil 4-70
This week we also have several trucks sporting Shell colors. The splendid Berliet from C-I-J and the Viberti from Mercury, seen earlier, share the beautiful color scheme: red for the cab and yellow for the tank. This design would continue. Then it would evolve in the early sixties.
modèle en vente cette semaine : C.I.J. – Berliet GLR citerne Shell 3-23
Yellow is becoming the dominant color.
We have an example with the rare Saviem JM240 equipped with its single-bar grille. This model has everything going for it: its rarity and its aesthetic appeal. I would add its excellent condition and its Europarc box. (See the blog post about the Shell station in Briare and its Saviem)
modèle en vente cette semaine : C.I.J. – Saviem JM240 semi citerne Shell 4-69
Later, following the trend described above, Shell also introduced white on its tankers. The Solido Daf truck from the Tonergam series is a good example.
The mystery of the Volvo Express solved
I like to learn about the origins and history of the vehicles I reproduce.
It helps me better understand the model.
For a long time, Volvo Express trucks intrigued me.
The reason was simple: I had never seen one. The day before a trade fair in Gothenburg, more than thirty years ago, at my friend Gunnar’s house, I had the pleasant surprise of discovering a book—in Swedish, admittedly, but lavishly illustrated—dedicated entirely to the history of Volvo trucks. There was no internet back then. One chapter was devoted to the Volvo Express. I remember very well a large black and white photograph of a refrigerated van version identical to the one Tekno produced.
I was delighted to see that the Danish company had based its work on an existing model. Naturally, I bought the book.
I thought about it again when I saw the three beautiful examples for sale.
The undecorated blue version deserves some explanation. For export, Tekno, like some VW Kombi models, chose not to include the decals. Was this a cost-saving measure or at the request of importers, given that Danish companies are unknown outside their country? I don’t have an answer.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Volvo Express fourgon 457
The three decorated versions (we have two for sale this week, the Dansk Dybfrost and the Muus) are also available for export without decoration. It’s interesting to compare them with the others.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Volvo Express fourgon tôlé Muus 457
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Volvo Express fourgon Dansk Dybfrost 457
I quickly found information and photos for this Citroën 2CV Wegenwacht.
Many evocative photos exist. I particularly like the one where the road maintenance workers, impeccably dressed in their uniforms, pose next to their rickety vans.
When Dinky Toys produced this version of their 2CV van, the model was already outdated: no windows, no interior fittings… a very basic model.
Yet, I appreciate this model.
The version offered here is the rarest. It’s from the end of production. It was a success, and the importer placed several orders.
This is reflected in variations in decals, wheel types, and even boxes, the last and rarest of which are printed with the Meccano-Tri-Ang logo… like the one offered here.
This final variant is truly interesting. It features painted aluminum rims and Dunlop nylon tires. Finally, it is decorated with a rectangular paper decal. A piece for collectors of rare models.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Dinky Toys France – Citroën 2cv fourgonnette Wegenwacht 562H
My favorite is the two Renault Estafette models from C-I-J.
Only C-I-J thought to reproduce this model, which enjoyed considerable commercial success for nearly 20 years. The C-I-J version is 1/43 scale and made of diecast metal. The one produced by Eria is 1/50 scale. Norev also released a nice model, in plastic. However, I find the Briare model superior.
modèle en vente cette semaine : C.I.J. – Renault Estafette bicolore 3-90
I appreciate the sliding doors and the opening tailgate and rear doors.
The two-tone version, less common than the single-color one, is splendid.
The minicar version also has its charm. Its interior design is a success.
Over time, I’ve come to appreciate the panel van version more.
The model was available in three basic colors: ivory, blue, and brick. Each of these three colors was also offered in a two-tone finish…you get the idea, you need six!
The one shown here is perhaps the least common. Note that this model was available with three different types of transmission.
modèle en vente cette semaine : C.I.J. – Renault Estafette microcar Hostellerie du cheval blanc 3-92
also on sale this week
