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Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week, from tomorrow, Monday, April 6, 2026, until Thursday, April 9, 2026, on our website. AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION
en vente cette semaine: Norev – Citroën DS21 158 – Tekno – Volkswagen pick up Tekno 410 – Tekno – Volkswagen Kombi JyllandsPosten 410 – Dinky Toys GB – Auto Lady Penelope Fab1
Preamble
Dear customers and readers, this week marked a significant milestone in the AutoJaune universe: the retirement of my father, Vincent Espinasse. Auto Jaune Paris is ceasing operations after forty-two years of dedicated service and passion for the world of model cars.
Vincent’s passion remains undiminished, and I wish him every success in his retirement and hope he can pursue his many projects.
My brother, Adrien, and I will enthusiastically continue our other ventures, mindful of the importance of the cultural legacy passed down by our father.
The store on Rue Cavendish will remain open and will be dedicated solely to Adrien’s Auto Jaune Junior business, offering discounted model cars.
As for me, as I have since the creation of the AutoJauneCollection website, I will continue my online business selling high-quality model cars from the other side of the Alps, where my father will soon be joining me.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that, starting April 1, 2026, due to the separation of inventory, accounting, and administrative management, and above all, to guarantee you the best possible service, it will no longer be possible to pick up your AutoJauneCollection orders at the shop, nor to pay for them by check.
I hope to help keep your passion for collecting alive. As usual, I look forward to seeing you from Monday evening to Thursday evening at 10:00 PM on my AutoJauneCollection website.
Sincerely,
Pénélope Espinasse
I remember...
…of Jeffrey Levitt, made famous by a financial scandal that caused a major stir in Great Britain in the mid-1990s when his antique toy company, Mint and Boxed, went bankrupt.
It was an English Dinky Toy collector living in Geneva, François Tissay, a friend of my father, who put us in touch in the 1980s.
Jeffrey Levitt worked as a dealer and sold at toy fairs. He was active, resourceful, and had a good head for business. He had sent us lists, and his wife, who spoke French, had called us several times to sell us some Foden and Guy trucks.
Then, one day, he appeared under the “Mint and Boxed” banner, living the high life and driving a Rolls Royce.
The pumpkin had turned into a carriage.
Everyone was talking about him; he was the center of attention. He had convinced bankers of the merits of the idea that antique toys could be a high-yield investment.
A lot of bluster and lies. In a short time, the discreet and reserved dealer had transformed into an ambitious entrepreneur with dubious methods.
Everyone knows how it ended. Badly.
Several collectors and a bank lost a lot of money.
I thought of this when I saw the splendid Taylor and Barrett trolleybus for sale, as it was the only piece I ever had the opportunity to buy from “Mint and Boxed.”
modèle en vente cette semaine : Taylor and Barret – Trolleybus deux étages Use Dominion Petrol 819
Everything was pure luxury; the catalogs were sumptuous, and the prices astronomical.
When I saw this marvelous toy, with its rare box, advertised in the beautiful color catalog, I decided to break the bank.
A collector always manages to find arguments to convince themselves of the merits of buying an expensive model. I remember taking advantage of the Windsor toy fair to go and get it from the splendid London shop. It was the only time I ever went there; he very quickly abandoned diecast. He must have convinced investors that the returns were far superior with tin toys.
I particularly like reproductions of public transport vehicles.
This Taylor & Barrett trolleybus is majestic. When it was released, in the mid-1930s, manufacturers used tinplate to reproduce this type of product at this scale.
I’m thinking of the Tri-Ang Minic brand. It was the first time in the history of model making that a metal trolleybus (in this case, lead) was reproduced at this scale, approximately 1/50.
To truly appreciate it, you should place it next to the Dinky Toys AEC or the small double-decker produced by Jo Hill Co. at 1/87 scale, all from the same period. These two, quite attractive in themselves, seem rather small next to the Taylor and Barrett.
It’s clear that it was the flagship model in this manufacturer’s catalog.
The manufacturer benefited from considerable experience in producing figurines and horse-drawn carriages.
The accompanying box reflects the vehicle itself. It conveys to the buyer the toy’s quality and thus justifies its high price. Naturally, this model was only distributed in luxury shops.
The example offered here is special. It’s worth noting that two versions exist. The first version was only distributed in Great Britain. Its color is dark, and the flag is highlighted in silver.
The second version, like the model offered this week, is from a later period. It is finished in a beautiful light red, and the flag is light gray. The advertisements differ from those of the first version. Finally, and importantly, it comes in a different box, with a color illustration bearing the name of the importer in the United States. This second version was only produced after the war for the United States.
a leap through time
Let’s stay in this country with this splendid Ford Model A, which appears to have been produced by Barclay.
One thing is certain: it was distributed through Ford dealerships.
modèle en vente cette semaine: Barclay – Ford A berline
I own a copy with its Ford-themed box, similar to the one produced by Tootsietoys, also for promotional purposes (see the blog “Barclay Ford A”).
I remember finding my first copy in Denmark! At first, I even thought it might have been made in Scandinavia. It’s a beautiful product, and you can see that the manufacturer must have put some effort into the engraving to satisfy the Dearborn company.
Tootsietoys et Barclay Ford A en étuis individuels Collection AutoJaune
One last American model, also for sale this week, deserves your full attention.
We’ve jumped back in time to the mid-sixties.
It’s also a Ford, but a utility vehicle. I like this one for several reasons.
The first is its rarity. It was originally built for the American car rental company U-Haul (see the blog “Into the Wall”).
Tootsietoys made in Hong Kong U-Haul Collection AutoJaune extait du blog Dans le Mur à LIRE ICI
This company is an institution across the Atlantic. The beautiful illustration on the cardboard packaging speaks for itself. It depicts a dynamic American family with young children and a house in the background. The family poses in front of the house they are leaving or moving into. In this country, crossing the country to find a new job is not a problem. Moving is part of everyday life for many American citizens.
The promotional packaging is the second advantage of this toy.
The third is that it is attractive and perfectly captures the American road landscape of the 1960s: a cab-over-engine truck with a “boxy” chrome-plated steel bed.
Finally, there is a fourth reason: its manufacturing. This deserves some explanation. It is a product outsourced abroad, to Hong Kong to be precise. We are in the 1960s, and the idea of producing at a lower cost abroad had already taken root in the minds of American entrepreneurs. Tootsietoys, a prime example of extreme profitability, has already taken the plunge and had this promotional toy manufactured in Asia instead of in its Chicago factory.
Now you know that this unusual vehicle has a unique story. Leave it in its packaging. The packaging speaks for itself.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tootsietoys – Ford fourgon tôlé U Haul
Let's cross the Atlantic.
This is perfect timing, as we have two beautiful ocean liners produced by Tri-Ang.
I recently fell under the spell of these objects. Initially, their small size had deterred me from acquiring them.
Then, as sometimes happens with certain objects, time worked its magic. We don’t really know why; often it only takes a little something. You pick it up, and at a certain point, your gaze is drawn to it, and something clicks.
I think it was the presence of the box, and especially the object’s perfect state of preservation, that triggered it. Without falling into the trap of obsessive collecting, which would involve seeking out every variation, having a few ocean liners with their boxes, among other contemporary objects related to Great Britain, seems like a good idea.
In this way, we can recreate a world in the display cases with diverse objects symbolizing a country or an era. I recently acquired a batch of Tri-Ang ocean liners and kept a few for myself.
We are offering two beautiful, complete examples, with their accessories and original boxes. Their reasonable price is also a significant advantage.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tri Ang Minic – bateau R.M.S Sylvania M710
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tri Ang Minic – bateau R.M.S Canberra A715
Following this same line of thought, a few months ago I had the opportunity to buy a figurine of Queen Elizabeth II, immortalized on horseback, from a collection in Great Britain. It was made in 1953 by Timpo Toys when she ascended the throne.
How could I resist this figurine?
The illustration on the box lid is wonderful. The blue-backed case containing the precious reproduction of the Queen riding sidesaddle is superb. I decided to keep it, and, as with the ocean liners described earlier, to place it among my contemporary Timpo Toys and Chad Valley miniatures.
As luck would have it, the very next day, at a vintage toy fair, I found a second one. I thought it would surely appeal to another collector. Again, the reasonable price was an irresistible invitation to buy it.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Timpo Toys – personnage Elisabeth II reine d’Angleterre à cheval
Let’s stay in Great Britain, with this Lockheed bomber from Palitoys, made of plastic and equipped with its two red propellers.
This post-war toy reproduces a twin-engine aircraft originally designed as a bomber and converted after the war to transport passengers.
This is quite different from the items described above.
It’s a cheap toy. But finding it new, with its propellers and two paper roundels, is a real treat. I really like airplanes from this period; they allow you to recreate airfield scenes in your display case.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Palitoys – Lockeed bombardier bimoteur
Look 50 years younger!
Let’s go back to France. Seeing the few Citroën I-J models scheduled for this week makes me feel fifty years younger.
These models kept my father and me busy. We were among the first collectors to appreciate Citroën I-J and actively seek them out.
I remember the established collectors watching us with curiosity. They understood they were witnessing a shift.
I saw the same phenomenon with the arrival of Norev enthusiasts in the 2000s, and later, Majorette and Hot Wheels collectors. Today, I see the arrival of Pokémon, press series models, and Dinky Toys Atlas at vintage toy fairs.
Even if I don’t share their interest in these products, I enjoy seeing these new enthusiasts at the fairs.
A few weeks ago, at Sandown Park, I met a group of five young people from Asia who had come to buy Hot Wheels.
I almost envied their youth, and I was indeed transported back fifty years to 1978, to the Marseille stock exchange, near the Vélodrome stadium. It was one of the first major events my father and I attended.
But we hadn’t found any C-I-J watches as rare as those featured this week.
They all share the common characteristic of having been made from the spare parts inventory of JRD, an unfortunate competitor. In the early 1960s, the American group Johnson, specializing in cleaning products, acquired the French group Jex, also involved in this sector, which included JRD.
The American multinational retained only the companies directly related to its core business and decided to close JRD. The very strong ties between the two entities meant that the Montreuil-based firm naturally approached C-I-J to sell off its spare parts inventory.
The three models offered this week come from this chapter of history.
Looking at them, it’s clear the operation was small-scale and carried out with limited resources.
The Weitz crane, assembled and painted by C-I-J, is rare.
It perfectly illustrates the points made earlier. The Briare-based company even acquired JRD boxes. These models were therefore distributed in JRD cases, with C-I-J simply printing a label with its reference number and the model name. C-I-J also took advantage of a surplus of decals from its “Loire Sandpit” set to apply one to the left side.
Only one; the remaining copies had to be counted.
Note that the stock of bodies was greater than that of zamac wheels.
The last examples will receive C-I-J plastic wheels.
Finally, the model receives an additional element compared to the JRD version: a sheet metal bucket, also from the set described above.
modèle en vente cette semaine : C.I.J. – Berliet grue mobile Weitz sablières de la Loire 3-84
The second model, the Berliet Gas garbage truck, was painted in the same color combination as the one produced by JRD.
Connoisseurs will have noticed that the shade is lighter and, more importantly, that it still features the original C-I-J plastic rims in red or pink.
modèle en vente cette semaine : C.I.J. – Berliet Gak benne à ordures 4-81
The third model offered this week is rare.
C-I-J cleverly released a postal version of the Citroën 2CV van, inspired by the recently released Dinky Toys.
On this model, the Briare-based company created a blue plastic decal applied to the sheet metal chassis, clumsily obscuring the JRD inscription.
This was undoubtedly intended to clearly indicate to the buyer that they were holding a genuine C-I-J model. Like the Weitz crane, this model, also produced in small quantities, was distributed in a JRD box adorned with a small typewritten label.
Given the rarity of these two pieces, one can imagine that the stock of recovered crates was low enough to discourage the Briare company from creating a separate box.
modèle en vente cette semaine : C.I.J. – Citroën 2cv’61 fourgonnette postes 3-61
My favorite is this Ford Mustang from Corgi Toys
More specifically, regarding the wheels it’s fitted with.
I’d never seen this variant before, as the model always comes with spoked zamac wheels.
All four wheels are identical. It’s possible the model was assembled when these wheels were out of stock… the urgency of fulfilling an order could explain why they couldn’t wait for a restock.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Corgi Toys – Ford Mustang 2+2 320
This is one hypothesis that could explain this kind of rare variant.
It’s also possible that this is a model created at the very beginning of production, before the wire wheels were delivered, forcing Swansea to use its existing stock of rims.
This is a model that raises questions. What is certain is that it’s a rare variant.
also on sale this week
