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Discover a selection of models that will be on sale this week, from tomorrow, Monday, June 15, 2026, until Thursday, June 18, 2026, on our website. AUTOJAUNE COLLECTION
en vente cette semaine: Teknox – Ford Taunus fourgon Philips 419 – Mebetoys – Maserati 3,5L Frua A10 – Mebetoys – Porsche 912 A12- Jane Francis – Garage garage Gulf avec deux véhicules
I remember...
…of the Ford Taunus Dunlop.
This model symbolizes the shift our collection underwent shortly after the mid-1970s. Initially, our search focused on reproductions of racing and record-breaking cars.
During that period, I don’t recall ever looking at anything other than these types of miniatures in shop windows or on the stalls of vendors at the Saint-Ouen flea market. It must be said that there was a lot to do, and we were starting from scratch.
As often happens with collectors, when finds became scarcer, we began to look at other products.
In the 1970s, advertising was beginning to gain recognition. “Advertising” was entering the museum. Some poster artists, like Savignac, were now well-known and recognized by the general public.
It was in this context that we turned to advertising model cars. We initially limited our search to advertisements related to the automotive world.
That’s how the Ford Taunus van from Tekno, in Dunlop livery, like the one featured this week, became one of our first acquisitions of this type. It features a design by Savignac reproduced on the van’s sides. We were captivated by the piece: the color combination, the quality of its construction, and its decoration.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Ford Taunus fourgon Dunlop 419
Following the same logic, we also looked for tanker trucks from the same manufacturer.
Since the dawn of the automotive industry, oil companies have used advertising to entice motorists.
I remember that Mr. Sherpereel understood our interest in the Danish brand and, on the same day, offered us the Scania Vabis 76 tanker trucks, both the “Ora” and “Scania Vabis” models, in orange and khaki, like the one we’re featuring this week.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Scania 75 semi remorque citerne Scania Vabis 447
The Scania Vabis tanker from Tekno is surely the version that best expresses the quality of Danish production.
Its hood and boxy cab exude robustness. The considerable weight of the whole unit in hand further convinces the buyer that they are in the presence of an exceptional object. The orange and khaki color scheme initially surprised me.
It’s quite unusual.
Later, I learned that it was the color harmony chosen by Scania for the launch of this truck range that made the manufacturer’s reputation. (see blog “Scania Conquers Europe”) Tekno enthusiasts can build a collection of Scania 75, 76, and 110 models decorated with this color combination: sideboard, panel van, flatbed, curtain-sided truck, beam semi-trailer, and tanker.
I was impressed by the orange-painted rims.
More than twenty years would pass before I discovered this other version, red and white, also for sale, of the Scania tanker semi-trailer.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Scania 76 semi remorque citerne Scania Vabis 447
It’s much rarer.
I acquired it from someone who had worked at Scania France. (See the blog post “A Pleasant Surprise”) It was lying around in the offices, along with other models he had given me. It’s a non-commercial version. However, as sometimes happens with Tekno, some were surely distributed commercially. The color scheme is very well done.
Also on the program is the cement plant version with its red-colored tanks.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Tekno – Scania 76 porteur avec cuves ciment Scania Vabis 453
You can also combine several color schemes in a shop window; the visual impact is guaranteed. Scania has the image of a manufacturer of quality trucks. By turning to Tekno to reproduce its vehicles, they made the right choice (see the blog “Kings of Concrete”).
Impressive work
I remember my few encounters with Claude Thivilliers.
It took Dinky Toys collectors some time to make the connection between this man, who joined the Meccano design office in the mid-sixties, and the Elégance brand he created shortly after leaving Meccano.
In between, he had a stint at Rami, which was planning a relaunch with a line dedicated to sports cars. He only had time to create a Lamborghini Countach, which never saw the light of day.
He had joined Dinky Toys as a prototype maker. He explained to me that he had acquired a skill that was unique in Europe at the time, working for an American manufacturer of plastic model kits.
He was able to create scale models from the design office’s plans, starting with sheets of expanded polystyrene that he knew how to shape.
Impressive work.
Model manufacturers preferred to detect any potential design flaws before the molds were made, as correcting them once engraved proved costly.
Dinky Toys France was impressed by Mr. Thibivilliers’ application and hired him immediately. We still have several of his creations, true masterpieces that demonstrate the extent of his talent.
He explained to me that he had thus discovered a design error on the Berliet PCM bus. Claude Thibivilliers was a true model enthusiast. This was far from the case for most members of the design office. The majority of industrial designers were hired straight out of school. Meccano was a good calling card, allowing them to then move on to other companies with better salaries. Mr. Malherbe and others thus cut their teeth at Dinky Toys.
Claude Thibivilliers’ path was different. He loved automobiles.
If you browse through the pages of Modelisme magazine, you’ll find numerous photos of his work spanning several years of the magazine’s publication.
It was therefore no surprise to see him remain in the world of model cars after his voluntary departure from Meccano. Initially, he carried out numerous modifications on Solido models from the Golden Age series. The work was meticulous, the paint jobs superb. I remember the very high prices of his creations, which sold quickly. Then he moved on to mold design, producing a whole series of Cadillacs. This week we have two splendid examples.
modèle en vente cette semaine: Elegance – Cadillac serie 75 1950
modèle en vente cette semaine: Elegance – Cadillac serie 62 cabriolet 1951 118
They are made of resin. The craftsmanship is impeccable.
These models have found their way into collections all over the world and rarely come up for sale.
Furthermore, several models from the legendary “My Collection” series are scheduled for sale this week.
They take their name from a Swiss magazine that appeared in the mid-1970s…contemporary with the beginning of our adventure. The author, Michel Sordet, set himself the goal of creating an encyclopedia of model cars based on his extensive collection. A courageous undertaking. This magazine accompanied us at the start of our journey.
I enjoyed browsing its pages, and they opened up new perspectives for me.
A collector needs resources to progress in their collection.
In parallel, as part of an ambitious project, he also commissioned a series of miniatures. Very quickly, the choice of models made by his brother-in-law, Carlo Brianza, focused on French-made cars, primarily pre-war models. At the very beginning, he called upon the Swiss model maker Manuel Schmidt. There will even be Porsches and a Solido Renault 4L van bearing the magazine’s name. All of that is a distant memory. The magazine will cease publication after a few years, but the series of high-quality special models will continue.
The models will become increasingly sophisticated and detailed. Perhaps too much so… The glue Carlo Brianza used for a time had trouble holding up over time. Prices will skyrocket.
Moreover, the prices of these models were set in Swiss francs, and the conversion was unfavorable for the many foreign buyers. It retains an image of high-end, elitist series. We have two Peugeot 601s this week. The prices have become very reasonable.
Now, these beautiful models are within reach of many collectors.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Ma Collection – Peugeot 601 D coach profilé 1935 43
modèle en vente cette semaine : Ma Collection – Peugeot 601 DL 1935 10
marketing efforts
This week we have three Mebetoys models reproduced at 1/24 scale.
In over 42 years in business, I’ve never had this type of product for sale.
It’s been about twenty years since collectors started taking an interest in this line, mainly in Italy. Logically, that’s where they were primarily distributed.
Some miniature enthusiasts are looking for something they knew as children.
This type of product is at its most appealing when it’s in perfect condition. The presentation box is an integral part of the object.
When it was created, its designers made a significant marketing effort.
The miniature is mounted on a polystyrene base decorated with a sticker, and the whole thing is slipped into a cardboard sleeve where the model is shown in a photograph with its opening parts, giving the buyer the impression that they are in the presence of a sophisticated model.
In reality, it’s much easier for a manufacturer to offer a detailed model with opening parts at 1/24 scale than at 1/43. Mebetoys understands this well.
The three versions offered for sale are uncommon for a simple reason: they are variations based on models from their catalog.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Porsche 911 avec skis 8590
The connection to the 1/43 scale model series is evident.
The Porsche receives original winter equipment, the Lancia an Alitalia livery very popular in the mid-seventies among rally drivers (as seen on the Stratos), and finally the Fiat 131 is equipped for long-distance rallying.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Lancia Beta Coupé Alitalia 8616
This one is rare.
It features an advertisement for a Mattel product, the owner of Mebetoys, which enjoyed its heyday in those years: “Big Jim,” the male counterpart to the Barbie doll, also owned by Mattel. There’s a nostalgic following for these products, and it has been for a very long time. Think outside the box.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Mebetoys – Fiat 131 BIG JIM Safari 8594
My favorite is the two Citroën Ami 6 models from Solido.
I remember very well that even in the mid-seventies, the station wagon version was difficult to find.
It was a real obstacle for those of us who aimed to collect one example of each model in the 100 series.
Decades have passed, but its rarity remains. This proves that this model, based on the sedan and quickly abandoned, was not a success despite its many qualities, as it is, in my opinion, the best reproduction.
Solido was right not to make the hood open. Its very particular shape requires a great deal of work, considerable skill from the design team, and consequently, a high production cost. The hood made by Dinky Toys is not a success. Only JRD mastered the subject; their miniature is also reproduced at a scale slightly larger than 1/43.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Citroën Ami 6 break 141
The two superb versions of the Solido Ami 6 seem isolated in the catalog amidst the sports and racing cars. It seems to me that the production of these sedans confirmed for Mr. de Vazeilles that his choice to primarily offer sports and racing cars was the right one!
In fact, it would be almost 10 years before a sedan appeared again in the 100 series…a Citroën GS.
modèle en vente cette semaine : Solido – Citroën Ami 6 berline 114
also on sale this week
