By magic!

…of the gift my first cousin had given me in the mid-seventies. He had learned that my father and I were starting to collect miniatures, and he had given us the few Rami cars he had carefully kept until then. The rustic construction went well with the cars they reproduced: jalopies. I thought of that again when I saw the Marne taxi from Rami, on the menu this week. There was one in the small lot offered.

The first of these models date back to 1958 and conform to the manufacturing standards of the time: no glazing, no suspension. I think it was the “artillery” type rims, in golden yellow, that struck me the most. Although unrealistic, the color matched the whole finished in red and black. Two details stood out: the horn and the two attached lanterns. These models, which were intended for an older clientele, let’s say adults, who were interested in the history of the automobile, were a real success to the point of creating a real market. Manufacturers who slipped in gifts to better sell their laundry detergent, coffee, cooking oil and I forget some, will be interested in these models from the beginning of the century and offer them as a bonus with their products.

Everything then accelerated with the arrival of the Italian firms Dugu (1961) and Rio (1962) and their talented model makers. The arrival of these two firms was a shock in the world of collectors and specialist magazines. Real models within everyone’s reach. Italy has a long history with talented model makers. Michel Conti, one of the first, made a whole generation of Modélisme readers dream with his creations. Seeing these Dugu next to the three Rami on sale this week, I really remembered that time. With the help of the Modelisme store, Champion magazine published an article every month reporting the latest developments in car modeling. About a Dugu, the journalist raved about the details, was enthusiastic about the fidelity of the lines, complimented the opening parts. He seemed to run out of adjectives in front of the beauty of the object. As it was necessary to find a fault, the latter explained that it lay in the fact that the wheels had difficulty turning.

We are with this type of product in the field of the model and the excess of detail could have harmed this function. This week we have three sublime Dugu including the one that opened the series, the rare Bernardi which was the first Italian automobile. I let you admire the photos. Magical isn’t it? Appreciate the reproduced transmission chain and the treatment of the rims. It is also the treatment of the latter which classifies at first glance this type of miniature.

Look at those of the Rolls Royce and the Duesenberg also on sale, then those that equip one of the last Ramis, also on the program, the Mieusset. They have been refined compared to those that equipped the first models. Rami had understood that the latter had a capital importance in the appearance of the scale model. To conclude, I will add a point in relation to the journalist of the Champion magazine. These very detailed Dugu models are fragile. Their conservation requires the presence of the box. They must be handled by the base to preserve them over time. On this side, the Ramis do not fear much and can be handled without fear. But few are those who have thought to keep the original cardboard. It is much rarer than the miniature.

Reproducing motorcycles at 1/43 has always been a headache for toy manufacturers. How do you balance an object on its two wheels, reduced to this size? By what magic trick? Because it takes a lot of ingenuity, inventiveness, to find a solution. The most radical, simplest, and most used solution was to free oneself from this scale and reproduce them at a larger scale (1/32). At this scale, reproducing a stand is much simpler. This was the case for Norev, which, to fill its police boxes, produced BMW motorcycles at 1/32. The box with the Peugeot 504, reduced to 1/43, offered this week immerses us in the world of toys where the mixture of reproduction scales contributes to the charm of the product.

Another solution is to equip the motorcycle with a sidecar, the third wheel helping to stabilize the whole thing. This is what Tekno, Vilmer, Matchbox, Dalia have chosen. We have a very nice set this week. The Matchbox is of simple and successful design.

Tri-Ang, has designed through its Spot-On brand, a magical and unique universe. All the elements that bear the Spot On signature are reduced to 1/42. Unique. The accessories will also share this scale. Toy manufacturers have often offered service stations and gas pumps, but they have never taken the plunge and offered a church, a pub, a second-hand shop or a school, to animate and give life to their products. Tri Ang is surely inspired by the railway world. Kibri, a German firm offered many elements to animate train networks. The Spot On buildings are impressive. They are made of rubber and finely decorated with stencils. Tri-Ang subcontracted their manufacture to Young and Fogg Rubber Co. Ltd, in which it had taken shares. We have two of them this week in their original box.

C-I-J, Siku and Tekno have also reproduced some buildings: fire station, garage and warehouse. Very classic shapes and without the intention of constituting a set like Spot On. We also have this week a charming service station from C-I-J. Its strong point is its small size and therefore its ability to easily slip into a window. This is not the least of the qualities. I also appreciate its treatment and its stencil finish. A success that immerses us in the world of sheet metal and plaster and flour models at 1/43-1/50. The presence of the box is also a plus.

Vincent Espinasse