Sunday, May 31, 2015

#551 EKO - SEAT 600 (Around 1960)


Eko is one of the most famous Spanish toy manufacturers outside Spain. Their miniatures in 1:87 (H0) scale were imported to many European countries and probably also to America.
If you want to read the history of this company, we recommend you to visit Rosaspage [dead link]  and read a great article (in Spanish) about the company covering all important aspects.
If you cannot read Spanish, I will make a very short summary to cover the basic aspects.
 
 
In 1956 two cousins named Blasco founded the "Industrias Blasco" in Barcelona. They created toys and complements for children, like H0 dioramas or H0 vehicles. One of the cousins also manufactured and distributed cheap toys, but their followers in the company decided to manufacture a better quality product, and here is where EKO was born. At the beginning the company was a family business, but they made some profit and started growing rapidly. They even moved from Barcelona to Hospitalet de Llobregat, to a more suitable factory. The top number of employees they reached was around 12. Surprising for such a well-known manufacturer.

Their products were still cheap compared with other European brands (Wiking, Roco, Anguplas), and their quality was a bit lower. We would say today that they specialized in the lower-end market. Anguplas would sell their casts to Eko after they disappeared in 1967.
 
 
Their products included many cars, trucks, busses, military vehicles and accesories (people, traffic signs, small buildings...) in H0 scale as well as another series in 1:43 scale, all of them in plastic. They also produced other types of toy goods, like plastic children glasses or children watches.
Some brands used Eko miniatures as promotional give-aways, or incorporated in products of other companies, like Congost, Ibertrén or Electrotrén.

By the beginning of the 80s, the company production became lower and almost disappeared. However, today they still produce toys under the brand "Toyeko" www.toyeko.com
 

FACTS AND FIGURES:
  • Name: SEAT 600
  • Scale: 1:87 (H0)
  • Year: Around 1960
  • Company: Eko (Spain)
  • Size: approx. 3.5 cm

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