#471 MATCHBOX - CONNECTABLES (Part 1) (1989)

I was never attracted to this plastic cars. I have seen them many times from the 90s on, but until a few months ago, I never bought any. They are a nice concept, quite revolutionary at its time. These cars and vehicles can be splitted in 2 or three parts, and later recombined forming strange hybrids. The line was quite successful in many European countries, and even today, they are easy to find for very
little money.

These cars are completely made of plastic, and the only thing in common with the die-cast Matchbox are the wheels. Since the concept is quite different, these cars were sold in blister packs and bigger boxes. Those blister packs included in most cases a three-part vehicle and a two-part vehicle, or the boxes included 5 vehicles or even 12, if you were lucky enough to get the “big” box.

The catalogue from 1989 shows fifteen vehicles: 6 of them are formed of 3 parts each, the other 9 of two parts each.

Matchbox Catalogue 1990

Matchbox Catalogue 1991

Matchbox Catalogue 1991

Some incomplete vehicles I have

The next year, the Connectables line was expanded notably, with the release of new boxes (although with the same contents), some extra features (like the 5-part long themed vehicles or the Motorized Connectables), new alternative lines (like the Micro Connectables and the Convoy Connectables), some extra bigger vehicle/playsets, like the Truck Transporter, the Connectables Copter, the Connectables Mini Playsets or the extender sets.

These “extenders” are some kind of bars that allowed to connect several vehicles in parallel, creating very strange forms. At some point they were included in the blister packs as a bonus. I was experimenting myself with two bars I own, and I created two vehicles. The bars have some pegs to which we could attach different plastic accessories, but unfortunately, I don’t have any of these.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Name: Connectables
• Scale of the cars: 1:64 aprox. (cars), 1:100 (tucks)
• Year: 1989 - 1993
• Company: Matchbox (Great Britain)
• Size: approx. 7 cm (2-part vehicles)

#470 TRANSFORMERS – MICROMASTERS SPORTS CAR PATROL and RACE CAR PATROL (1989)

These two patrols are among the most common and therefore are not very expensive and not very difficult to find. I have already talked several times about Micromasters, so this entry will simply present the characters and that’s it.

SPORTS CAR PATROL

• Faction: Autobots
• Subgroup: Micromasters
• Function: Reconnaissance
• Motto: "In confusion to there is opportunity."
• Bio: The self-described "tiny terrors of the turnpikes." This frantic foursome's primary role is to reconnaissance battle sites before the Autobots' big guns arrive. Fast and fearless. Don't mind mixing it up with any early arriving Decepticons. A vital component in the Autobot ranks. Adept at using their superior maneuverability to harass the enemy.
• Tech Specs for the Race Car Patrol:

• Strength: 5
• Intelligence: 9
• Speed: 5
• Endurance: 7
• Team Work: 8
• Courage: 8
• Firepower: 9
• Skill: 5

FREE WHEELER (Yellow - Lamborghini Countach)

• Motto: "Avoid the potholes on the road of life"

ROADHANDLER (Red - Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am)

• Motto: "Unwary warriors soon become wrecks"

SWINDLER (Grey - DeLorean DMC-12)

• Motto: "Burn rubber, not energon"

TAILSPIN (Blue – Porsche 962)

• Motto: "Put the pedal to the metal"

RACE CAR PATROL

• Faction: Decepticons
• Subgroup: Micromasters
• Function: Advance Assault
• Motto: "It takes force to push back the enemy, but speed clears the way!"
• Bio: Detour, Hyperdrive, Blackjack, and Road Hugger are four of the meanest machines ever to hit the streets! Their primary purpose is to clear a route for Decepticon ground troopers, and they don't care how many wrecks they leave by the roadside! Known for their menacing clean-up tactics, it is "speed" that is their true calling card, and it enables them to swiftly eliminate anything in their path!
• Tech Specs for Air Strike Patrol:

• Strength: 8
• Intelligence: 7
• Speed: 9
• Endurance: 7
• Team Work: 7
• Courage: 8
• Firepower: 6
• Skill: 6

BLACKJACK (Black – Ford Probe)

• Motto: "The road to victory is paved with Autobot wrecks!"

DETOUR (Yellow – Chevrolet Corvette Indy)

• Motto: "To flee before overwhelming odds is no vice; to stay and be smashed is not virtue!"

HYPERDRIVE (Light Blue – Plymouth X2S)

• Motto: "Whenever I drive, the highway becomes a demolition derby!"

ROAD HUGGER (Purple – Ferrari 408)

• Motto: "Only cowards stop at red lights!"

 

 

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: MICROMASTERS RACE CAR PATROL and SPORTS CAR PATROL
• Toy Line: TRANSFORMERS (G1)
• Year: 1989
• Company: Hasbro (U.S.A.) / Takara (Japan)
• Size of the figures: Around 5 cm

#469 CEFA - NUEVO COLT 45 AUTOMÁTICO (Around 1965)

There is no indication at all of which company manufactured this plastic pistol. The toy is not marked, and neither is the box. There are two sellers in todocoleccion, who have this same toy boxed, and they argue, the pistol was made by Cefa (CElulosa FAbril from Zaragoza). They might be right, although I want to register my doubts towards this atribution. It was made in Spain in any case, and it has enough quality to be a product of Cefa, although it is somehow strange that Cefa didn´t marked the pistol.

No matter which company made it, the pistol is very nice, has many details in its cast that make it look almost real, and the handle is even made in a different colour. I think there are some toy firearm collectors out there who might be interested in such a model. The pistol actually "works" and can shoot plastic bullets. In the package there were many included, but none has survived until today.

The pistol was presumably made in the mid-60s, as I can deduce from the age of its owner and also the style of the box: simple, colorful, in Spanish only. The box should have a cardboard inlay, so the pistol is fixed inside the box, and do not move. The lower part of the box is plain white.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: NUEVO COLT 45 AUTOMÁTICO
• Year: Around 1965
• Company: Cefa (Spain)
• Size: Approx. 17 cm

#468 BBURAGO - DODGE VIPER RT/10 and GTS COUPÉ (1997 and 1998)

These are three models of Dodge Viper, one of them cabrio made by Bburago in 1:43 scale. These were manufactured in the mid 90s, and in my opinion, the casts are slightly better than those of older models from the 80s. They have many plastic parts, but these are especially well used, as the windshield on the cabrio version or the air intakes.

 

Another good point are the stripe stickers, that are identical to those that the original car had. This model was manufactured in several colours, and these are a nice example of it.

The Cabrio versión is the RT/10 from 1997 with reference number 4105

The red model is a GTS Coupé from 1998 with reference number 4140. The blue one is the same model (although with a different refernce number -4115-), but a later release (note that the wheels are different). 

 

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: DODGE VIPER RT/10 (4105) and GTS COUPÉ (4140 red and 4115 blue)
• Scale: 1:43
• Year: 1997 and 1998
• Company: Bburago (Italy)
• Size: approx. 9 cm

#467 CHIQUIVAL – CHIQUI-MOTORISTA y CHIQUI-ESQUIADOR (Ref. 571 and 574) (1981)

 

Chiquival was a try to build a rather simple plastic figure in the Playmobil style. The figure by Guisval is approximately half of the size of the Geobra figure. In the Spanish market there were also other figures in this style, but all of them were in the Playmobil size of bigger, like Airgamboys, Cefa-Boys (the Spanish license of the German Play-BIG) or the Coman-boys by Comansi.

In the second picture, you can see the Price of the boxes: 95 pesetas (0,57 Eur). Each of these boxes included a figure with some headwear (in other references, also accessories), a vehicle and a Guisval Catalogue from 1981.

 The figure was patented in 1980, and the patent was granted in 1981. Here are two pictures taken from the original document. As in other “kubrick-style” figure series, what’s important is the concept of the toy, not the accuracy of the models.

The chiquival toyline had many sub-series, all of them with a name starting with “chiqui”, in this case, I am presenting the Chiquicerillas, which gives the idea of a "matchbox toy" (cerillas = matches). Each box includes some kind of vehicle (mostly die-cast) and an articulated plastic figure with some kind of accessory. Most cars are just imaginary models, or toonified real models. Many have big interiors to host the figure. "Chiquicerillas" was the first line to be developed and sold, later there would come many other subseries, like:

• “Chiquis-Junior” (figure + 3’’ vehicle: train, truck, car, plane) – this line were colorful and less detailed vehicles, intended for younger children.
• “Chiquis” (figure + 3’’ vehicle: plane, fire-truck, ambulance, formula 1, oldtimer, Jeep, Boat, Vespa… ) – The “classic” line, with new packages (blister pack, jewel case) instead of the matchbox.
•  “Chiquis Super-Junior” (2 figures + 2 3’’ vehicles) from the “Chiquis” line
• “Chiquival Senior” (figure + 5’’ vehicle: truck, Jeep, Ambulance, Van, Rally car) – Some vehicles are “recycled” from other lines like Escorpión.
• “Chiqui-coches” (2 figures + big vehicle: truck or Jeep) – these vehicles were new designs for the Chiquival line. There were some references that included some plastic roads to form a little city and play with your figures.
• “Chiquitren” was a electric train including train-station, several figures and tracks. There were at least two references, one including only train engine and one coach, and another one with train engine, two coaches and a more tracks. “Chiquitren” could be combined with the “Chiqui-coches”. Forming a larger city with both train tracks and roads.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: CHIQUI-MOTORISTA y CHIQUI-ESQUIADOR (Ref. 571 and 574)
• Toy Line: Chiquival
• Year: 1981
• Company: Guisval (Spain)
• Size of the figures: Approx. 4,5 cm

#466 MERCURY SPEEDY VELOX – FERRARI P5 (Ref. 915) (Around 1971)

In other occasions we have talked about Mercury, the history of the company as well as other interesting facts can be read in my previous entries.

The following information has been mostly retrieved from breithaupts.com, and a wonderful article written by Craig Mueller.

This entry is devoted to the 1:66 scale / 3 inches toy cars made by Mercury. Mercury is most known for their 1:43 line, but they also had smaller scale cars from the late 60s on. The story goes like that of many other companies: Matchbox, HotWheels and all the other major companies were releasing toy cars in this scale, for example, Politoys launched the “Penny” line. Mercury (also in Italy) simply followed with “Speedy”.

A list of all Speedy references:

801 Porsche Carrera 6
802 Chaparral 2F
803 Ferrari 330 P4
804 Ford GT 40
805 Lamborghini Marzal
806 Ferrari 250LM
807 OSI Silver Fox
808 Alfa Romeo 33
809 Alfa Romeo Montreal Bertone*
810 Dino Pininfarina
811 Lamborghini Miura Bertone*
812 Matra Jet 5*
813 Ford Mustang*
814 Lola T 70 GT*
815 Ferrari P5
816 Sigma GP Car
817 Lotus Europa
818 Mercedes Benz C111
??? Porsche 917**

* These models are unknown to-date. Three of them appeared in the catalogue, but maybe were never mass produced, the other two didn’t even appear in that catalogue, were only referenced.
** Not numbered

Later additions to the 800 series:

870 Fiat Van (no rear windows)
871 Fiat Van (Ambulance, with rear windows and siren)
872 Fiat Van (with rear windows)
873 Fiat Van (higher roof)

Apparently, Dr. Force seems to list also these references as part of the series:

850 Covered Wagon
851 Stagecoach

In the same size, there were also some references of Formula 1 models. At least five references, based on the same cast, but with different colours.

1201 GP Jarama
1202 GP Monte Carlo
1203 GP Zeltweg
1204 GP Hockenheim
1205 GP Zandvoort

These early models had a reference number starting with 801 (to 818) and rubber tyres, which is somehow rare for car models in this scale. At some point, the series changed its name from “Speedy” to “Speedy Velox”, and the rubber tyres disappeared to be replaced by plastic tyres, just like the rest of the companies, and following the trend started by Hot Wheels. These wheels (both with rubber or plastic tyres) also had very detailed hubcaps, up to four different types depending on the car.
The new “Speedy Velox” were models made out of the same casts than the 800 series, only they were numbered with 900s. The box lists:

901 Porsche Carrera 6
902 Chaparral 2F
903 Ferrari 330 P4
904 Ford GT 40
906 Ferrari 250LM
908 Alfa Romeo 33
910 Dino Pininfarina
915 Ferrari P5

Some of this series were also sold under the brand “Mercury import Märklin”, and under other brands (resellers) like “Micro Mites” (World Toy House) or “Majorette Mini Cars” (Physio-Chem). These distributed cars from many different countries, like Majorette, Lonestar or Budgie.

Speedy models were sold in cardboard boxes with windows (either red or blue), plastic boxes, or even blister cards. There were also some cars available as keyrings, and some were used as promotional giveaways from Elf in France.

Some of this models have some similarities to other models made by Penny or early Guisval.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: FERRARI P5 Pininfarina  (Nr. 915)
• Scale: 1:66
• Year: Around 1971
• Company: Mercury - Speedy Velox (Italy)
• Size: approx. 10 cm

#465 HORROR PETS - STINKA (1994)

 

Another miniature pocket-set, but this time it´s not a Bluebird´s Mighty Max one, but something different. When I first spotted it, I though it might be a MM bootleg, since the plastic case is less detailed and far worse painted.

 

Inside I found a fly, which I wasn´t sure if it could actually belong to the set, but I took the risk because both the case and the fly were marked Mattel 1994.

 

 

At home I found it belongs to the Horror Pets, a collection of small pullback-motorized animals. To make them more "attractive" (or should I say more expensive?) they were sold inside of those cases. The cases are clearly influenced by Mighty Max, as I said before, so Mattel probably decided to release its own take-away toy for boys. The theme is also similar, remember that MM playsets were based on monsters and creatures, in this case insects and other little disgusting animals.

 

 

 

The fly has a quite powerful pullback motor. This motor makes the fly really fast, and because of its low weight, it turns randomly, as a real fly would do. The insect is made of soft plastic and is very well detailed, (wings, head...) The shell doesn´t really match, since it is some kind of poorly painted alien-egg.

 

 

The collection was quite a flop (very simple toy, and probably very expensive) and it remains quite unknown. Not many resources on the internet about this, but I have been looking for pictures, and there was at least two different types of toys: the "Insectoids" are the pullback insecccts in their shells, but there were also "Monsters", actually the same type of toy, only much bigger (roughly the size of an adult hand) and with more attractive features, like movable jaws or light on eyes.

 

In another blog I found a cardback showing other Horror Pets (Insectoid) models:

 

Taken from http://x-entertainment.com/updates/2011/10/25/mattels-horror-pets/comment-page-3/

 

You can also see the french commercial here: http://www.ina.fr/video/PUB3774457004

 

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: STINKA (Insectoid)
• Toy Line: Horror Pets
• Year: 1994
• Company: Mattel (U.S.A.)
• Size of the playset: Around 8 cm long
• Size of the figures: 4 cm

#464 NOMURA – SPACE ROCKET SOLAR X (1966)

This rocket toy is quite a famous one. It was produced in Japan by Nomura a few years before the first moon landing, in 1966.

The rocket is made of lithographed tin with some plastic parts, and contains some electronics inside. The bottom part of the rocket contains a compartment for one battery, that runs a bump-and-go motor, flashing lights (in the nose cone and the afterburner), siren and also some kind of “foot” or lever that rises the rocket as if it was about to take off. The wings also extend or fold depending on if its moving or taking off.

This interesting mechanism has made the Nomura rocket a very sought-after toy. One of these working and in good condition can go over 300 or 400 US$, especially if it comes with the box.

Unfortunately many used models can be found with a broken mechanism or rust in some parts of its body. Batteries in the 60s and the 70s were not as good as they are now, and if they were forgotten inside of toys, they might end up exploding and releasing corrosive acid that would destroy tin. In the toy you see here there is a small defect on the lower part of the toy.

My model is only missing a small black plastic cap. It was intended to protect the nose cone while in the box.

The model (produced in 1966 or 1968, depending on the source), seem to be inspired by the Thunderbird 1, a rocket that appeared in the TV series “The Thunderbirds” by Gerry Anderson (from 1965). As a matter of fact, the toy was designed with a big number one, but it was pulled out of production because of the copyrighted design of the Thunderbird 1. Then it was produced with numbers 7 (second version) or 8. The version with the “8” is a later version with a new lithography design and a new box. This later model features a NASA logo.

 

Here can be seen some catalogue (1971) images of the Solar-X “8” rocket as well of images of a similar rocket that was equipped with a friction motor instead of an electric one, the Lunar-7.
http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/topic/14756-1971-tulip-head-topolino-robotank-z-mini-robotank-by-nomura/

Here a Nomura catalogue from 1969:
http://danefield.com/alpha/forums/topic/15085-nomura-1969/

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: SOLAR-X “7”
• Year: 1966
• Company: Nomura (Japan)
• Size: Around 45 cm.