#677 PIATNIK - 200 Km/h CLUB (Nr. 4220) (1973 and 1981)

These are two sets made by Piatnik with the same name and reference. The older one seems to be from around 1973 and the more modern one from 1981. Each year, Piatnik (and other manufacturers) changed each year a few cards to keep the deck modern. There are 24 different cards from one set to the other and 8 years between them, that makes an average of 4 cards/year.

In this case, the topic is "200 Km/h", that is a mixture of race cars, rally cars and also commercial models mixed up together, all of them reaching more than 200 kilometers per hour. The "landscape" format used by Piatnik allows larger photos.

 

1973 Version

 

 

1981 Version 

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: 200 Km/h CLUB (Nr. 4220)
• Year: 1973 and 1981
• Company: Piatnik (Austria)

#676 SCALEXTRIC - SIGMA (Ref. 4047) (1973)

One of the first models I had in my collection, belonged actually to my father or my uncle, and survived several years until I got it in 1990 together with the white Porsche Carrera shown in a previous entry. Other cars, like some old Mercedes didn´t.

The Sigma model was designed by Pininfarina in 1969 over the chassis of a Ferrari 312 V12 (a F1 model). It incorporated several security features. It never raced, because it was not intended to do that, but due to its futuristic design it became very popular in publications or as a toy.

Scalextric´s Sigma was not very accurate. The spoiler it is too high and the car it a bit narrower as the original, but still very impressive. It was available in three colours: yellow, orange and white. I only have the yellow one, twice. The original one described above, and another one boxed I got later. The first I got had no mirrors, so I had to buy repro ones, but the second is was complete.

A typical problem in this car is that the spikes ot the spoiler are very often broken. In the model in the picture these two spikes are broken (see picture above, right). The exhaust pipes are also fragile, since they stand above the body of the car

The car was very interesting for competition because it is very low and very stable in the curves and has long axles, so it is already very fast, doesn´t need much changes to be a winner.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Name: SIGMA (Ref. 4047)
• Scale: 1:32
• Year: 1973
• Company: Scalextric Exin (Spain)
• Size: approx. 14 cm

#675 JURASSIC PARK – VELOCIRAPTOR (JP03) (1993)

The velocirraptor was probably the "star" of the first Jurassic Park movie, the most remarkable dinosaur, and the one with the most impressive scenes, like the ending scene at the visitor's center.

The toy is very nicely casted and it even has an action feature. When pressing the legs to each other, the dinosaur opens the mouth and extends the head forward. This is called, according to Kenner “Dino-Strike Slashing Jaws”.

There were two versions of this dinosaur released by Kenner, a "sonic" one and the "ordinary" version. This dinosaur here is the ordinary version. I do not have the sonic version yet. Note that the tail tip is a bit fragile, sometimes it is broken or chewed.

The same dinosaur was also released in the "The Lost World" series only with a different eye colour (green instead of yellow) and some accesories (a dino-trap).

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: VELOCIRAPTOR (JP03)
• Toy Line: Jurassic Park
• Year: 1993
• Company: Kenner (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: Around 15 cm long

#674 HE-MAN - SPIN FIST HYDRON (1992)

This figure belongs to the last wave of the He-Man toyline an was released in 1992. It belongs to the same series than the He-Man and Skeletor figures shown in entry #601. It is therefore one of the 6 last figures to be released in the 90s, and also one of the most difficult ones to find, specially if complete with its two accesories, and in good shape. We know that this series has especially fragile articulations, and sometimes legs are a bit loose.

 

 

 

In this figure the right arm is quite heavy because it is also its "action feature", a giant claw, quite heavy, that can be turned and twisted from the shoulder. It is quite fun to grab another figure by its waist and twist it like an helicopter's rotor. Because of this fact, the right arm in this figure is always a bit loose, except maybe in MOC'd ones.

 

 

The price of this figure can reach up to 60-80 US$, and even more carded. Compared to the other figures in this collection, it is a very high price.

 

 

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: SPIN FIST HYDRON (Nr. 5788)
• Toy Line: He-Man (also New Adventures of He-Man) (Wave 4)
• Year: 1992
• Company: Mattel (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: 14 cm

#673 KIDCO - DEMOLITION CARS (1983)

This Kidco car is the original model in which the cars in the previous entry are based, so this is some kind of continuation of what I wrote 2 days ago.

 

This type toy is known as "Key Car", because you can insert that plastic key in the rear part of the car and by pressing it, the car will run off at quite a high speed. This is achieved by means of a spring. Another quality detail is that Kidco made several different key models. Not every key is valid/do fit for/in every car.

 

 

The model looks a little like a Dodge monaco, although the front plastic car is different. I think this was added to protect the car from the many crashes that it would have during playtime, or to optimize the crash feature: When the car crashes with enough speed, the bonnet will fly out revealing the simulated motor of the car.

 

 

The car has been decorated according to this feature, since it is some kind of stunt car, in yellow marked "Demo". There are other versions in red of this same toy, as you can see in Matchbox's catalogue from 1984.

 

 

 

And finally the comparison of this Matchbox car with Kidco license and the Globetoys car: almost identical, except for the siren, the exhaust pipes behind the front wheels, the bonnet feature, the tampographies and the different key. The Globetoys model came without a keychain, which is a great detail and something that makes the Burnin' Key Cars really difficult to get complete.

 

 

 

You can read moreabout Kidco, and see this Demolition Car and other in catalogue images in old entry #25.

 

 

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: DEMOLITION CARS
• Scale: Approx. 1:64
• Year: 1983
• Company: Kidco (U.S.A.)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#672 GLOBETOYS – SPEED CARS (1983)

MONTH OF THE BOOTLEG AND THE KNOCK-OFF AT TOYS FROM THE PAST!

Globetoys is a small Spanish brand for toys from the mid 80s. I recently discovered that it is in fact a subsidiary company of Guisval and it started in 1983. From my childhood I remember having a few toys made by this company. But why a second, new brand for Guisval, when they already were very renowned and famous in Spain? The only reason that cames to my mind, is that Globetoys offered many models that were copies of other foreign toys, and maybe Guisval wanted to protect their brand in case of trouble. This toy cars here are a good example of what I am talking about. As you may have noticed, these cars are a copy of Kidco´s / Matchbox´s Burnin´Key Cars (see next entry #673).

Globetoys made this key car in three colours (white, yellow, red) and six references (101 to 106: ambulance and sheriff in white, police and rally champion in yellow and firefighter and racing pilot in red). Each model had different decals according to its reference. They were simply marked “Globetoys – Made in Spain” in the base.

Some time later (maybe 2-3 years later), Globetoys added the blue model, but by that time, Speedcars came without decals.

Note that the sirens can be either red or yellow, depending on the colour of the body.

In the next entry you can compare Globetoys model with the original Kidco model in which the design is based. The Kidco model is more elaborated and has a slightly more detailed cast. The bonnet of the Kidco Model is also removable, but not Globetoy´s.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: SPEEDCARS
• Scale: Approx. 1:64
• Year: 1983
• Company: Globetoys (Spain)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#671 IMPERIAL CHINA – MUDSLINGER and SWINDLER (Around 1997)

MONTH OF THE BOOTLEG AND THE KNOCK-OFF AT TOYS FROM THE PAST!

Imperial China is the only text that can be read in these figures. I guess they were made by the late 90s in very short batches, because I haven’t seen much and on the internet there are no resources on them.

The only I know is that there are several micromasters knock-offs but the colours may differ a bit from the originals, and they are even smaller, maybe 20% smaller. They are even smaller than the smallest transformers ever released by Hasbro or Takara, so, all in all, nice collector pieces.

My two robots are Mudslinger (Off-Road Patrol) and Swindler (Race Car Patrol), although there are also some jets from the Air Strike Patrol and other cars from the Race Car Patrol. Some can be seen in this page: http://www.builtstlouis.net/tf/mmkos/imperial.html

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: MUDSLINGER and SWINDLER
• Toy Line: IMPERIAL CHINA
• Year: Around 1997
• Company: Imperial China (China)
• Size of the figures: 2 to 2.5 cm

#670 METALBOX - DATSUN 126x (Around 1976)

MONTH OF THE BOOTLEG AND THE KNOCK-OFF AT TOYS FROM THE PAST!

This car is quite a mistery. I found it in a flea market and bought it in a lot together with very old cars, most of them were from the 70s.

The car represents the Datsun 126x, which became popular in the 70s and was reproduced by Matchbox (in 1973) or other toy companies, like Payá.

Compared to the Matchbox model, this model is slightly smaller: according to the inscription on the base, it is made in 1:70 scale. Both have a practicable bonnet (rear part).

The complete inscription on the base is:
DATSUN 126x
280 Km/h
MODELL 1:70

But there are no indications of country of origin or manufacturer. I have found pictures of this car on the internet, and I have observed, that there are at least two types of wheels. This one is the most elaborated one, since it has grey hubcaps. The simpler type is completely black.
Also interesting are the stickers used with the car, that resemble a little bit the German flag.

I would say this toy was made in Hong-Kong. At the time, these kind of toys were made and bootlegged there. The fact that on the base says "Modell" and not "model", and the speed is given in Km/h, made me thought that it was intended for the German market (or that maybe it was an order from a German toy manufacturer for the German market). However, I have seen this same car for sale in South America, North America and other European countries, so I guess, it is impossible to know today the exact origin of this model.

If you have any information, please leave a comment. Thanks!

My friend Steve sent me an email telling me this is an hungarian model made by Metalbox. I'll try to update this entry soon with new information.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: DATSUN 126x
• Scale: 1:70
• Year: Around 1976
• Company: Unknown Manufacturer (probably Hong-Kong) Metalbox (Hungary)
  
• Size: approx. 5 cm

#669 MC TOY – LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH and FERRARI 250 GTO MINI (Around 1990)

MC Toy is a brand that copied and knocked off (not sure if this verb exists) many famous collections. I recently learnt that MC Toy made the Forest Families, which are a pretty obvious knock-off of Sylvanian Families.

In this case, we are going to talk about MC Toy knockoff of Micro Machines. The mini cars, that became popular by the latest 80s, probably came out in 1990. They are slightly larger than genuine Micro Machines, and have a metal body (not plastic). The car is not reproduced accurately, but in the “toon” style of Micro Machines. However, the metallic body, and mostly it’s thermopaint resemble the “Mini Color Racers” by Hot Wheels! (see #281). These are bigger in scale, and were released in 1990.

By that same year, MC Toy had a series of 1:64 models also with thermal paint, so they quickly adapted the idea for their “Micros” (see for example: #582).

UPDATE 1 (May/2017) Ferrari 250 GTO

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH and FERRARI 250 GTO
• Year: Around 1990
• Company: MC Toy (U.S.A./ Macau/ China)
• Size: Around 2,5 cm.
• Scale: Unknown