#20 CORGI vs. JOAL – PORSCHE CARRERA 6 (1967 and 1971)

 

These two cars may look exactly the same, but they are very different. One of them was manufactured by the worldwide well-known British company Corgi Toys. The other one was made a few years later by the Spanish company Joal.

 

Joal is a very popular brand in Spain with more than 50 years of history. Nowadays they only produce trucks and agricultural and public works fields vehicles, but in the 60s, 70s and even the 80s, the produced many other types of die-cast models, and other metallic toys, like guns or sewing machines.

 

Joal Catalogue from 1971. Pic courtesy of Juan Pedro (El Kiosko de Akela) - Note that some models are similar to other models from Matchbox, Corgi or Mebetoys (See blog entry #5)

Joal made its own moulds from Corgi or Matchbox models, and shared them with other Spanish companies like Pilen or even the Italian Mebetoys.

 

Here’s a picture of the real model. To my opinion, the mould of these toys is a perfect reproduction.

 

If you are the author of this picture, and you don’t want it to be displayed here, please contact me.

 

Just in case you’re still asking yourself which one is which… the one with the number 60 is the Corgi model, and the one with the number 88 is the one made by Joal. The most notable difference is in the interior. Corgi model has a driver, while Joal model doesn’t. Other minor details are the white stripe over the cockpit or the bonnet, that cannot be fully opened in the Spanish made model.

 

 

Another interesting difference is the color of the bonnet glass: Corgi made it orange, while Joal decided to make it blue. The quality of the stickers is a little bit higher in the British model and the diamond-headlights were glued with a better glue… note that the car on the left is missing its two rear lights.

 

The bottoms of the cars are also very similar: Corgi model displays the Porsche crest, while Joal displays their own crest (MINIATURAS JOAL). This model had the series number 111. Strange enough, is that the “Made in Spain” is displayed nowhere, and that’s quite unusual for the models made in those years.

 

The tyres are also a little bit different.

Even though the Corgi model is slightly better built and better finished, the Joal models are very appealing for the Spanish and also for foreign collectors, because of its rarity. This white/red/blue model was the first one Joal built, but in following years, this same car was released at least in green, and gold versions.

 

Corgi made a second yellow version that looks exactly like the Joal version (blue bonnet, white and red body), with the number 1 or number 60.

 

Both were packaged in carton box, and Joal also sold it in a jewel case too (jewel case for the later models). From the Corgi model were 848.000 units sold.

UPDATE (JAN/2017): I just got another Corgi Carrera 6. Note that the colours are identical to the ones used in the Joal model.

And now, althogether:

 

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Name: PORSCHE CARRERA 6 (Corgi's Nr. 330 / Joal's Nr. 111)
• Scale: 1:43
• Year: 1967-1969 and 1971-?
• Company: Corgi Toys (Great Britain) / Joal (Spain)
• Size: approx. 10 cm