#205 PILEN – FORMULA 1s: LOTUS 80, LIGIER JS 11, McLAREN MP28, WOLF WR7 and FERRARI 312 T4 (Around 1983)

Pilen Ref. 851 and 857 Lotus 80 (dark green and black)

I have dedicated many post to Polistil’s formula 1s. In one of those entries I mentioned that the Spanish toymaker Pilen had manufactured very similar vehicles. I think they’re not the same casts, but very similar, and definitely, these are made with lower quality. After so many years, some have lost part of their paint, or even some wings are broken. Almost no car runs smoothly because the axles are bent. If they were mint, they would be indeed beautiful cars. 

The list of released formula 1s is:

• 851 Lotus 80 (dark green) - 1979' season - Mario Andretti (RN 1)
• 852 Brabham BT48 (red) - 1979' season - Niki Lauda (RN 5)
• 853 Ligier JS11 (blue) - 1979' season - Jacques Laffite (RN 26)
• 854 McLaren M28 (white) - 1979' season - John Watson (RN 7)
• 855 Wolf WR7 (dark blue, almost black) - 1979' season - James Hunt/Keke Rosberg (RN 20)
• 856 Ferrari 312 T4 (red) - 1980' season - Gilles Villeneuve (RN 2)
• 857 Lotus 80 (black) - (RN 7)
• 858 Brabham BT48 (orange) - (RN 3)
• 859 Ligier JS11 (white) - (RN 25)
• 860 McLaren M28 (orange) - (RN 8)
• 861 Wolf WR7 (black) - decorated as Lotus JPS (RN 5)
• 862 Ferrari 312 T4 (green) - (RN 9)

 

Pilen Ref. 860 McLaren M28 (orange)

 

Pilen Ref. 856 and 862 Ferrari 312 T4 (red and green)

As you can notice, there are 6 different cars; but 6 miniatures would have been too few, so Pilen simply doubled them. From 6 casts, they made 12 different cars/references, each car comes in two different colours, and decals. The first reference number is the "real" car with the corresponding decals, the second reference has the colours and decals of another real car/racing team. It is interesting to see a green Ferrari or a white Ligier. 

These toys were often exhibited in a polystyrene frame were the cars were half inserted in it. This frame contained 24 cars, that’s twice each. The formulas were also available in a plastic case, very similar to the classic Majorette case.

Pilen Ref. 855 and 861 Wolf WR7 (dark blue and black)

Pilen Ref. 853 Ligier JS11 (blue)

 

Sorry for the bad quality of the pictures, they were taken very quickly and the light is terrible.

UPDATE:

Pilen Ref. 852 Brabham BT48 (red)

 

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: LOTUS 80, LIGIER JS 11, McLAREN MP28, WOLF WR7 and FERRARI 312 T4  (Nrs. 851, 853, 854, 855, 856)
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: Around 1983
• Company: Pilen (Spain)
• Size: approx. 7 cm