#881 RICO - COCHE "PULGA" (around 1950)

I have been delaying this entry since a very long time. Despite being a very popular toy, there are no resources on the internet about the famous "Pulgas" (Spanish for "fleas") anywhere on the internet.

There are similar toys made by different companies, although in Spain it is the "big two” that made them. In this case, the car shown is made by Rico, and, of course, the other "big company" is Payá Hermanos.

The car is around 5 centimeters long, and hence its name. Although that size is not so small compared with the modern 3 inches models of the H0 scale, at the time, they were seen as very small, compared to the big tin toys that were popular back then. Of course, one of these was much cheaper, just remember that toys at the time (30s, 40s) were luxury goods, not affordable for many families.

The mini-car has a clockwork motor inside that can be loaded by means of a key. The original key is missing, but with similar ones, it could still be loaded.

Despite their popularity, not many of these have survived: the tin body is not as resistant as modern zamak. Those that have survived, often have paint flaws, like mine or even worse.

The car was available in many colours, and some models even came in two colours (like a black/yellow Barcelona taxi cab). There was even a small trailer that could be attached to it, althouh I do not know if this was a especial reference. I have seen some for sale, but they must be very rare.

Here is depicted together with one Schuco model that is probably better known among toy collectors, for size comparison purposes.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: COCHE PULGA
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: Around 1950
• Company: Rico (Spain)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm