Today, I bring some exotic model from Greece. It is the first time, I think, that a greek toy appears in the blog, so I am happy for that.
It is my first Polfi Toy, I think I bought it in the first months on 2020 from another collector in Austria. It is not in its best shape, but I payed only 3 euro for it. Most of the Polfi models I have seen have paint chips, so I guess they do not have the best paint work.
Greece, as Spain or Portugal had a relatively close toy market with their own national brands until the early 80s, and Polfi is maybe the best-known greek brand of toys, maybe not the most important, but probably one of the most successful, having sold many hundred thousands of die-cast models like this one but also in bigger scales, motorbikes and even planes.
Some of these 1:55-1:64 cars seem to be copies of Matchbox models (except for a few Formula ones, which look like Polistils), while some 1:43 models knock-off the cheap series of Polistil, although it is fair to say that they also had their own models.
The Renault 17, as I said, looks very much like the Matchbox model from 1974, but it is not a knock-off. Some details mark clear differences with the British model. The base is completely different, and also the wheels have a nice casting that looks like an off-road tyre.
I am sorry the pictures are not good, and even the colour is kind of different, I think the flash is distorting the colours, that look a bit brighter than they actually are. The model is dark orange, almost red, which, by the way was also the colour that Matchbox chose for the Renault 17. I will try to replace them as soon as possible.
I would say Polfi is a brand that is worth collecting, so look out for these small die-cast, they are great. I would like to add some historical notes about the brand, but I couldn’t find anything. Maybe somebody from Greece can give us some hints? I would love to hear more about this toy manufacturer.
FACTS AND FIGURES:
- Name: RENAULT 17
- Scale: 1:55
- Year: Around 1977
- Company: Polfi Toys (Greece)
- Size: Around 7 cm
Hace poco también me compré mi primer Polfi, el Opel Monza que se hace parecer el Auto Fantástico. Me encanta como dice "Made in Greece" en la base, pero como lo conseguí en su empaque no me atrevo a abrirlo y mirar.
ReplyDeleteVaya, qué bueno. Mejor no abrirlo, porque supongo que sí está en su blister de ebe ser mucho más raro. Además, su pintura estará intacta, cosa que es difícil en esta marca, si el coche está jugado.
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