#1008 SOHBI – VARIOUS MODELS (Around 1995)

 

I already wrote about Sohbi a long time ago, you can review this entry, if you are interested in reading a bit about the company or you want to see a nice Lancia Stratos or Two versions of a Volkswagen Golf.

Around three years ago I found a small lot of 6 Sohbi cars in a flea market, and I got Them all. These are the models I am presenting today. All of them are based on casts from MC Toy, Zylmex or Matchbox. Some of them have interesting decorations, although due to the low quality of the tampographies, these are partially lost.

E-18 - Ferrari Testarossa (MC Toy)

E-19 - Porsche 959 (MC Toy)

 

 

E-20 - Peugeot 205 (MC Toy)

E-21 - Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (Zylmex)

E-24 - Jaguar E-Type (Zylmex)

 

 

E-28 - Lotus Europa (Matchbox)

 

 

I also tried to elaborate a list of Sohbi models together with their reference numbers, using as a base the list in Swifty’s Garage and inserting one or two references from my own models.

• E-16 - Lancia Stratos (Zylmex?)
• E-17 - Volkswagen Golf (MC Toy)
• E-18 - Ferrari Testarossa (MC Toy)
• E-19 - Porsche 959 (MC Toy)
• E-20 - Peugeot 205 (MC Toy)
• E-21 - Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (Zylmex)
• E-22 -
• E-23 -
• E-24 - Jaguar E-Type (Zylmex)
• E-25 - DeTomaso Mangusta (Corgi Juniors?)
• E-26 -
• E-27 - Porsche 906 Carrera 6 (Corgi Juniors)
• E-28 - Lotus Europa (Matchbox)
  

• Citroen DS
• 11 - Ford Econoline
• 12 - Jeep CJ-6
• Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL
• Lamborghini Countach LP5000
• 32 - Porsche 911 Carrera
• 35 - Mercedes-Benz 500 SL

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: FERRARI TESTAROSSA, PORSCHE 959, PEUGEOT 205, MERCDES-BENZ 300 SE, JAGUAR E-TYPE and LOTUS EUROPA (D-E18, D-E19, D-E20, D-E21, D-E24 and D-E28)
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: Approx. 1995
• Company: Sohbi (Hong-Kong/ China)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm

#1007 STAR WARS - DARTH VADER and IMPERIAL GUARD (1977 and 1983)

This character here does not need to be introduced, anybody will recognise it immediatly. It is Darth Vader, as it was released in 1978 (copyrighted in 1977) by Kenner and representing the character of the first movie of the Star Wars saga (Episode IV: A New Hope) premiered in 1977. The reason why the figures were a bit late and all the topic with the mail away coupons is also well known.

  

I will only say that the retractable lightsaber that came as an accessory has its tip broken, which is something extremely common, as the tip is so thin and so fragile that it is rarely unbroken. I had somewhere a repro lightsaber, but I decided to keep the original one. The vynil cloak is also original and it is removable, although this is not recommendable, as the holes for the arms may open and even break, especially after so many years.

Those of you who haven't watched the movie The Return of the Jedi many times, may not recognise the three guys behind Darth Vader. They are imperial guards, and appear in very few scenes of that movie. Their mission is just to scort The Emperor wherever he goes, but in that particular scene, they appear behind the Emperor and Darth Vader. It is one of my favorite figures ever released by Kenner in this toyline, as the mask and the cloak have a very specific design. Also the burgundy red perfectly contrast the white or the different troopers and the black of Darth Vader and the Emperor. In this case, the cloak is not removable, but behind it, there is a quite elaborated sculpt (not painted, though). How the artist imagines what is below the cloaks, or if they just took some parts they happened to have around (from some unreleased project), is something I would really like to know.

In the official films they do not have a great protagonism, so I do not know much about them.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: DARTH VADER and IMPERIAL GUARD
• Toy Line: Star Wars (Star Wars and The Return of the Jedi)
• Year: 1977 and 1983
• Company: Kenner (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: 9,5 cm (3 3/4'')