#1080 MAJORETTE SUPER CRISTAL - NISSAN TERRANO, VW COMBI CARAVELLE and HONDA NSX (107, 113 and 117) (1994)

I had interesting conversations with other collectors and miniature car enthusiasts regarding Novacar and the portuguese Majorettes since I started this blog, so I am happy to publish again something related to this particular topic.

I bought these three Majorette Super Crystal blisterpacks from eBay in October 2019, together with other boxed Majorettes and Zylmex, but this is the pace of this blog, it takes years to find a gap to be published!

The Super Crystal models from Majorette have a die-cast base and a plastic body, which allowed to make them transparent and include (or not) glitter in the plastic component. The cars look very different to any other die-cast model or subline and are commonly misregarded by most serious collectors. Still, they are nice toys, and also rare. The interior can be seen from the outside better than in die-cast models, and they remind a little bit of Micro Machines X-Rays, which are slightly older than these. Maybe was it an inspiration for Majorette?

There are not many models available (less than in the original Novacar reference list), but each of them could be found in different colours, so if you are a completists, I have bad news for you: One single cast can appear in up to 10 different „clear“ colours plus the same 10 colours plus „glitter“. I´ll try to list the colours first:

• Green, dark green, lime green
• Red, dark red, purple, pink
• Transparent
• Blue, turquoise

Now, let´s list the models. They use the same reference numbers as the original Novacar (as they share the chassis), but you´ll notice that there are some numbers missing in between. For example, number 101, which was a Ferrari 348 GTB is not available as a Super Crystal. Why? Nobady knows, but most probably it is because it would have been so similar to the 104 Ferrari Testarossa, that they would have been difficult to differentiate. Note that the details are more difficult to perceive in this shiny transparent body.  

Number 106 Peugeot 605 is also missing from the list (was it also too generic in its shape?), and there is also no trace of the two Formula ones  (these were probably not feasible with the glittery plastic compound or the spoilers couldn´t be made in glittery plastic, so they may have looked strange as prototypes.

So the complete list of Super Crystals is this one:

Serie 280 “Super Crystal”

• 102 – Nissan 300 ZX
• 103 – Chevrolet Corvette (’83)
• 104 – Ferrari Testarossa
• 105 – Mercedes 500 SL (Cabrio)
• 107 – Nissan Terrano (here presented in glittery green)
• 108 – Kenworth (T600)
• 109 – (Chevrolet) Impala Police
• 110 – Renault Espace
• 111 – Sport Proto (Porsche 962 Group C Racer)
• 113 – Combi VW Caravelle (here presented in glittery purple)
• 116 – Pick Up Chevrolet
• 117 – Honda NSX (here presented in clear transparent)

The cars could be purchased in single blisterpacks, like the ones I have, but also in double blisterpacks, but I have no notice of bigger boxes or gift sets. Of course, they were cheaper to produce than the standard die-cast series, but the shiny looking made them special so the gain per unit sold was probably great. Unfortunately, the sales were not good, and the line was discontinued after two years. They appear in the Majorette catalogues between 1994 and 1996, year in which the portuguese factory of  Paredes was closed (together with some other in France) and a big part of the prodcution moved to Thailand.

1996 Catalogue

FACTS AND FIGURES: 

• Name:  NISSAN TERRANO, VW COMBI CARAVELLE and HONDA NSX (107, 113 and 117)
• Scale: 1:64
• Year: 1994
• Company: Majorette (France/Portugal)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#1079 SIKU – JAGUAR E TYPE 2+2 (V294) and OPEL GT 1900 (V304) (1968 and 1970)

Two entries ago we presented an Opel GT from Schuco and said, the car had not been represented many times at scale as a toy. But here it is another representation of it, the model made by Siku at around 1:55 scale. And the Jaguar E as a companion.

Let' start commenting the Jaguar E, as it is slightly older than the Opel. The model was produced between 1968 and 1982, and has an scale of 1:60. It was originally released with the reference V294, but from 1974 on, the model carries the 1015 reference.

My car is the silver version, although there are also white or red miniatures available. Being one of the most iconic British cars of all times, it is a common reproduction in many die-cast brands, including the major and best-selling ones.

The second car, the Opel GT was produced between 1970 and 1978 at the same scale. Until 1974, it was reference number V304, then 1018. Unfortunately, it presents a lot of paint chips, but it may take years until I find a better one, so this goes to my Siku collection. 

FACTS AND FIGURES: 

• Name:  JAGUAR E TYPE 2+2 (V294) and OPEL GT (V304)
• Scale: 1:60
• Year: 1968 and 1970
• Company: Siku (West Germany)
• Size: approx. 8 cm

#1078 MIX 'EM UP MONSTERS - GROPPLE, THUGGER and BLIBBLE (McDONALDS' PROMOTIONAL) (1989)

I got these three monsters over the years with no real intend to collect them. They must be so common, that they simply slided in lots of toys that I purchased.

They are giveaways from McDonalds that could be found in the Happy Meal boxes. There is some kind of disagreement on when they came out. The copyright is from 1988, and some people say the promotion was available in 1988. Others say 1989, and other webpages with a high confidence date the promotion in the UK as late as may/june 1991.Of course the promotion could have been available first in the US, then in some countries in Europe, then somewhere else... I guess there are some people tracking this kind of information as there are many McDonald's toy collectors. 

The collection comprised four monsters, named originally Corkle (light blue), Gropple (yellow), Thugger (purple) and Blibble (green). I have three of them plus the inlay/instructions of the fourth one in German language. In this piece of paper, we learn that the blue one (Corkle in the original) was named Türki (probably because of German Türkis, or turquoise, the main color of the figure).

The toys and the name Mix 'Em Up Monsters are a trademark of Current Inc. and are actually a by-product of a children's book with the same name, published in 1980. This book consisted of 8 pages, divided in three sections each, that could be turned independently, mixing the heads, bodies and tails of 8 different dragons. It was probably a best-seller at the time, according to the big number of books for sale (second hand) today. With 8 different monsters and three parts each, you could build up to 512 differtent monsters. With only 4 toys, it is only 64 combinations you can make.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: GROPPLE, THUGGER and BLIBBLE (McDONALDS' PROMOTIONAL)
• Toy Line: MIX 'EM UP MONSTERS
• Year: 1989
• Company: Current Inc. Books, McDonalds (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: 7 cm approx.

#1077 SCHUCO – AUTOMATIC-RACER OPEL GT (1048) (Around 1969)

This toy car is another treasure made by Schuco in Germany, probably at the end of the 60s or the beginning of the 70s, as it represents the Opel GT from 1968. This car was rather popular in Germany at the time, but was not represented very often at scale as a toy (Norev, Solido, Dinky, I.M.U.,...). 

This representation in 1:43 scale, made of tin and some plastic compound, is not just accurate in its dimensions, but also a technical-wonder, as Schuco toys frequenly are. Unfortunately, I do not have the key (I found it as you see it in the pictures in a second hand shop, and payed for it around 2 euros), so I haven't tested it yet.

Hidden in the front bumper there is a wheel that can be used to steer the model. The doors open, which is something very unusual for the Automatic-Racers or Micro Racers series by Schuco. The interior is not fully detailed, but it is still nice for its age. Also lots of chromed parts, rubber tyres, detailed license plates, hubcaps... 

All in all, a jewel in any collection. I have seen the model has been reissued several times since the 70s, but, if I am not mistaken, this one is the very original one. It even has some playwear in the base, which is always a good sign, and indicates that it is not a reissue. I'll look for a key, most of them are standard, but it would be nice if it said “Schuco” or had another marking casted or engraved on it.

 

FACTS AND FIGURES: 

• Name:  OPEL GT (1048)
• Scale: 1:45
• Year: Around 1969
• Company: Schuco (West Germany)
• Size: approx. 11 cm

#1076 JURASSIC PARK – DENNIS NEDRY, TIM MURPHY and ROBERT MULDOON (1993)

With the current update rate of this blog, it takes ages until one toyline comes again, so this time, I will present several references from Jurassic Park by Kenner. I will focus this time in the three figures that I haven´t commented yet. In entry #819 you can read about Allan Grant and Ellie Sattler.

All these three characters: Dennis Nedry, Tim Murphy and Robert Muldoon are secondary and therefore less recognizable than the previous two, and maybe that is why they were packed with very cool dinosaurs and accessories. As I mentioned in the entry dealing with Alan and Ellie, the figures were produced before the film was actually shot, and the figures do not resemble the actors. On top of that, they didn´t produce in the first place the figure of Ian Malcolm, the character that most people remember from the first film and almost the entire saga.

Dennis Nedry. The computer specialist, and also the traitor who disables the security fences in order to steal some dinosaur eggs, and triggers the whole danger and chaos situation for the other visitors… and himself. The figure is far from the complexion of the actor Wayne Knight, who played the role. The colors of the clothes are also very different from the ones that appear in the movie and the face is generic. Pity, because we are missing those Hawaiian shirts. Since the bad guys tend to sell worse than the other figures, this one was given very nice accessories: a gun with a backpack that could spit water (one of the classic accessories in most action figure series) plus an strange helmet, that may have some importance in the novel (I haven´t read it) or the original script, but that it does not appear in the movie. The dinosaur hatchling in this case is the dilophosaurus, as it is the dinosaur that best fits the character.

Tim Murphy. Is the grandson of Dr. Hammond, and one of the two kids in the movie. Why there is no figure of the granddaughter (Lex) is unclear to me, pity, again, that Kenner didn´t cast it. I guess there was already one woman in the series and it was always risky, as female figures also tend to sell worse than their male counterparts. The figure of Tim does not look like Joseph Mazzello (who was 9 when the film was shot while the figure actually looks like a teenager), and also the clothes are different. The figure came with a brachiosaurus hatchling, a cage to carry it, a red lasso-bazooka (whatever it is called) and the nightvision googles, a very small accessory that is difficult to find.

Robert Muldoon. The main InGen hunter comes in a generic uniform that is far from the more military one used in the film. The face of the figure has no similarity whatsoever with the actor Bob Peck. This figure is actually the most commonly seen together with Allan Grant, maybe because it included a T-Rex hatchling and many accessories: a red bazooka, two red missiles (different from each other) and a backpack to carry these. The weapon could really shoot. Altogether, the figure is great.

The figures are nice, even considering that they do not resemble the movie characters, but in this collection, what every child wanted to have was the dinosaurs! I guess the best business was made with the dinosaurs, and as a result, the figures today are not so easy to find, if you are looking for complete samples in good condition. The dinosaurs included no accessories (some included a piece of detachable flesh) and are easier and cheaper to find. Next time I will show some dinosaurs.

To finish the article, a “family” portrait of all human figures in the series 1 of this great Kenner toyline.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: DENNIS NEDRY, TIM MURPHY and ROBERT MULDOON
• Toy Line: Jurassic Park
• Year: 1993
• Company: Kenner (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: Around 10 cm long

#1075 GINGELL/RHINO – HUDSON HORNET '51, CHEVROLET BEL-AIR '57, FORD THUNDERBIRD '57, CHEVROLET CORVETTE '62 and CHEVROLET CAMARO IROC-Z '82 (Around 1994)

These set of cars came in a big lot of toys including also Transformers, Micro Machines and plastic figures. There were some die-cast models as well, most of them very crude Made in China. Among them, I was surprised to find these classic American cars from the 50s and the 60s, so I put them aside. Also the Camaro seemed to belong to the same series, so I also kept it. I learnt from Steven (from the Motorcade) that these cars are Rhino (or Gingell, see previous entry). 

It is quite uncommon to find in these sets from the early 90s other than sport cars and utility vehicles, and cars like the Hudson Hornet are also rare in 1:64 scale, so that makes a nice addition to my collection.

The colours are basic, but the tampogaphies are very elaborated. They include funny words such as Fire-Wheel, Turboline, T.Fashion or High Sport, but this is also part of their charm.

FACTS AND FIGURES: 

• Name:  HUDSON HORNET '51, CHEVROLET BEL-AIR '57, FORD THUNDERBIRD '57, CHEVROLET CORVETTE '62 and CHEVROLET CAMARO IROC-Z '82
• Scale: 1:64
• Year: Around 1994
• Company: Gingell/Rhino (China)
• Size: approx. 6 cm

#1074 GINGELL – BMW 323i CABRIO, FERRARI TESTAROSSA and PORSCHE CARRERA (Around 1993)

I have to admit, that, despite collecting toy cars since my childhood, I have no idea about most of these cheaper, made in China, brands that popped-up in the early 1990s. I usually get advice of Steven from the Motorcade, or I visit his webpage directly. 

The models themselves are rather uninteresting. Not bad casts, but lots of plastic, black windows and also bad tampographies (although I appreciate the racing numbers, as they help, or, at least, helped me as a kid, to organize races at home). The BMW seems to be a poor copy of a Matchbox model, but otherwise, there is nothing remarkable about them. 

The cars have been spotted in sets of many cars, and with different commercial names, but the company behind them is Gingell (Gingell Die-Casting Mfy. Ltd.). This company operated either with a big “G” logo or with a second logo that represented a rhinoceros, so Gingell is sometimes called Rhino, too (we will come to that in our next entry). Those logos appear in the boxes, not on the bases of the cars or anywhere else, so it is difficult to identify these miniatures loose. At HobbyTalk.com there are some threads that try to get a list of these models and investigate in which sets they were available. 

Both logos have been retrieved from HobbyTalk.com

Something noteworth is that the bases seem to be prepared to carry a pull-back motor, but this is not present in any of them. They do not have a reference number or any marking on the base other than "Made in China".

I bought these three cars together with other things, so I didn't have to pay for the shipping. The interesting part for me were the stickers placed over the roofs of the cars with the logo of Wüstenrot, an Austrian company for financial services, real-state and insurance. They were probably intended as a give-away to the kids who came to their offices together with their parents.

FACTS AND FIGURES: 

• Name:  BMW 323i CABRIO, FERRARI TESTAROSSA and PORSCHE CARRERA
• Scale: 1:64
• Year: Around 1993
• Company: Gingell/Rhino (China)
• Size: approx. 6 cm