#1020 GUISVAL - CENTURION MK.III TANK + KNOCK-OFF (1977 and Around 1993)

MONTH OF THE BOOTLEG AT TOYS FROM THE PAST

Today I want to show two small toy tanks.

The first one is made by Guisval and is a Centurion MK.III model, which appeared for the first time in the catalogue from 1977. There were several versions of it made those first years: in green (with british or Spanish roundels on one side), in light brown (with Spanish roundels) on and also in light brown with dark brown stripes (with a green flag and a crescent moon, which, to my knowledge, does not represent any real country).

Later reissues would also use new decals, like a British flag, and the last known issue is a completely white version from the United Nations, which I find quite original and I would like to own.

All of them have turning turret and the cannon moves up and down.

The second toy tank shown in the pictures is a low quality knock-off of the Guisval model made by an unknown company much later. The model is unmarked, except for “No. 462”, and it is almost identical to the Guisval model. The cannon is slightly longer, the plastic base and wheels and different). The metal and paintwork used are of lower quality, the paint scheme shows a green/yellow camouflage pattern and the stickers on the side say "U.S. Army".

Does anybody know about it? In any case, it is a very curious one, although the quality is very low.

 FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: CENTURION MK.III and KNOCK-OFF
  
• Scale: Approx. 1:100
• Year: 1977 and Around 1993 (respectively)
  
• Company: Guisval and Unknown Toymaker (Spain and China)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#1000 GUISVAL - RENAULT 5 (Nr. 14) and RENAULT 5 RALLYE (Nr. 51) (1979, 1981 and 1983)

This car is one of the best-selling cars in the history of automobiles in Spain, and also one of the most successful die-cast models made by Guisval. It was also reproduced by the most important die-cast manufacturers at the time: Matchbox, Majorette, Polistil… the Guisval version, although not so well finished, it is still beautiful, especially in some of its variants.

The car first appeared in 1975 catalogue, in orange with the classic first generation wheels, but I do not have this model. It is very interesting that Guisval changed the colour only after 10 years, so most of the versions you’ll find of the basic version are orange.

 

For example, the second generation from 1979 came with chromed base, and the third from 1983 with black metallic base, but otherwise, they are difficult to tell between the two. The third version is generally darker than the second one. Note the models in the pictures. Note that this model depicted individually is different from the one in the group picture as it has two round holes in the base, while the other has the two frames which came later. Also the colour of the windshields is different, so I guess there are many variants out there to be catalogued, as it happens with models that had very long runs.

Finally, in 1985, the colour was changed to light blue, and it still kept its metallic base in black. Up to then, it always kept the number 14 in the Campeon series.

The rally version is one of my favorites, and I keep it since I was a child. It came with that mud flaps in red plastic that is so representative of Guisval models. This version ran partially in parallel to the previous one, so it carried a different number in the series, and it was 51. The first version appeared in 1980 and was released in yellow with decals. This reference also lived long, and first in 1987, it changed the base to plastic, and the decals to stickers, but the base colour remained.

Having practicable doors, it was never available in the Club series, but some R5s were part of sets like this one here, in which a yellow body was released in the standard version and not the rallye one.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: RENAULT 5 (Nr. 14) and RENAULT 5 RALLYE (Nr. 51)
  
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: 1979, 1981 and 1983
• Company: Guisval (Spain)
• Size: Around 6 cm long

#958 GUISVAL - TALBOT HORIZON (Nr. 26 and 52) (1980)

The Talbot Horizon has, like most Guisval cars, several versions, colours and decorations. From these there is one which is very common, while all the others are very difficult to find.

The model was released in 1980, directly in three different variants:

• Nr.26 Talbot Horizon (golden version, no decals), later replaced by (red version, no decals)
  
• Nr.40 Surf acuático (red car with blue plastic surf boards on roof, no decals)
• Nr.52 Raid Oasis (white with roof rack and rallye decals), later replaced by a similar version with alternative decals, different roof rack and no front plastic bumper), and even later with plastic base versions with rally decals but no roof rack.
  

We start with the Raid Oasis version, which is the rarest I own. It is not in perfect shape, but keeps its roof rack, and this piece is very hard to find. They are extremely fragile, and most of the times are only available with boxed items, not with played-with toys, as it is the case. Because of the decal in the bonnet, this model is often referred as "Rey Racing" instead of the official name "Raid Oasis"

It was common at the time that the same cast was offered in very different versions, so the "artificially" increased the number of references in the catalogue.

In 1983, the "Surf acuático" reference is replaced by a Renault 9, but keeps the surf boards on the roof. Also this model is very rare, as all ones carrying stuff in the roof are.

That same year of 1983, the B70x series (car+trailer) was launched. There were several Talbots Horizon packed with different trailers. Some of these packs included a blue Talbot, and others a white one with Red Cross stickers on the doors. In these packs the cars were sometimes chosen randomly, so the blue model might be offered with a horse box or a trailer carrying an F1, just to name two examples.

The models continued in the Campeon series (or Campeon Rallye, if stickers were applied to it) for a few years more, probably until 1990 or so. These two series had plain colours, like blue, red, orange, yellow... that were sharedwith all the other miniatures in the series and were applied randomly. There are also models with different types of wheels, as they were evolving as the time passed. The car survived on the selves until relatively late (mid 90s), although it can be that it was removed from the the series, and then introduced again, as it happened with other models.

Note that this Campeon model has a modified cast, as you can see on the back part, where the license plate is. This is due to the fact that the base (made of plastic) attachs to the body of the car in a different way and does not have suspension. Note that the doors are still practicable, some cars that were recasted lost that feature in the process. 

Cool! Not many Talbot die-cast out there!

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: TALBOT HORIZON (Nr. 26), TALBOT HORIZON "RAID-OASIS (Nr. 52) and TALBOT HORIZON CAMPEÓN RALLYE (No Nr.)
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: 1980, 1980, 1984
• Company: Guisval (Spain)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm

#930 GUISVAL – LAND ROVER GRÚA (1976, 1977, 1980)

This model of Land Rover with crane is one of those few models by Guisval that are difficult to find complete and in good conditions. And all because of the small yellow plastic hook. I had these four models in quite a good condition for many years waiting to recover their missing parts, knowing that it was virtually an impossible mission to get them. I have that orange model since I was a kid, since 1985 or so. Maybe that is why it is in a slightly worse condition.

The good and unexpected news is that a Spanish collector cloned this part and is selling repro hooks for this particular models in several colours. To my knowledge, all models came with yellow hooks, but the hooks are also available in red or black. If you want some of these, leave a comment below and I will forward you to the person who sells them.

I bought all four straight away to finally restore my models. I have three models, but one of the models have a variant, can you notice it? The military model comes with blue or green windshield and siren. The one with the blue windows seems to be rarer than the one with the green windows.

This is one of my favorite models by Guisval. It is very similar to the one made by Corgi Juniors, but still have some differences.

There is another Land Rover model which is older than this one. I have some of these as well, but they are difficult to get complete, since they came with accessories/decoration (a missile/rocket, a tiger…).

Checking the catalogues year by year, I observed the following variants:
1976

• Nº19 Grua Municipal (Red with black hook): the catalogue image looks like a prototype, based on the older model. The produced toy seems to have been sold with a yellow hook.

1977-79

• Nº19 Grua Municipal (Red)
• Nº50 Grua Militar (Dark Green with green windows, some have been spotted with black hooks)

1980-1983 and Beyond

• Nº19 Grua Municipal (Orange with black stripe at sides and blue windows)

The model has been for sale until the early 90s. These later model are easy to identify because of its wheels, which are different to the ones that these four models have (See for example this model in entry #502). There are several decorations of these.

UPDATE (Feb/2020): One new model with "Rescate" stickers, from the 90s (note the four spoke wheels)

 FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: LAND ROVER (GRÚA MUNICIPAL and GRÚA MILITAR)
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: 1976 to around 1990
• Company: Guisval (Spain)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm

#889 GUISVAL – MERCEDES 350 SL (1974)

Here are my Mercedes 350 SL made by Guisval. This model is not among my favorites: in my opinion it is quite dull, does not call my attention very much. At the time it was difficult to tell between Mercedes models, because they looked very much like each other, and had boring names, so Mercedes was, also back then, not among my favorite car brands.

Despite this, I had two units of it. A brown one and the purple one, which, needless to say, I liked more. It has Rallye stickers!

The history of this model is the following:

It was premiered in 1974, right away in two versions: standard and police. The police version came in two colours and had a siren in the roof. In 1980, a third version was introduced, with rally stickers and front grill. This version is currently very difficult to find.

1974-79 (from 1977 on with fast wheels)

• Nr.1 Brown
• Nr.5 Green/White (Policia or Policia Tráfico)

1980-82

• Nr.1 Brown
• Nr.5 Green/White (Policia Tráfico)
• Nr.54 Light Blue with rally decals (Rallye)

1983

• Nr.1 Golden
• Nr.5 Green/White (Policia Tráfico)
• Nr.54 Light Blue with rally decals (Rallye)

After 1983, it is difficult to say what happened next, due to the lack of catalogues. In 1987 catalogue, it is still available both in Campeon series (without stickers, but still with full interior and suspension) and Campeon Rallye series (same with stickers). The car is depicted in both series in black, but it is known to have been released in several colours, including the purple one in the pictures. Stickers varied from one unit to the other. The model was discontinued probably around 1990, for unknown reasons.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: MERCEDES 350 SL
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: 1974 to around 1990
• Company: Guisval (Spain)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm

#878 GUISVAL - PATROL 4x4, DATSUN/ NISSAN 4x4 and RENEGADE 4x4 BIGFOOT (1987)

By the late 80s, Guisval released a series of Bigfoot cars. They were some kind of trend, other die-cast companies also had this type of vehicles, in this same scale (Majorette, Matchbox...) or even in the Micro Machines scale.

Guisval cars were a mixture of 4x4, ordinary cars and trucks: a Nissan Patrol (hardtop), a Datsun Patrol (pick-up with canopy), a Jeep Willys, Seat Ibiza and Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks.

The cars came with chromed plastic base, dark windows and no interior. They came in flashy colours (sometimes even metallic) and "Rally" stickers. They had to be cool, and they actually were, I recall other children having them and playing in sand or stones with them. It was a lot of fun.

Some of these were sold in jewel boxes like this one here, blister packs or loose in polystyrene displays.

From that catalogue I can put the reference numbers here:

Nº 30001 Ibiza 4x4
Nº 30002 Patrol 4x4
Nº 30003 Nissan Motos 4x4 (with 2 small red motorbikes) (see #319)
Nº 30004 Renegade 4x4
Nº 30005 Nissan 4x4 (canopy)

Note that reference 30003 and 30005 are incorrectly labelled both in the box and the base, since it is a Datsun Patrol, not a Nissan.

A later release in the 90s had black bases and "rally" tampographies, or no decoration at all. The Datsun re-release came without canopy for saving even more manufacturing costs. I guess the units that can be seen with chromed based but without stickers were made in between.

This small document has the manufacturer data and the security regulations in four languages.

Later on, already in the 2000s, there was a second batch of bigfeet with much bigger wheels made of rubber. These are different models, with very cool tampographies and the more modern of these, even with somr dirt-effect paint.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: PATROL 4x4, DATSUN 4x4 and JEEP RENEGADE 4x4 BIGFOOT
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: 1987
• Company: Guisval (Spain)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm

#853 GUISVAL - TRANSPORTE NASA and TRANSPORTE REGATAS (07007 and 07009) (Around 1987)

We already know the TIR series. Among the different references made for it, there seems to be two types of trailers, some are smaller, other are slightly bigger. The trucks are the same two models always (both American models, never seen in Europe, or at least in Spain). In the first entry, I showed three models I keep since I was very young, and this time I will present two more acquired in the last couple of years.

Like the rest of TIR models, these were available either in jewel boxes, blistercards or loose in nice displays.

Note that the TIR series was available during several years and has two types of wheels at least. The first one is the one used by the car transporter (see previous link), while the one from this NASA truck is the second, more modern version. I guess there were first released in the early 80s and later extended with four more references in the late 80s, maybe 1987.

In the last years of Guisval, another series of trucks with long trailers was launched, but in this case, the trucks are much more modern and "european" and the wheels are completely different, but some of the loads carried in the trailers are the same used in the past. References bleonging to the new series also started with 07xxx.

As a reminder and for the sake of completeness, I copy a list of all classic TIR references:

• 07001 - Trailer Container
• 07002 - Trailer Dumper
• 07003 - Trailer Bomberos
• 07004 - Tanque Combustible
• 07005 - Transporte Animales
• 07006 - Transporte Coches

According to the catalogue, these references also exist (or not!) - Series extension?

• 07007 - Transporte NASA
• 07008 - Grua Telescópica
• 07009 -
• 07010 - Transporte Bulldozer
• 07011
• 07012 - Trasnporte Regatas

But the fact is that, the same model can have two references, note for example, the box "Transporte Regatas" wih number 07009, shown in this entry (instead of 07012) or other models seen at eBay whose numbers do not match those of the catalogues.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: TRASPORTE NASA and TRANSPORTE REGATAS  (07007 and 07009)
• Scale: 1:87 (approx.)
• Year: Around 1987
• Company: Guisval (Spain)
• Size: approx. 16 cm (with trailer)