#1081 MEBETOYS – FERRARI 312 B2 F1 (#6671) (1972)

Since I already covered the history of Mebetoys in a previous entry, there is not much I can write here. Just that, in the 1972 catalogue, Mebetoys introduced the Grand Prix Series, eight formula one refereces (#6670 to #6677) with the most important cars of that season. 

Here's the 312 B2 Ferrari from 1972. The driver was Jackie Ickx, who won only the German GP that year. The seaon winner was Jack Stewart for Tyrrell.

The model is a beautiful reproduction of the real car, as most Mebetoys are. What is not so common is the 1:28 scale. The Grand Prix Series premiered this scale and the following year they would release the Gran Champions at scale 1:25. 

FACTS AND FIGURES: 

• Name:  FERRARI 312 B2 F1 (#6671)
• Scale: 1:28
• Year: 1972
• Company: Mebetoys (Italy)
• Size: approx. 12 cm

#448 MEBETOYS/ HOT WHEELS! vs. POLISTIL vs. JOAL vs. MERCURY– FERRARI 512S PININFARINA (Ref. 6621, M13, 119 and 66) (1970 and 1971)

This model is in my opinion one of the most impressive prototypes ever made by Ferrari. The car was made for the Turin show of 1969 taking as a base the 512S (which was a race car) prepared by Pininfarina. The designer of this version was Filippo Sapino.

In this case I’d like to compare three models at 1:43 scale (two made in Italy, one made in Spain). A previous entry also talked about the same car in the same scale, but made by Mercury (#256). In that entry I already mentioned that the car was in construction quite similar to the model made by Mebetoys. You can review that old entry and judge yourself.

The interesting thing about these two cars, is that even they are the same scale, they look quite different: the length and the width are different, the windshield has a complete different forms, and the Mebetoys model is flatter than the Polistil one. How can this be? Being the car a prototype, it is very likely that the toy manufacturers never got the real measurements of one of the very few units made, so from photographs the designers tried to make some casts, that are very different among them, since each team had probably photographs taken from different angles, different distances and with different references.

I like all these models very much.

I’d like to start my comments with the Polistil model (red), which is the longest between these two. It has practicable bonnet and cockpit door and has a very impressive simulated motor under the bonnet and also on the chassis. It is also the only model between these two that has some stickers to decorate the sides of the car, and the bonnet is made in black with a red mesh, much more like the real car.

Mebetoys/ HotWheels model (green) is wider and shorter, and has clearly fewer detail than the Polistil model. Apart from practicable bonnet and cockpit door, it also has a practicable trunk (in the front) with a spare wheel inside. The chassis is a bit disappointing, since it has very fewer details, but this is compensated with the lights in/out feature that can be activated by pulling the tab on it.
The rear part of the car is also quite disappointing, because instead of casted, Mebetoys simply applied a sticker with the rearlights and the space for the license plates.
This model was available in blue, yellow (like the real model) or green, and in a later reedition, in red.

The hubcaps are very similar but those from Mebetoys looks better and have a better 3-D effect.
It is one of the models made during the last years of Mebetoys, after they were bought by Hot Wheels, but before they discontinued the Brand.

The Joal model is also based in the Politoys model, so there is not much more to say about it. The stickers are very nice, and the mixed colours in body and Bonnet gives it a strange looking.

 

The Mercury model, as said before, is unfortunately in a previous entry, so please visit it here, and compare all models together. Mercury seems to have taken as a reference the Mebetoys model, although it is hard to say, I haven't seen all four models together yet.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: FERRARI 512S PININFARINA (6621, M13, 119, 66)
• Scale: 1:43
• Year: 1970 (Mebetoys, Politoys) and 1971 (Joal, Mercury)
• Company: Mebetoys/Hot Wheels (Italy/ U.S.A.), Politoys (Italy), Mercury (Italy)
• Size: approx. 9 cm

#328 HOT WHEELS! – VOLKSWAGEN GOLF CABRIOLET (Ref. 6909) (Around 1982)

ITALIAN HOT WHEELS!

The relation between HotWheels! and Italy begins in 1969. In that year, Mattel purchases Mebetoys, a company with high quality standards especialized in 1:43 scale models. Mebetoys was owned back then by the Besana family, who were accepted in the new company to cooperate with the new team. Unfortunately, something went wrong, because after only four months, they were rejected.
According to Arumi, Mattel included in the purchase contract the clause that after the purchase was made effective, the Besana family could not start any business dealing with die-cast toys in general and car models in particular within the following 5 years.

During that time, HotWheels! models are marked both with the Mattel and the Mebetoys logo. Many of those models were Mebetoys earlier creations, in which the chassis was modified to include both logos.

There were 40 references that year of 1969, all Mebetoys designs, based mostly in Italian and European cars, never seen in the US before. These cars wouldn’t sell anywhere but in Europe, so it was really surprising, that new Mattel models (for the following years) were more European cars (Volkswagen, Citroën, Fiat…) Here’s a nice catalogue scan from the year 1981, in which this last statement can be proved. Other “new” references were not really new models, but new versions of old Mebetoys’.

After that, Hotwheels launched the famous “Gran Toros” series, from which the reader can find a lot of information here.

The Mebetoys logo was removed from all chassis, and the name discontinued around the years 1980 or 1981. In 1984 all Italian factories ceased their production and closed. This Volkswagen was therefore made between 1980 and 1984, since there is no Mebetoys logo on the base and it is still “made in Italy”. I couldn’t find the exact date, but the reference number 6909. Maybe anyone can help me here.

The Gran Toros had great quality, many practicable parts, metallic axles with metallic hubs, and many many other features, but this car was released later, in another 1:43 series, which is clearly much cheaper and simpler. Starting with the chassis in white plastic, which is at the same time the axles. Wheels are "inserted" in them. As a result of many hours of play, the plastic axles are a bit bent, maybe you can see that in the photographs. The car has no practicable parts, and it has the sticker at only one side.

The car was available in a windowed box, so the sticker on the other side could not be seen without taking the car out of the box. The missing sticker was probably never applied, since it was provided in a separate sticker's sheet, to save in manufacturing costs (the same thing that happened to this model by Polistil).

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: VOLKSWAGEN GOLF CABRIOLET (Ref 6909)
• Scale: 1:43
• Year: Around 1982
• Company: Hot Wheels! - Mattel (U.S.A.) / Mebetoys (Italy)
• Size: approx. 9 cm

#5 POLITOYS – ALFA-ROMEO GIULIA, ALFA ROMEO GIULIA GT (1965) & MEBETOYS – FIAT 124 (1966)

Italian Automotive industries are between the most powerful in the world: Fiat, Lancia, Ferrari are well known worldwide. Toy companies like Politoys/Polistil, Bburago or Mebetoys are only popular among scale car collectors.
Today I wanted to present these three models, that I recently acquired. They are all built in 1:43 scale and they are made in Italy. That’s what they’ve in common.
 

Left to Right: A-R Giulia, A-R Giulia GT, Fiat 124 

 

Left to Right: Fiat 124, A-R Giulia, A-R Giulia GT

Two of these models are Alfa-Romeo Giulia, a “standard” version (nº523), and a GT version (nº 500) of the same automobile, and both are made by Politoys. This company was founded in 1960, and started producing plastic 1:41 cars, but in 1965 changed to die-cast 1:43 cars. In 1970, the company changed its name to Polistil, and continued producing quality products (cars, motobikes) in many different scales (1:16, 1:24, 1:32, 1:43, 1:66,…), including slot cars. By the late 80s, the company was absorbed by Tonka, and after a few years (1993), they stopped using this name forever.

Alfa Romeo Giulia

 

Alfa Romeo Giulia GT

 

The third model is a Fiat 124 (A-16), made by Mebetoys. This company was founded in 1959 but the car line was started in 1966. The company was only independent for a few years, because in 1969 it was acquired by Mattel, that already had its own brand for scale cars: HotWheels! Both brands were simultaneously in the market many years, until 1983. The moulds were shared with other toy companies, like the Spanish Joal. 

Fiat 124

 

Mebetoys’ old models are even rarer to find than Politoys and therefore relatively expensive.

Both Mebetoys and Politoys/Polistil are between the most renowned European brands of the 60s and 70s, along with Schucco (Germany), Solido (France), Corgi and Dinky (G. Britain). As you can see in the pictures, these models have many practicable parts (doors, trunk, bonnet), rubber tyres, and very high detail level. Some models even include reclining seats, and they all use “jewel-headlights”.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Name: Alfa Romeo Giulia / Alfa Romeo Giulia GT / Fiat 124
• Scale: 1:43
• Year: 1965 / 1965 / 1966
• Company: Politoys- Polistil (Italy) / Mebetoys (Italy)
• Size: approx. 10 cm