#1043 YATMING – WRECK TRUCK and HEAVY DUTY TIPPER TRUCK (Around 1975 and 1990)

Yatming has a series of trucks with different loads attached to it. Some people say, they are based on the Ford F600 Cab, while other people think it resembles more an Isuzu cab from the late 70s. Honestly, I think it is the second one, as the two rectangles on the front of the cab are typical of the Japanese company, but I am not an expert in trucks and even less in Japanese trucks. Maybe the next picture helps with the identification...

These models were released in the mid-80s and carried reference numbers ranging from 1351 to 1359. There were, of course, other truck models but these were the oldest. As it is usual in this die-cast manufacturer, the models were available during a long period of time, many years, in fact, so you can find them Made in Hong Kong or Made in China, with metal or plastic bases and also with different colour variants.

I only have these two:
 
1352 Wreck Truck (Made in Hong-Kong) still has its hook and is in a very good shape. With metallic base. The hook oscillates back and forth, but the black base is firmly attached to the cab. It can carry one car, but not every car, as the hook is too high for most models and, as a results, the truck drags whatever load it is.

1358 Heavy Duty Tipper Truck (Made in China), with plastic base. Interestingly, both share the same wheels, even though there are, at least, 10 years between one and the other. The bed is practicable.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: WRECK TRUCK and HEAVY DUTY TIPPER TRUCK (No. 1352 and 1358)
• Scale: Around 1:100
• Year: Around 1975 and 1990
• Company: YatMing (Hong-Kong/China)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#984 YATMING –PONTIAC TRANS-AM, FORD MUSTANG TURBO COB and PORSCHE 944 (1060, 1067 and 1089) (Around 1989)

These Yatmings are “late” models,two of them made in China and the third one in Thailand. I got them in the late 80s, 1990, at latest, and have been in my collection ever since. They have die-cast metal bases, which was already, back then, becoming unusual in car miniatures. Still all three have practicable doors, which was also becoming rarer then.

So, while many manufacturers were simplifying their models and replacing metal by plastic, other simply moved to China and other far-east Asian countries. Yatming started in Hong-Kong, so didn’t have to move very far its production plant.

The Pontiac Trans-Am is a bit battered, but the other two are in very good condition. Unfortunately, the metal used in the base might not be the best, and it shows that typical roughness and it has an unesay touch. I hope it does not break or deteriorate anymore than that. Interestingly, they are only marked “Yatming”, plus the reference number of each model, but the name of the car is not casted.

I also thing they fit together well.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: PONTIAC TRANS-AM, FORD MUSTANG TURBO COB and PORSCHE 944 (1060, 1067 and 1089)
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: Around 1989
• Company: YatMing (Hong-Kong)
• Size: Around 6 cm

#846 TOYS FROM THE PAST - MUSEUM (IX)

See more of these entries here: http://toysfromthepast.blogspot.com/search/label/TFTP

See you next month!

Important notice: The items on display are NOT for sale.

 

 

 

 

#787 YATMING - TOYOTA CROWN and DODGE (No. 1055 and 1056) (Around 1978)

I owned these two cars since around 25 years. At the time, they were quite exotic, because I didn´t have many miniature Dodges or Toyotas, and these brands were not yet very popular in Europe. The models were also completely unknown, they were never available in Spain, and I never saw them even in specialized press or TV.

They are bulky models with metallic base and both have consecutive reference numbers. I can´t recall now if I got both at the same time or one after the other. Note also that the base has some kind of rust, or imperfection that has been always there. It doesn’t disturb me, as long as it remains like it is now.

The Toyota Crown is the grey model, as you can guess from its decoration, while the Dogde is the white model. In this case the decoration says only "Dodge" and "Happy Driving".
Both have some chromed parts and nice interiors. I would say they were quite good at the time compared with their competitors from Europe and the U.S.A. more or less the same quality level at this point.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: TOYOTA CROWN and DODGE (No. 1055 and 1056)
• Scale: Around 1:64
• Year: Around 1978
• Company: Yatming (Hong Kong)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#631 YATMING vs. ZYLMEX - LAMBORGHINI MARZAL (1004 and D48) (Around 1970 and 1977)

In one of the latest flea markets I visited, I found these two great minatures of the same car: the Lamborghini Marzal. They are made by two Hong-Kongese companies that at the time were not very appreciated, but that today are very sought-after. This is our chance to make a quick comparison.

We should of course consider that the cast by Yatming is much older, and that Zylmex's model is actually a knock-off of a Matchbox's miniature, so in terms of cast, I preffer the Yatming model, that is, at least, based on an own design.

Interestingly, the Yatming model has a glass roof, as it had the original car model. I don't know why Matchbox decided to let the roof covered and instead leaving the rear window open. In the original car, the rear window was covered by a series of panels with that same structure that is imitated in Matchbox's and Zylmex's rear window design.

The doors of the real car were like the ones reproduced in the Zylmex model,

Curiously both cars are yellow, although the Zylmex model seem to be also available in green. The Yatming model is in bad shape, but still complete and Rolling properly.

More Zylmex models HERE.

More YatMing models HERE.

UPDATE (JULY 2018): I found a new Yatming Marzal in very good shape.

UPDATE 2 (Dec/2021): And another Marzal, this time the Zylmex one in very good shape, courtesy of Steven

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: LAMBORGHINI MARZAL (1004 and D48)
• Scale: Approx. 1:64 
• Year: Around 1970 and 1977
• Company: Yatming and Zylmex (Hong-Kong) 
• Size: approx. 6 cm

#552 YATMING - HONDA F1 (1301), FERRARI F1 (1302) and BRABHAM BT 44 F1 (1309) (Around 1970 and 1975)

Yatming made not only cars, but also F1, public works machines, and many other vehicles in several scales. The 13xx Series included 12 Formula Ones (1301 to 1312) from the 60s and 70s. The first references seem to be older, like end of the 60s, while the higher references are cars from the mid-70s. Were they all made at the same time or in two or more different years? Probably the line was launched at the beginning of the 70s and extended by the mid-70s.

The first two references are the Honda and the Ferrari. The first in marked on the base "Honda", the second one is not marked "Ferrari". Both models are marked Yatming and the reference number, but the Honda is Made in Hong-Kong, and the Ferrari is Made in China, so I would bet the Ferrari is some kind of later re-issue.

The third (and later) model is a Brabham BT 44, which is also unmarked "Brabham" on the base, and is a copy of a Polistil cast, already presented in this blog (entry #170), but repictured here for comparing purposes.

This last model is Made in Thailand.

Yatming casts are based on ral models, but colours applied and decorations are quite different from the real racing models. Maybe for this reason, Yatming formula ones are not among the most sought-after models.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: HONDA F1 (1301), FERRARI F1 (1302) and BRABHAM BT 44 F1 (1309)
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: Approx. 1970 and 1975
• Company: Yatming/ Yat Ming (Hong-Kong)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm