#741 STAR WARS – REBEL COMMANDO vs DENGAR (1981 and 1983)

Until now, I always showed figures together belonging to the same series, but this time, I made a mistake, I took the pictures of Dengar (a character from the Empire Strikes Back) together with Rebel Commando (from the Return of the Jedi). Now that the job is done, I will simply comment the figures until the next entry.

Dengar is one of the bounty hunters hired by Jabba the Hut, but despite being quite recognisable, has a rather secondary role in the movie and appear only during a short time on the screen. The figure came with a long blue rifle, but mine is a repro part. The figure is a bit shorter than others in this collection. Having different sizes is something great that I miss in other toylines like G.I.Joe: ARAH or Masters of the Universe. The fgure also looks great in this small snow diorama shown in entry #640.

The Rebel Commando is the rebel troop for the last battle in Endor and is collected and "armybuilt" by many collectors, since they need a big army to fight the imperial troops. The weapon of this figure is original and I got it through my friend Pablo from Coleccionismo80-90. I love this figure for its simplicity, a guy in a green overall with a helmet. I wish I had a few of them, a small army.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: REBEL COMMANDO and DENGAR
• Toy Line: Star Wars (The Return of the Jedi and The Empire Strikes Back)
• Year: 1983 and 1981
• Company: Kenner (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: 9,5 cm (3 3/4'')

#740 SCALEXTRIC – MERCEDES WANKEL C-111 (Ref. 4044) (1970)

The Mercedes Wankel was one of those legendary concept cars of the 70s, from which only a few units were made. Most accurately, there were 4 versions, that were made between 1969 and 1979.

It included revolutionary advances in their motors, like the Wankel and diesel motors as well as motors with turbocompressors, and avant-garde features like gullwing doors, air conditioning and carbon fiber body.

The car was fast like hell, it broke several speed records thanks to its powerful motors, and of course, it was a car that appeared on the press and TV, gaining a certain popularity those days. That made many toy manufacturers to put their attention in this model to reproduce it on different scales.

Scalextric did a wonderful job turning this model into a 1:32 slot car. It was released in 1970 (it corresponds to the first C-111 version from 1969). The car was available in green, orange, white and yellow, although there is a rare “red-ish” version. This rarity could be explained in which the orange plastic mixed a little bit with red plastic from other models, or maybe there was a mistake and somebody feed the injection machine with the wrong colour.during the production. The fact is that several units came with a colour which looks more like red, and they are scarce. If the guys at Exin noticed that, maybe many red models were destroyed or recycled into new models.

So far about the car model. Notice I also have the original box (with yellow dot) in very good shape and the instruction sheet. This is the one I show in my blog, because I never worried about not having them, and I do not dare buying them online because thez have been reproduced and you never know if the one you’re buying is original or not, until you have it on your hands and analyse it through a powerful magnifying glass.

The complete document comprises 4 pages with an approximate A5 size (each page).

I love this piece of paper. Note that the illustrations are made specifically for the Mercedes, every reference had its specific drawings. Most sheets found today are bent in the middle and the paper has yellowed a little bit, but this is not a problem for me. The fake instructions are also artificially yellowed and bent, making them almost indistinguishable from the original ones.

 

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Name: MERCEDES WANKEL C-111 (Ref. 4044)
• Scale: 1:32
• Year: 1970
• Company: Scalextric Exin (Spain)
• Size: approx. 12 cm

#739 GISIMA – CITROËN BX (Around 1985)

This is a very rare sample for die-cast collectors in the 3 inches size. It is made by Gisima, a company from Spain that has appeared many times in this blog already, and that made a short line of cars in the late 80s and early 90s. The cars were not very accurate, but at least most they were original casts. Others were copied from other better known brands, like Majorette.

Other cars were equipped with a pencil sharpener inside. I have presented three of these (in two scales) in a previous entry #451.

This time I present a boxed model. As mentioned in a previous entry, Gisima sold their cars not only in this kind of jewel boxes, but also inserted in polystyrene panels. It has many of the characteristics of other Gisima models, like the bright colour, the stickers that decorate it, the plastic base, the not very accurate casting and the clear windows. The base, however is slightly different, since the seats and the cockpit are marked and it includes the scale 1:55, an information that is not available in the later models (see #291).

The case has a very small size compared to the model inside, with orange base and transparent cover. The cover has the Gisima logo on top, something quite rare to see.

 
The Citroen BX is a rather beloved model, since it was a great car from the mid to late 80s, and miniature BXs are very sought-for. This one is probably one of the most difficult to find for the short numbers in which it was made.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: CITROËN BX
• Scale: Approx. 1:64
• Year: Around 1985
• Company: Gisima (Spain)
• Size: approx. 6 cm

#738 COMANBOYS - EXPERTO DEL FAR-WEST (Ref. 630) and COMANDO DEL ESPACIO (Ref. 810) (around 1988)

Comanboys was another Kubrick figure made after the success of Playmobil in Spain (originally called Famobil for their ditributor Famosa). They are not a knock-off because they are more or less three quarters the size, and the design has several diferences. I have four figures, two loose ones and two new in blister.

The figure was invented by José María Verges and patented in February 1978. You can find the patent of this figure including a nice illustration of the “inside” of the figure in the following page:
http://www.famobil.ekiwi.es/grandes/coman%20boys%20patente.pdf

Today I am presenting two blister packs, which are quite common. I have seen many units of these in the last years, so I guess somebody found a big lot of hundreds of units and is selling everything slowly. I got mine for very little money. The blister packs belong to the two most popular series by the end of life of this toyline: western and space. The Western line was available, at least, since the late 70s, but these blisters are from the late 80s, when the space series came out.

The nice thing about my blisters is that one of then is a factory error and includes the wrong figure. Maybe you noticed it in the first picture. The Western blister should include a cowboy or an indian, but instead it has an astronaut inside. Both astronauts are identical except for the colour of their limbs and helmet and for the red sticker in their chests. The accessories are also different.

The card artwork is very interesting. Both the colours and the main theme with the block letters are very well chosen. The far-west blistercard has a picture with many figures, including a train, a fort and many figures with and without horses. Really impressive diorama. The back of the far-west card is more boring, with just a few advertising tricks: “very cool!”, “more beautiful”, “smaller, “more movements”, “more accessories”, “funnier”, “to play more and better”, together with the Comansi slogan: “Juguete Completo, Juguete Comansi”.

The back card of the space blister is a picture of a big playset made in cardboard. The diorama, again, is great, and notice the small figures on the ground… that tower must have been very big. Notice also that there were some vehicles and bigger accesories available. Some of the space figures were very interesting robots in the 70s style... even though they were made already in the 80s.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: COMANBOYS – EXPERTO DEL FAR-WEST (Ref. 630) and COMANDO DEL ESPACIO (Ref. 810) (although Ref. 630 is a FACTORY ERROR)
• Toy Line: Comanboys
• Year: 1988
• Company: Comansi (Spain)
• Size of the figures: Approx. 5 cm

#737 MAJORETTE - BMW TURBO, BERTONE CAMARGUE, SAVIEM GRUE, MORGAN PLUS 8 and EXCALIBUR (217, 221, 228, 261 and 267) (1979, 1980 and 1981)

This is a lot of 5 cars I bought from another collector. They are from 1979 to 1981 and still in their sealed blister packs "neuf sous blister".

Nr. 217 - BMW TURBO (decoration 1979-1981)
I won’t stop in explaining anything about this car, since you have an entry exclusively dedicated to it in this blog. Please visit entry #438.

Nr. 221 - BERTONE CAMARGUE (decoration 1980)
This decoration from 1980 is one of the most curious by majorette. There are many Majorette models with advertising tampographies within the „ordinary“ 200 or 300 series, but most of them are trucks or vans. In this case it is a Citroën GS Camargue in white, with Holiday Inn logos in green. Curious choice.

In the catalogue of 1981 we find the last appearance of this car, but this time in blue and white with „RACING“ tampographies.

But before 1980, this model was issued several times. In the catalogues from 1974 and 1975, it is not photographed, but drawn, in orange colour, an in 1976, it is finally shown in a picture but with the upper half in red and the lower half in yellow. This would continue until 1978 and in 1979 we find a blue model with the Union Jack in the bonnet. Strange, because it is a French car and I don’t know any relation to Great Britain whatsoever.

Nr. 228 – SAVIEM GRUE (decoration 1979-1982)
This truck was first available quite soon, in 1975. It is depicted in that year’s catalogue as a replacement of the „Grue Telescopique“. The first model seems to be red with grey and white crane.
It is seen for the second time in the catalogue from 1979, in the same colours as the one shown in the picture. This would be the main decoration until 1982. Then, it seems that it was discontinued.
Maybe the design was a bit strange for  kids, since we must note that in this model, the scale is bigger than 1:100, maybe 1:150 or 1:200. It was replaced by a n approximately 1:100 truck named „Grue“ (Nr. 283)

The next two belong somehow together. They were sold well for a long time, probably, because they are quite different from the other models, and people like variety. Many fathers bought them for their children, and I must say, I had both as a kid. Both in red. But there were many more versions... at least the following ones.

Nr. 261 - MORGAN PLUS 8 (decoration 1981)
The catalogue from 1979 has the first appearance of this model in dark green with white/beige roof, in 1981 it was changed to red with black roof, and this model would continue in 1981. In  1982 and until 1984, the first model in green with white roof will reappear in the catalogues.
In 1985 it seems darker, maybe it was a black version, but I am not sure of this. In 1986 and 87 we find another red version, but this time with white/beige roof.
In 1988, there si another new decoration in black or a very dark colour (never seen it),
In 1989 it is redecorated in light blue with white roof, and in 1990 it is shown again in dark green with white roof.
In 1991 it disappears, but the number 261 would still remain for a few years reserved. Maybe they were selling the rest of the production during 3-4 years more.

Nr. 267 – EXCALIBUR (decoration 1980)

Unlike the previous model, this one was issued later and discontinued earlier, but it counted many different versions. I could find all these:
-1979 Red with black roof
-1980 2 versions: white or red, both with black roof
-1981 Red with black roof
-1982 White or red, both with black roof
-1983 & 1984 Red with white roof
-1985 Silver with black roof
-1986 Blue with black roof
-Disappears in 1987.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: BMW TURBO (217), BERTONE CAMARGUE (221), SAVIEM GRUE (228), MORGAN PLUS 8 (261) and EXCALIBUR (267)
• Scale: 1:64
• Year: Several years: 1979, 1980, 1979, 1981 and 1980
• Company: Majorette (France)
• Size: approx. 7 cm