#795 GISIMA - BMW M1 and BMW TURBO (Around 1984)

 

MONTH OF THE BOOTLEG AT TOYS FROM THE PAST!

 

Here are two cars from the early 80s made by Gisima in Spain. I recall having the BMW Turbo as a kid and how it broke into pieces. I think the remains of the car should still be in some "spare" box. My car was exactly like the one in the pictures: yellow/orange with black doors and the same stickers, probably the only ones made for this model ever.

The BMW M1 instead is a car I didn´t know it existed by Gisima, I took both around two years ago from the same seller.

They are copies of Matchbox and Majorette respectively. The Turbo model is practically 1:1 the Majorette model, but the M1 has a nice add-on to the rare Matchbox model: a practicable plastic trunk at the front (the real model has rear engine).

The stickers are made of paper, so they are quite fragile, as the construction in general. The plastic base could break easily (note the plastic rivets), or, as in the car I had during my childhood, the base may detach from the body of the car.

They are very rare to find in this condition, although they were produced in relatively high numbers, most of them were damaged while playing.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: BMW M1 and BMW TURBO
• Scale: 1:64
• Year: 1984
• Company: Gisima (Spain)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#794 KAIDO – SLANDERS, ZARGONE and TARKHAN (1990)

MONTH OF THE BOOTLEG AT TOYS FROM THE PAST!

In this entry I would like to make a list of which figures goes with which accessories, that is some kind of Yojoe’s WHOBIT, but for Kaido. It is a much easier work, since there are only 12 figures in this toyline.

As mentioned in the first Kaido entry, most weapons are copied from G.I.Joe figures other from Lanard's Corps, while the backpacks were their own designs and could actually talk. In this toyline, all accesories are made of BLACK plastic, except the backpacks, that are available in black, orange, blue, red and grey.

There are 6 types of backpacks, almost each of them in two colours. All of them had different voices -that is, different electronics- so, make sure the voice command is exactly the one from that figure. There are othercollections that also have these backpacks, and sometimes, they could be mixed up.

Bikin produced 12 figures for this toyline. They are actually numbered KS001 to KS012. These figures and their accessories are:

• KS001 – Charkkaff

• KS002 – Kanats

• KS003 – Kapawach

• KS004 – Daïman

• KS005 – Zorgev (backpack same cast as Slanders, but orange)

• KS006 – Slanders

• KS007 – Zargone (backpack same cast as Orx, but red)

• KS008 – Tarkhan (backpack same cast as Charkaff, and also in black)

• KS009 – Molloch (backpack same cast as Daïman, but red)

• KS010 – Orx

• KS011 – Alpacko (backpack same cast as Kapawach, also in black)

• KS012 – Tetrark

Because I like presenting new toys in every entry, I will now introduce three more figures from this toyline. Still four more to go.

SLANDERS (KS006) is one of the good guys, the underwater specialist fom the KAIDO team.

ZARGONE (KS007) the mad scientist from the NEW ORDER, is an expert in genetics, biochemistry and robotics.

TARKHAN (KS008) is a Mongolian circus artist recruited by the NEW ORDER for his mastery is horseriding, falcon training and snake charmer.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: SLANDERS, ZARGONE and TARKHAN (Ref.KS006, KS007 and KS008)
• Toy Line: Kaïdo
• Year: 1990
• Company: Bikin (Belgium)
• Size of the figures: 11 cm. or 3,75’’

#793 BBURAGO – MCA/MIG CENTENAIRE, CHEVROLET CORVETTE ’83 and CHEVROLET CORVETTE ’97 (1994, 1997, 1999)

Three dream cars by Bburago in 1:43 scale. I don’t know any other Centenaire made in small scale, probably because I am not so well informed of die-cast news since the mid 90s. The car is stunning!
The other two are two Corvettes (models from 1983 and 1997), both beautiful, although the green one has been “customized” and its stickers torn.

MCA/MIG Centenaire (Nr. 2083) from 1994 to 1996

Chevrolet Corvette 1983 from 1997 to 2006

Chevrolet Corvette 1997 from 1999 to 2006

These were my last Bburagos. Despite being nice reproductions, I am not buying any more, they are somehow difficult to collect because of the many decorations of each model and due to their scale, they take too much space. I will only keep several cars (currently 3 or 4) that are among my very favorites.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: MCA/MIG CENTENAIRE, CHEVROLET CORVETTE ’83 and CHEVROLET CORVETTE ’97
• Scale: 1:43
• Year: 1994, 1997 and 1999
• Company: Bburago (Italy)
• Size: approx. 9 cm

#792 SIKU – VOLKSWAGEN KASTENWAGEN (TRANSPORTER III) and MERCEDES 208 (Ref. 1331 and 1918) (1981)

These two bulky vans are an example of typical vans from the early 80s, very rectangular, huge load capacity and not very beautiful. Siku made these two models, which are both from German manufacturers.

A van is a toy that is usually very versatile, since it can be used in several decorations or with slight modifications to look very different from each other. Vans can also be used as promotional toys, just by printing the logo and the name of a company on one side (as it actually happened with these models), and children love opening the rear doors and looking inside, or putting some small item inside.

The two models presented today are in vey good condition.

The first one is the VW Kastenwagen (a.k.a. Transporter, 3rd generation) and was available between 1981 and 1994. It carried number 1331 and was available in many colours and decorations, most notably: skyblue (two shades), red (Coca-Cola), grey, white and green. The same cast was also used in other two references: Radio Van (yellow) and Fire Brigade Van (red) (with a few plastic ad-ons: an aerial and a ladder, respectively).

 

The Mercedes 208 I am presenting was probably part of reference 1918 (Minivan with Trailer) that was available between 1981 and 1988.

Again, the van was available in a single blister in colours silver, bright brown, red, cream white "Holiday Inn" and then in some variations like Schoolbus (orange), Police Van (yellowish green, with plastic horn mounted on roof) and Towtruck (modified cast, various colours).

UPDATE (Dec/2018) A Mercedes 208 "AIrport Service" in grey. Cool!

UPDATE1 (Feb/2019): Green VW Kastenwagen / Transporter III

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: VOLKSWAGEN KASTENWAGEN (TRANSPORTER III) and MERCEDES 208 (Ref. 1331 and 1918)
• Scale: 1:55
• Year: 1981
• Company: Siku (West-Germany)
• Size: approx. 7 cm