#1014 VEREM – PEUGEOT 504 COUPÉ V6 (Nr. 1055) (1980)

I had never heard of Verem until I found this car in a flea market several years ago, together with other models in the same scale (Schuco, Gama, Solido and others). I bought it, because if the brand was unknown to me, it had to be a rare model, and I always enjoy adding one more brand to my collection. I also like the car represented very much.

There is very few information on the web about them. On hobbydb, I could read that it was founded under another name as a division of Solido. As a matter of fact, the company was based in Rouves, just a few kilometers aways from the Solido factory. The name Verem was first used in 1984, four years after Majorette purchased Solido. The name comes from Majorette founder EMile VERon.

Other sources are not sure if Verem was a subsidiary or an independent licensee, although the geographical closeness to Solido and the ownership of Majorette, seems to point out in the subsidiary direction.

What we know for sure is that Verem offered re-editions of Solido references from the 70s and 80s, including military vehicles, and also resin models in 1994.

The toy car is a Peugeot 504 Coupé V6 based on a Solido cast, and done with high quality. It has lots of practicable parts and also the paintwork is great. I like very much the model! The car was also great back in the 70s and the 80s, but very rare to spot, as it was the top of the 504 series, and a very expensive car at the time.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: PEUGEOT 504 COUPÉ V6 (Nr. 1055)
• Scale: 1:43 (approx.)
• Year: 1980
• Company: Verem (France)
• Size: approx 9 cm

#1013 FIGURAS EN ACCIÓN (F.E.A.) Nr.27

Today it is the 6th of January, the day in which children receive presents in Spain from the Three Wise Men. 

Please take a look at the new issue of Figuras En Acción, the 27^th in more than 13 years. It is also a present for you, since you do not have to pay for it (or register or fill any form), it is directly available from our Google Drive.

This issue has set the record for the highest number of participants, 9 people, and it comes with a series of articles each of them very different to the others. Besides the classic G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe and E.T., there are other articles about Police Academy (the TV series), concept cars reproduced by the Spanish die-cast manufacturer Guisval, the subline Micro by Tente. This time we also have an interview with Lázaro Totem, who has made a collection of stickers with its album about monsters and other terrorific creatures. It is a delight to  watch his work. The sticker album can be only ordered from and to Spain. At least until further notice.

There are many news commented, we visit one museum related to toys and games, we comment some recent publications, and do many other sections worth reading.

Please visit the official blog of the magazine to find this issue. And all the previous 26 too.

www.toysfromthepast.blogspot.com

#1012 SCALEXTRIC – SEAT 850 (Ref. C-42 or 4042) (1969)

I have the impression that Scalextric cars are losing value in the last few years, which is a good thing if you are still collecting them, or you want to play with them as it is my case. I have plenty of cars that I have bought in the last 30 years and I would like to start playing now with my son. It is bad news if you are trying to sell your collection.

Among the most difficult cars I have, I have two versions of the Seat 850, one in burgundy red and the other one in dark green, and they are both 100% original and in a very good shape. One of them is even boxed. These models have reached very high prices in the last 5 years, over 200 euros each, but I got mine for much less money. 

The real Seat 850 Sport Coupé was the sports car by Seat in the 60s, and, thus, a very rare car to spot, even at the time. It was usual to see other models, such as the 600, 1500, 850… but the 850 coupé was only sold in very low numbers, it was probably too expensive and not suitable for families. Exin chose this model to be made in the year 1969, right after the Seat 600, and was the second car ever made entirely by the Spanish branch, and the second Seat, for obvious reasons.

The slot car was also available in light blue and white, but all of them carried the same stickers (with different, random race numbers). There are newer reissues of the car, being the most important the “Vintage” limited edition from 1995, in white with race number 95, from which only 8.000 units were made. Even after that, already in the Tecnitoys era, there were many other models representing real racing cars.

It is a very cool car and it is also fun to drive. Note that both models shown here are the Race-Tuned versions.

   

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Name: SEAT 850 (Ref. C-42)
• Scale: 1:32
• Year: 1969
• Company: Scalextric Exin (Spain)
• Size: approx. 12 cm

#1011 STAR TOYS – MIGUEL INDURÁIN (1995)

   

This is a promotional figure made by Star Toys that represents the Spanish cyclist Miguel Induráin. He is the 5 times winner of the Tour de France, and the first person to win five times in consecutive years, between 1991 and 1995. There are other 3 people who also won that race five times. Lance Armstrong won the race 7 times, but was later disqualified for life.

Miguel Induráin also won the Giro d’Italia twice, as well as other prestigious races, and was also a gold medallist in the Olympic Games of Atlanta’96.

Right after the fifth Tour de France victory in the summer of 1995, El Mundo Deportivo, a sports journal from Spain offered this small PVC figure as a giveaway, presented in a plastic bag with a small card inside. It is an unique figure, does not belong to any series.

The figure is manufactured by Star Toys and it is relatively easy to spot in Spain, as it was probably made up to hundreds of thousands. It carries the corporate colours of the Banesto Team, named after a bank that is now part of the Santander group.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: MIGUEL INDURÁIN
• Year: 1995
• Company: Star Toys (Spain)
• Size of the figures: Around 8 cm

#1010 EDOCAR – VW 1300 MUSICAR “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” (1989)

 

What I found about Edocar was already explained in a previous entry, that you can review here. This time I am presenting a single model which has the special feature of singing Happy Birthday using the same mechanism than Majorette’s Sonic Flashers.

The model, of course, it is produced by MC Toy in a color which is specific for Edocar, and the decoration is somewhat colourful although not especially remarkable. Most MC Toy models have better tampographies. The windows are black to hide the electrical circuit that produces the music. It was sold in a blister pack.

Back to the musical feature, Happy Birthday was not the only melody available, there were other models which reproduced the tune of “Tulips from Amsterdam”, the theme of “Alfred J. Kwack” or the jingle of Coca-Cola. Edocar and Coca-Cola have a special relation about which I will write in another occasion.

What I dislike about this toys is that, once the battery is empty, there is no easy way to replace them. Also the batteries corrode, and at some point, they will spoil the toy, not to mention that many of these toys ended in the waste bin contaminating earth and water. Remember to remove batteries from the toys if you are going to store them for a long time!

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: VW 1300 Musicar „Happy Birthday“
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: 1989
• Company: Edocar (Netherlands, China)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm

#1009 BUCKY O’HARE – BUCKY O’HARE and AL NEGATOR (1991)

I am not collecting this line specifically, but, as I have two more figures with their accessories that I got in exchanges and in lots I bought, I have decided to make a new entry with these two nice characters from the toyline created by Larry Hama.

The first one is Bucky O’Hare himself, the main character of the series and one of the nices figures in the collection. I already and extensively talked about him in a previous netry, so this time I am focusing on the figure. It has the usual 5 points of articulation, plus the two ears, which is kind of peculiar. The figure came with an orange pistol that can also be attached to his belt, and cloak, that, for some reason I forgot to photograph. I has nice bright colours, but I miss at least one more colour applied to his uniform, and it is all red with some yellow and silver details. With one more colour, it may have looked much better.

Al Negator (Al Garto in Spanish) is one of the bad guys, some alligator with an astronaut outfit and also with a pistol, this time a green one. It can also be attached to his back, to carry it easily. This figure has 6 points of articulation, the usual 5 ones plus the tail. The figure has also 4 basic colours.

The figure in their blisters have been available for a long time, but now they are starting to scarce and the prices are going up. Maybe it is our last chance to complete this collection for very little money before it definitely goes up. Several year ago, I had the chance to buy all  figures at 5 euro each new in their blister cars, but I decided to get only one. That was the time when I was starting this blog. 

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: BUCKY O’HARE and AL NEGATOR
• Alternate Names: Al Garto (Spanish)
• Toy Line: Bucky O’Hare (Wave 1)
• Year: 1991
• Company: Hasbro (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: 12 cm approx.

#1008 SOHBI – VARIOUS MODELS (Around 1995)

 

I already wrote about Sohbi a long time ago, you can review this entry, if you are interested in reading a bit about the company or you want to see a nice Lancia Stratos or Two versions of a Volkswagen Golf.

Around three years ago I found a small lot of 6 Sohbi cars in a flea market, and I got Them all. These are the models I am presenting today. All of them are based on casts from MC Toy, Zylmex or Matchbox. Some of them have interesting decorations, although due to the low quality of the tampographies, these are partially lost.

E-18 - Ferrari Testarossa (MC Toy)

E-19 - Porsche 959 (MC Toy)

 

 

E-20 - Peugeot 205 (MC Toy)

E-21 - Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (Zylmex)

E-24 - Jaguar E-Type (Zylmex)

 

 

E-28 - Lotus Europa (Matchbox)

 

 

I also tried to elaborate a list of Sohbi models together with their reference numbers, using as a base the list in Swifty’s Garage and inserting one or two references from my own models.

• E-16 - Lancia Stratos (Zylmex?)
• E-17 - Volkswagen Golf (MC Toy)
• E-18 - Ferrari Testarossa (MC Toy)
• E-19 - Porsche 959 (MC Toy)
• E-20 - Peugeot 205 (MC Toy)
• E-21 - Mercedes-Benz 300 SE (Zylmex)
• E-22 -
• E-23 -
• E-24 - Jaguar E-Type (Zylmex)
• E-25 - DeTomaso Mangusta (Corgi Juniors?)
• E-26 -
• E-27 - Porsche 906 Carrera 6 (Corgi Juniors)
• E-28 - Lotus Europa (Matchbox)
  

• Citroen DS
• 11 - Ford Econoline
• 12 - Jeep CJ-6
• Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL
• Lamborghini Countach LP5000
• 32 - Porsche 911 Carrera
• 35 - Mercedes-Benz 500 SL

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: FERRARI TESTAROSSA, PORSCHE 959, PEUGEOT 205, MERCDES-BENZ 300 SE, JAGUAR E-TYPE and LOTUS EUROPA (D-E18, D-E19, D-E20, D-E21, D-E24 and D-E28)
• Scale: 1:64 (approx.)
• Year: Approx. 1995
• Company: Sohbi (Hong-Kong/ China)
• Size: approx. 3’’ or 7 cm