#612 BBURAGO – FIAT 50 NC "AUTOGRU" (Nr. 1502) (1977)

Which boy doesn´t love trucks? This early series by Bburago, called TONS, included a few truck models, although all of them are Fiat 50 NC. Each reference was a type of truck, for example: firefighter, freight, dumper, crane, cement mixer... In this case I am showing the reference 1502 "Autogru"/"Crane".

The series included 12 references, numbered from 1501 to 1512, and were available between 1977 and 1983. Each reference was available in different colours and colour combinations and sold in a cardboard box with windows.

More information about the TONS SERIES (1977-1983) here: bburago.info.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: FIAT 50 NC "AUTOGRU" (Nr. 1502)
• Scale: 1:43
• Year: 1977
• Company: Bburago (Italy)
• Size: approx. 10 cm

#611 JURASSIC PARK - COLEPHYSIS (JP04) (1993)

These small dinosaurs were sold together in a single blister pack, since they are much smaller than the other, so putting two togehter, Kenner could sell them for the same price than the others. It also makes sense to sell two together, since such a small dinosaur lived in groups and hunted other bigger dinosaurs attacking in groups.

The dinosaur does not appear in the movie, maybe in the book by Michael Crichton, which I haven´t read. In The Lost World, a group of Compsognathus kill one of the characters, but these were much smaller than the Coleophysis, and in the movie, the scene is more dramatic with the smaller "Compys".

The feature of this two creatures is that they are articulated and have a wire to articulate neck and tail. With this feature, the dinosaurs are really poseable, and really fun to play with. ("Sprinters - w/ Constrictor Bodies!")

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: COLEOPHYSIS (JP04)
• Toy Line: Jurassic Park (Wave 1)
• Year: 1993
• Company: Kenner (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: Around 11 cm long

#610 SIKU - PORSCHE 928 and 911 TURBO vs. FERRARI GTO and F40 (1979, 1985 and 1989)

Ferrari and Porsche are two of the most famous carmakers worldwide. Their cars are really amazing cars, both technically and aesthetically, and almost every models becomes sooner or later an icon and a "classic" among the sportcars.

The cars presented today are today classic cars, even though they are less than 40 years old. I collected 4 pieces made by Siku, which I acquired during the last years.

• 1037 - PORSCHE 928 (1979-1991) - available in pastel blue, sky blue, grey, red, marine blue
• 1059 - PORSCHE 911 TURBO (1985-1995) - available in white, blue, champagne, violet, light yellow

• 1060 - FERRARI GTO (1985-1994) - available in red, dark red, yellow
• 1075 - FERRARI F40 (1989-2000's) - available in red only

UPDATE 1 (May/2017): Another Porche 911 Turbo in black JPS decoration.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: PORSCHE 928 and 911 TURBO vs. FERRARI GTO and F40 (Nrs. 1037, 1059, 1060 and 1075)
• Scale: 1:55
• Year: 1979, 1985, 1989
• Company: Siku (Germany)
• Size: approx. 7 cm

#609 GUISVAL FURIA - BMW 325i and FORD SIERRA (1986), FERRARI F40 and PORSCHE 959 (1986 and 1988)

Guisval series in 1:43 scale ("Furia" series) was already commented in entry #223. A lot of information can be found there. This entry shows a few more models which were released a few years later than those first ones.

The casts are less detailed than those older models, as well as the overall quality, which is slightly worse. This is most remarkable in the tampographies: the older models had great tampographies, but these are decorated with stickers or bad quality tampographies, probably the first (or among the first) used by Guisval, and thus, not yet quite mastered.

This series had two different types of cars, first row of more usual berlinas, then a row of sports cars.

1: Available in two decorations: "plain" and with rally decorations.

• BMW 325i
• Ford Sierra
• Seat Ronda
• Mercedes 500 SEC
• Nissan Patrol (not exactly 1:43)
• Renault Espace (not exactly 1:43)

2:

• Ferrari F40
• Ferrari Testarossa
• Porsche 959

UPDATE 1 (May/2017) Added Ford Sierra NASA. Curious stickers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Some Sierra models came with a black plastic spoiler, other did not.

 

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: BMW 325i, FORD SIERRA, FERRARI F40 and PORSCHE 959
• Scale: 1:43
• Year: 1986 and 1988
• Company: Guisval (Spain)
• Size: approx. 10 cm

#608 HASBRO´S WWF - EL MATADOR, RIC FLAIR and TATANKA (1993)

Tito Santana "El Matador" (real name: Merced Solis) is a mexican-american wrestler who had the gimmick of being a bullfighter. It was one of the favorites when I was a child in Spain because he could speak our language in interviews and performed the main act in Barcelona 1991, when he became the first wrestler to defeat undertaker. It was a real well-plotted fight, very exciting because Santana was already in the body-bag when he recovered and defeated the Undertaker. Really great! The figure performs the one arm punch (as Jake "the Snake" Roberts), and has a nice paint work with its green pants and golden details. Take care with that golden paint, because it tends to disappear with hand-contact.

 

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Richard Morgan Fliehr, alias Ric Flair is one of the greatest wrestlers of all times. He has fought for the most important divisions both in America and Japan, from 1972 and over 30 years, he is still involved in wrestling activities as ambassador of the WWE. He was also known as the "Nature Boy".

The figure was released in wave 6 partly because we arrived to WWF (from WCW) in August 1991, and he would stay there until 1993. During that time, he mostly played a bad, arrogant guy, so he never became especially popular. In 1993, he returned to WCW.

The figure reuses the cast of Rick Rude with a new head, the movement is therefore quite rare, because it has been used for just a few figures.

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And finally, Tatanka (Christopher Chavis) played the role of a native american indian (he is really native american, or more exactly, a Lumbee) and sometimes performed war dances. He had very good years in the WWF and it was one of the fighters that were really astounding to see. The figure has both arms extended (as the Texas Tornado figure) and practicable elbows, in a rare and interesting action move. Many children did not understand the action move of this figure and tried to turn the waist more than 90 degrees and forced the internal spring too much. Nobody would say it, but the figure´s move is very often not working correctly. Pay attention to this if you plan to buy one on the internet.

 

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: EL MATADOR, RIC FLAIR and TATANKA
• Toy Line: Official WWF (Wave 6)
• Year: 1993
• Company: Hasbro (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: 12 cm

#607 HASBRO´S WWF - BERZERKER, REPO MAN and PAPA SHANGO (1993)

Series 6 comprises 6 new wrestlers, although most of them were not especially famous and are not remembered today, except Ric Flair.

The first one is Berzerker (John Nord), a mad viking warrior- The figure is made of the same cast than Jim Duggam (except the head), and therfore performs a punch with both arms simultaneously. I cannot remember much of the wrestler, I can´t even recall watching him in action, but it seems to be the classic "fun/mad" wrestler like Jim Duggan or the Bushwackers.

 

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Repo Man (Barry Darsow) was better known as Smash, the Demolition member. The Repo Man character was active for a short time, and performed an interesting battle against Big Boss Man. He teamed with other "nasty" characters like The Mountie or the Nasty Boys. Barry Darsow later returned to his alias "Smash" to perform solo. The figure is the classic jumping figure, and has a completely new cast.

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Papa Shango (Charles Wright) played a voodo priest, sorcerer or whatever. As a gimmick is a really great one, since he could apply his magic on the opponent, who usually simulated a big pain while rolling around in the ring. This gimmick also allowed to introduce some tricks on scene, like wrestlers bleeding inexplicably. However most fans think differently and voted Papa Shango to have the worst gimmick and being the most embarrasing wrestler in 1992 by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The figure itself is also great, because it looks quite different to every other figure, and included a bone necklace. The move performed was the one arm punch, similar to Jake "the Snake" Roberts´ figure.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: BERZERKER, REPO MAN and PAPA SHANGO
• Toy Line: Official WWF (Wave 6)
• Year: 1993
• Company: Hasbro (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: 12 cm