Imitation or an original?
02/13/2025
It was the subject of a recent Swiss Car Register information evening, the rebuilding of classic cars in today's world. What is practiced on a large scale - the SCR evening was about a Jaguar E-Type Lightweight from 2014 - also happens on a small scale. In other words, with toy cars. Two VW Beetles serve as an example: the one on the right is a replica from China with a license and everything, while the one on the left is an original "Made in England" from Dinky Toys - admittedly an unplayed example from a 0-gauge model railway set.
Having just returned from the Rétromobile , I had a few of these re-editions in my luggage - along with two or three originals. Incidentally, I was more than amazed by these, because I am firmly convinced that a Lesney "Model of Yesteryear" number Y-1, the Ford T in red, is "New Old Stock" and has never been allowed to leave its box since 1965.
Hardly anyone seems to want "Models of Yesteryear" from Series 2 from the 1960s anymore. I bought this Bentley 2023 at Goodwood - for £1!
The model of the Ford T looks like new, but is undoubtedly almost exactly 60 years old - the price: £6! This probably means that, apart from me, absolutely nobody wants the little works of art by Jack Odell, the mold maker and partner of Lesney founder Leslie Smith. Why is that? Is it because they are brass gold timers? Old man stuff? The fact is: I like these cars, especially the first versions of the second series, kept (and unusually for Matchbox and Lesney, respectively, declared as such on the cardboard boxes) in 1:42 scale.
The Citroën U23 "Drageuse" is a Chinese Atlas repro, while the Simca with Caravane Hénon are original Dinky France models
But to the reed editions. My weakness is the Dinky-Toys-France models reissued by Edition Atlas. The series was once started with a green Citroën DS, but has since become history - just like the entire publishing house. Edition Altas ceased trading in 2019. However, the models have remained, and it seems as if they have developed a life of their own, where it is not entirely clear whether the Chinese manufacturer has simply continued to produce them or at least continued to produce them. It is interesting to note that the Dinky Toys brand has long belonged to Mattel and the Atlas models were produced under a Mattel license.
An original from Dinky Toys France: The Estafette camping bus has plastic doors, while the replica has die-cast doors
Well, it's all a bit complicated, but in the end I don't care. Because the models, nicely packaged in repro boxes, are almost identical to the originals. This applies to the precision and the perceived value, i.e. the weight and the accuracy of fit of the models. The best thing about them, however, is the low price, because as a rule they are rarely sold for more than 20 euros/francs, at least the 1/43 passenger car models. Well, they come from China and you might be bothered by that. I do too, because I usually prefer older objects that don't come from China - except when it comes to Chinese tin toys, where I get weak without reservation.
Hongqui made of tin, made in China in the 1970s
