In 1968 as a 13year old I used to have a rather large collection of some – what I thought then – rather nice models of Formula One cars. I think they were a little smaller than 1:43 (about 2,5 to 3 inches long), but had real rubber tyres and quite nicely detailed engines with "chromed" parts for the suspensions and exhausts. There was a pretty good variety of different makes like Lotus, McLaren, Ferrari, Honda, Cooper-Maserati, yes even when I recall it right Cooper-BRM.

I am searching for the producing company of these models as I have co remembrance at all what the name was. I am sure that it was not Dinky. Maybe someone is able to give a hint.

Oh, by the way, I bought them here in Germany.

Corgi? Matchbox would be rather smaller still.

Those smaller models were by "Super-Champion" (France) and Polistil (Italy). They were rather crude but cute.

Thanks for the amazingly quick reply.

No, I am pretty shure that is was not Corgi or Matchbox. The tyres were pretty wide (as they used to be in that era) and even had very detailed treads.

And the Ferrari even had the little rear wing they used from Spa 1968 onwards.

Well Corgi Toys had a Lotus 25 and a Ferrari sharknose as did Dinky.
IIRC, the Cooper-Maserati was a Corgi and they had a version where the front wheels turned when you clicked the driver's head.
Solido had a 1967 Ferrari 312 that was beautiful but very fragile.
Dinky had the 1968 Matra (the one with the long exhaust pipes) and also a 1968 Ferrari 312.
Never saw a McLaren though.
They were all 1:43

Repeating, repeating:

"Those smaller models were by "Super-Champion" (France) and Polistil (Italy). They were rather crude but cute. "

Indeed there was a full assortment of F1 cars encompassing pretty much the whole 3-liter 1967 field. They were sold individually or in packs of 12 cars. They were approximately 1/55th scale.
Regards,

T54

I would agree with T54 regarding the "Super Champion" range....I had an almost complete range myself . I wonder if at some stage they were not given away against petrol points by Elf (?) service stations .....This company also produced , in later years, an amazing collection of 1/43 scale Ferrari 512 S and M , Lola T70, and of Porsche 917 , KH and LH , in many different liveries ( early good marketing , one mould , 6 or 7 liveries...) Me and my mate Jean had together a significant range of those ( plus various - more expensive - Solido models ) and used to run "races" on circuits drawn with chalk on a huge plywood sheet , making the cars move with dices....so many wheelbases for the number you got , play again if you got a double , but a 10 meant an engine problem , losing a lap , a 12 meant a crash , losing two laps......glorious old adolescence nostalgia days !

I used to have them all myself, and then all the Lola T70 MKIIB coupes and all the 917s... Sold it all in 1980 to concentrate on antique toys... tinplate and die-cast from way-when.
Love them old Tootsietoy 1932 Graham-Paige, 1934 LaSalle and ensuing Lincoln Zephyrs, and all the neat Mack trucks!

T54

Thinking back over what I had as a kid....

I had the Corgi Cooper-Maserati - and it didn't look anything like any Cooper-Maserati I've ever seen! For a start it was in yellow and white, it looked a lot slimmer than the real thing, and it had a strange humped engine cover..... and a very tall rear wing. (And yes, it steered!) The "Sharknose" 156 was very nice, though.

Dinky also did a Lotus 49 but in a curious pale metallic green colour, I think to about 1969 49B spec, low rear wing....

Most of my single seaters were slightly later Corgis - McLaren M19 (that started life screwed to a Yardley gift set for my dad ;)), Lotus 72, Hesketh 308, Ferrari 312T2, Shadows in Hill and UoP livery, and (weirdly) a Gordon Johncock STP Eagle-Offy - gorgeous thing that was. I also had two Surtees one of which I think was by Matchbox - one chisel-nosed blue one (TS7?) in Oxo/Rob Walker and one round-nosed one in red/white... I also had the 1:18 Corgi Lotus 72 and McLaren M23, with the knock off wheels!

I had a few of the very nice Solido sports-racers too - a Lola in Fromages de Suisse (?) livery - complete with holes!; at least one Alpine, and a Matra. Accompanying them, a Corgi or Dinky 250LM, a Corgi 917 Can-Am in L&M livery, a Corgi red 917 Langheck, a Dinky McLaren M6 (I think) in white with blue engine cover, and (can't remember who made them) a gorgeous Penske/Sunoco Ferrari 512 and one of the Alfa 33T coupes.

312B2 I mean!

I have several late Sixties F1 models by Dutch maker Efsi, as well as a few from an unbranded Hong Kong manufacturer (with just Hong Kong R 10X script at the bottom, X being a number too). Both series are quite nice and could be fit into original description. I think we have more than two mentioned choices here.

I had a Corgi TS9 in Oxo/Rob Walker colours and a TS9B in Ceremica Pagnossin (red/white) colours.

Paul.

Of all the above, I feel that only the Solido were any good. The others looked like cheap toys except for the Corgi first-issue Cooper-Maz (in Rob Walker blue, no less) and the French Dinly MATRA MS12.
The Solido cars were of superior finish and fit. the Corgi, UK Dinkies and Italian horroes by Politoys were franfly rather poor.
But it is only my opinion and I am a nit-picker...

This is exactly what they were, available at pocket money prices. But I, for one, was very glad they were in the shops. An attempt , at least, was made to make them look like the real thing. My own favourites were the Corgi Yardley McLaren M19 and Tyrrell 006 ( with a soft spot for the gorgeous Lotus 72). Some have been reissued as 'Corgi Classics' but the quality has diminished from the originals. I have both for comparison.

Paul.

Well, then, to bring back your memories ;) ......here they are !








Scanned from various "L'Automobile" issues from the early 70's, after a 15 mns archives search in the basement over lunchtime. ......

You have a few of my own "babies" mixed with the Super Champion in these pictures: I used to work as a consultant for Solido and recognize some of the models that I "fathered", namely the MATRA 650, Ferrari 512M and the Ferrari 312P coupe... fond memories. I still have the prints from the original drawings. Think of it, it DID finance my racing then...
Regards,

T54

T54......what job did you not do in motor related ventures ????

So far we've had you as a sidecar passenger, a motorbike racer , a car driver , a helmet and racing suits distributor, a racing wheels merchant, an antique toys collector, a slotcar manufacturer, a motorcycle GP designer/engineer for Morbidelli, .......what else ? Lucky you !!!!



Yes, I did not mention that only the 917's and T70Mk3B's in those shots are "Super Champion" models....I had quite a few Solido's as well ( must still have the Matra 670's somewhere....) who were indeed splendid finish.......but also much harder on my teenage pocket money than the Super Champion .

I think the Ferrari 512 in question is an S .

( if you're nit-picking , you're bound to be nit-picked at !! )

Be a Formula One world champion and be the personal manager for MS, be an opera singer (I love opera and Maria Callas is my goddess). I did not have the talent and the smart, otherwise I would be sitting on a pile of cash.

To tell the way it really was, I dabbled in lots of fun things but really never stuck to any that seriously because there were so many more qualified people out there and often I felt out of my league.
In these days, chasing the dollar was more of a concern most of the time, so that I could eat and pay the rent since there was no one to do it for me. I never liked to sleep in cars in the rain unless there would be someone else with me properly equiped with the right protuberances and frame of mind. I never liked to be cold or too hot. But it was a lot of fun doing it, and I have no regrets because life has been really so interesting in so many ways. I met wonderful people, made friends of many of them. I kept designing toys (little and big) for various companies all the way to today and now we (my wife and I) are making our own toy products ( seriously fast slot car chassis to put your favorite Scalex bodies over) as a retirement business... it's paying the rent just fine and we DO have a lot of fun. Racing the vintage cars is pretty much over for me but I love to work on them. I still hope to finish our 1972 Eagle-Offy and participate to some of Victory Lane's events in California and other places. These cars were the best of their era and the only Offy-powered car I ever drove had the engine up-front!



Of course, and this is what happens when one gets old. I always mixed the two in my permanently damaged brain. Sorry! At one time, I could tell the name and proper designation of any aircraft ever made, from a Polikarpov I-5 to the subtilities of B25 Mitchell's variants... Not anymore, I will be lucky if I remember the name of the maker even if I recognize the bird. :\