9 replies to this topic

[HistoricMustang]

Back in the 1960's I remember taking the time to write a letter to manufacturers (Ford, Chevy, etc) and requesting models of certain cars. A few weeks later one arrived via US Mail.

Do any of the members have any of these models or did you do the same to request one?

Henry

[Frank S]

I have one, from eBaY. Good or better examples of "promo" models with good boxes are (to my perception) quite expensive. Usually 1:25 scale, they were often given out in showrooms featuring the vehicle modeled.

At the time (2001) I was looking for models of cars I'd owned, the 1966 Barracuda Formula S good-or-betters were going for as much as $200USD. Mine has a cracked windshield, is missing one taillight, and the chrome is nearly all gone from the bumpers. I got it for about $30USD, if I recall correctly.



I'm pretty sure I have a 1963 or 1964 Plymouth Valiant, light blue, slightly warped, but apparently haven't cataloged or photographed it.

--
Frank Sheffield
San Diego CA
USA

[ray b]

I had a 195x Hudson stepdown as a kid
a fully detailed model much better then the later AMT's
no idea how dad got it but it may have come with the real car
as we had one

most of the 60 and later models were made by AMT both kits for sale
and the dealer promo built ones that I think were mostly given away
I think 58 or 59 was the first year of the AMT kits

[Pils1989]

My aunt, on my mother side, who has a BMW dealership still give models to customers when they get a new car.
The only model I got from a dealership was a big orange M1 when my father was a BMW customer in the late 70s.

[dbw]

when my father bought his new vw bug in 1957 us kids each got a neat model from the dealer...i cannot remember the details but they were very well done and not available anywhere else......[in then available factory colors with oval rear window as i recall.]

[Ray Bell]

There was a pedal car version of the Austin A40...

Does that count?

[Geoff E]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
There was a pedal car version of the Austin A40...

Like these http://www.austinwor...m/pc-photo.html

A restoration job http://www.guildclas...0_pedal_car.htm

[Ray Bell]

They're the ones...

Did any of them feature on our thread about pedal cars a year or three back?

[T54]

"Promo" models are almost as old as the automobile. The first ones were produced by CR of France in around 1905 and were very small, cast in lead, and were generic. The children of full-size car owners would obtain them from the car manufacturers well before there were car retailers.
In the USA, Ford was the first manufacturer to offer "promos" in the form of lead-cast Model T in tourer and truck form, made for them by the Dowst Manufacturing Company of Chicago under the name "Tootsietoy".

After the first world war, Tootsietoy continued the practice and supplied Ford with a new Model A in special small boxes, then the Graham-Paige company with a 1932 "Beavertail" sedan painted in a special metallic rose, set in a red box marked "The New Graham":



In France, the AR company manufactured superb lead-cast models for Peugeot. First the 201 roadster, then 301 sedan in several versions, one marked on its roof "Independent Front Wheels Peugeot" (in French of course). Below are two of the most commonly found, the 1934 "201":



And some 1935 "301":



And one marked on its roof, promoting the independent front suspension:



Later they made superb models of the 1937 402 "Fuseau Sochaux" coupe, a very rare "302" and a "402" limousine, as well as a "601" Coach. The rarest is a model of the Darl'Mat roadster with "Le Mans 1938" on its trunk. These are very rare models today and are seen in very few collections. Here is a 1936 "601" next to a very scarce 1938 "302" sedan":



In the same manner, the Citroen and Renault car companies had a company named JRD and another called CIJ make promo models for them, the Citroen large tinplate toys being truly magnificent. Citroen also had some lead-cast smaller toys that were available at their agencies as freebies for kids or for purchase.
Here are some of the 1922 Citroen B12, of which there were six different models, all in the approximately 1/32 scale:





In the early 1930's as the depression was generalized, lead became a bit too expensive for some of these and JRD made such toys for Citroen using a mixture of plaster and flour, a resin that actually survived the time better than similar attempts in the USA in rubber. Below are two Citroen "Rosalie" record cars with a little decal of the Citroen emblem, a swan swimming on a lake made of chevron-shaped gears...



After the second world war, the practice continued mostly in the UK with Tri-Ang company and Victory Industries company for Austin, MG, Standard and other makes, but it is in the USA that this really became big and is still today a large segment of the business for several toy-making companies now regrouped under Ertl, Monogram-Revell... There were Jo-Han, AMT, Revell, MPC and others competing for the business. Early AMT cars had friction motors in a tin base, with duo-tone plastic bodies in the 1/24 scale. They even made several "Euro" cars, the Renault Dauphine being a common example.
There is only a future of course if we are to have surviving car companies after the current mess.
Regards,

T54

[Tony Matthews]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
There was a pedal car version of the Austin A40...

I had one Ray, when I was about six years old, my mother left it out by the dustbin, and not surprisingly the binman took it! Of course, innocence was protested, but some lad got a nice present!