T is For Trucks - Overview

A bit of a gratuitous post today, these are mostly old photographs I took about ten years ago with my old 35mm Zenit, and in the course of packing for a forthcoming move, I though I'd scan them into the PC, they seemed to scan OK so I collaged them, and am throwing them up here for the hell of it!

Top left to bottom right, clockwise; Airfix (both Types) double convoy of NFIC, the three Tudor*Rose trucks and some slightly smaller trucks from the Beeju stable, with a 'Home Farm' Blue Box type Bedford.

Hong Kong cheepies, modern style to the left of the older - but still available - rack-toy trucks. Below them a 'Mini-car' from VEB Plasticart on the left and some kits on the right, Matchbox, Airfix and Hasegawa in front; Esci behind.

Two scratch builds from Airfix, and an assortment of die-casts top, Matchbox and Dinky bottom left with various other bits bottom right - Corgi x2, HK, Montaplex and a Dime-store toy from the states by...can't remember! A birds name I think...Montana? I'll have to look when I get home! [Mohawk!]

The inset image is the other reason for this post, linking in with both the stuff I posted a few weeks ago, and the forthcoming article on these mini-copies of the old Lone*Star/Kleeware truck, a Kleeware is on the far end of the row, the very tiny one is from a resent Christmas Cracker.

Marx reissues and an original ambulance (copied from the Dinky Daimler of the 1950's), Roco-minitanks early pattern Unimog (correction; I think this is the Roskopf one?), one each from Jean (right) and Manurba (left) and three Blue Box.

V is for Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) Part 1; Introduction

Years ago (1990) I went back to Berlin, where I had been stationed in the Cold War, to stay with friends and attend Roger Waters 'The Wall' concert, on what had - in my day - been the large dog-run infested minefield to the left of the Reichstag, down at Potsdammer Platz.

The day after the concert I was bumming around the flea-market that grew up in the shadow of the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), when I chanced upon some little Soviet era AFV's by a company calling itself MAB Mobile. I bought them!

When I returned to Britain I wrote to the company, asking them if they had an importer, and if not - could I be that man! They sent me one of everything gratis and I put in an order!!!

Since then - as my AVF collection has grown - I've linked the little die-casts to various plastics, both civil and military and these next 5 posts are that story, it's not complete, it's not totally accurate, but it (hopefully) gives a flavour of the thing!


My Advertisement for the civil trucks, carried in Model and Collectors Mart, until my modest investment was eaten up, and I wound-down the company, braking-even but with stock left (so a mental profit!). The Fire Engine sold so well I never ended up with one for myself...Doh!

P.S. Given that Roco Minitanks were charging between 6 and 12 quid for their models at the time, I think I was quite cheap!

A lot of East German toys have the VEB prefix on their box end labels and/or box graphics, it means; 'People-owned [ie; STATE-owned!] enterprise' and would often refer to a group of older independent companies, who - producing similar products - were lumped together. One of these was VEB Kombinat Plasticart Annaberg-Bucholz (Plasticart Berlin).

First selling as Mini Car, they then marketed under various guises, handed over to VEB Kombinat Metallaufberitung Halle (MAB Mobile) and were finally swallowed by Western concerns.

Other names which may or may not be/have been associated with Plasticart/MAB mobile;

VEB Kombinat Plasticart Annaberg-Bucholz (taken over by MAB in 1984)

Modell-Fahrzeuge/VEB Berlinplast (part of Plasticart? production ceased)

VEB Prefo Dresden (now Hruska-Permot)

Hruska-Permot (have MAB moulds)

MEG; Modell Eck Gäuer (made accessories for Espewe trailers)

Mini Car; (VEB Plastspielwaren, Predecessor of SES)

SES; Schmidt Electronic Systeme (had some of the Espewe moulds, now called...;)

Modelltec (ex SES since 2003)

IMU Motorsport GmbH/Interspeed Modellautos Ülsmann (supply SES/Modelltec)

Only useful link I can find on the web...and it's a good one;

Espewe.

V is for Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) Part 3; Civilian Plastics

A selection of bus models from VEB Plasticart, Espewemodelle and MK, they are all Icarus prototypes, although the company did manufacture other makes. Modernisation in the East consisted of new bolt-on features, a system that was easy to reproduce in braille-scale. Here a new radiator assembly is all that's required to update one model from the range. As economics improved prior to reunification, peoples diet also improved, this is reflected in the larger driver of the later issue!!! (This is a humorous aside and should not be taken as a serious social (or socialist!) opinion of anything). Also; in the East you either got a coupon to get your hair done, OR, your face made up, but not - apparently - both! And; Can someone tell me what Herr. Hitler is doing driving an East German bus?!! The little 1:120 scale model (TT gauge) Icarus 'Reisebus' (coach) from MK, halfway between 1:87 (HO gauge) and 1:160 (N gauge). The MAB Mobile Tatra 815 truck model, sold in three versions, this one with a plank load, as a flat-bed with no load, and with a canvas tarpaulin. The chassis was also used for a fire-engine. The plastic cab assembly was sourced in the West and actually supplied by Wiking, while VEB Kombinat Metallaubereitung Halle produced the die-cast body. A small sprue with the rear-view mirrors was included for home assembly to prevent damge in transit, a very Western practice, which shows how the East were trying to 'raise their game'. Tie-ins like this were quite common with West German companies like Herpa and Brekina supplying parts or whole re-packed models to their Eastern brothers. As E.Germany was a sealed economy there was no real competition and it was a useful way of getting a slice of a market they were otherwise unable to penetrate. As an aside; The West Germans did whatever they could within the Soviet structure to help their fellow Germans in the East, and the Berlin senate - as well as picking-up the tab for three occupation armies (Brit, French and American) - made regular 'donations' to E.Berlin, either financial or as more practical technical aid, as did Bonn to the wider E.Prussian 'Lander'.