Atlas U.K. trucks collection 'When will they stop ?'

A few months ago, some Leyland Octopus tankers arrived from China via various ways. Today the collection is launched officially. I must warn possible subscribers to this collection that since last summer Atlas Editions have turned mad. www.atlaseditions.co.uk/collection/DKT/D...pus-Esso-Tanker.html I must warn possible subscribers to this collection that since last summer Atlas Editions have turned mad. The company has been split between sub contractors : The unpolite management is part in Paris and part in Lausane. The collection manager is in Aix les Bains in Savoie. The shipping department is in Cavaillon in the south of France, they ship the models in random order and dates in unsealed boxes, the postmen do make their collection at your expanses. The totally incompetent accounting dept. is in Lille at the very other end of the country The customers dept. is in Casablanca in Moroco. Since last summer, the manufacturing is made by a new Chinese manufacturer and the quality has fallen down drastically. and these departments do not communicate together.So as usual, Buyer beware.

Although these Atlas Dinky Toys are received when available, ie not in any order that relates to the 'Article number', most will have received about 40 by now and unfortunately that includes lots of the French ones, which some collectors may already have had. In fact the only castings unique to the the UK series are Mini Countryman, Bedford CA van, Morris J van, Ford Zephyr, Austin Atlantic, Morris MO; so much for British Dinky Toys.The same seems to be inevitable with the Trucks, the Leyland, Guy Warrior, TK castings, maybe a Guy Otter as this casting exists in Dan Toys already, then a load of regurgitated French issues.No wonder the duplicating DeAgostini series was abandoned. I like the occasional Continental or American car but can only take so many Simcas and Berliet.

On Friday the latest issue of the Atlas Editions arrived on the doormat and this time, yes as usual, it is a French Dinky Toy casting; 24L Peugeot 304 Taxi. As usual the quality of the finish is very good and one small shove sends it hurtling all the way down the hall floor. I don't remember the originals ever being this nimble on their axles. Having said that, I don't ever remember French Dinky since I don't remember seeing them in UK shops and never knew anybody who owned any. They are hardly plentiful at UK toy fairs even these days. Were it not for Atlas, there probably never would have been more than a fleeting fragrance of French Dinky Toys in my toy cupboard. Like a lot of other people, I bought a few from France or Hong Kong before the UK offer began. Luckily there hasn't been much overlap - or if there has, the models are usually in different colours. In no particular order, this is a list of Atlas Editions UK subscriptions to date (as well as I can compile it). 197 Morris Mini Traveller green 102 TR2 sports grey 111 TR2 salmon 518 Renault 4L 555 Ford Thunderbird blue 262 VW Swiss Post 177 Opel Kapitan yellow 23d Auto Union Red GB 106 Austin Atlantic red 549 Borgward Isabella 162 Ford Zephyr 24M VW Karmann Ghia 539 Citroen ID 19 Break gold 260 Morris J Royal Mail 465 Morris J Capstan 159 Morris Oxford Saloon 24v Buick Roadmaster Sedan 157 Jaguar XK 120 Coupe 39a Packard Eight Sedan 104 Aston Martin DB3s pink 23b Hotchkiss 14 Triporteur 524 Panhard Coach 24c 39F Studebaker 'State Commander' Coupe 24N Flying 15 traction avant (spare tyre in casting and tin fender) 540 Opel Kadett 535-24T Citroen 2CV 181 VW Beetle 23c Mercedes Benz Racing Car 481 Bedford 15cwt Ovaltine 482 Bedford 15cwt Dinky Toys 551 Ford Taunus Polizei 526 Mercedes 190 SL 184 Volvo 122S 552 Cheverolet Corvair (blue) 24L Peugeot 304 TaxiSome buyers may have received the following models in substitution for others:- 24Z Simca Versailles 182 Porsche 356a coupe 191 Dodge Royal Sedan GB green

Al---They have certainly reproduced many classic models, and hopefully revived some interest in the diecast hobby. Best regards, Terry

And the Dinky Peugeot 304 was never produced in Taxi version by Meccano!! Richard

Quite a few Peugeot Taxi's have been sold through vectis. Colours are dark blue and yellow or maroon and cream. All pre war with solid mazak wheels. Atlas are big on rarity models so I would guess they have been advised by someone who is steeped in the most obscure and elusive french model. Probably someone like Jean Michel Roulet since he is the go-to guy for french dinky as the most published authority on the subject.

The Peugeot Taxis produced by Meccano were the '402' and the '404' Friendly yours Richard

You're right Richard - I have no idea where I got 304 - of course I meant 402 . These keys are so close together. 600 349

And the other version :

Yes, it's nice and the atlas is a very nicely made copy of it. I don't think the originals had them but the chinese replicas have a baseplate and peened axels. Same thing with their Hotchkiss and Mercedes also having peened axles. At some stage I might break them out and install crimpers instead.

Al.....all of my early post war French Dinky's, such as the Citroen 11BL and the Ford a Trucks, from around 1949 or so, all have peened axles....not crimped. I just noticed that recently, so am now wondering if and when the French used the crimp style. And like a lot of other Dinky items, makes you wonder how/why the French could do it much earlier than their English counterparts. Another thing the French did differently was keeping rear windows in the cab of trucks, again such as the Ford 25 series. It appears that the English couldn't get rid of those pesky small windows quick enough after the war. Best regards, Terry

Crimped axles are such a distinctive feature of early Dinky Toys that not to copy that into the replicas makes for a conspicuous difference to the character of the objects. That French models did get into peened axles earlier than UK ones is probably true but I'm not aware that models like Auto Union, Mercedes, Hotchkiss, Peugeot 402 and Triporteur were anything other than crimped and had mostly been deleted before the tool came into use. Just for fun, here are a couple of atlas auto unions - the one on the right I've cut the original axle off and swapped it for a crimped new one.