24v and 538 Buick Roadmaster (1954-1960)

TerryThere is a third box to look for. it is printed with : 'IMPRIM EN FRANCE' and 'MADE IN FRANCE'. Photo by courtesy of RichardHennequin.

Terry - thanks for your response. I had exactly the same questions as you, which unfortunately we can no longer answer conclusively. Jan O.

Yes, and I guess that type 2 is as scarce as 24U aronde's 2nd type box...

For me 2 very nice acquisitions. For the colour variation I acquired this 24v in light blue body with cream roof that I could buy in France. It has the full silver mask painted chrome detailing (sweep spear) on the sides and has the 3rd type box as shown above by Jacques. The inner roof is cross hatched. After Terry's comment in #4 in 2015 about the exclusive 24v shadow box with the inscription Miniatures Dinky Toys I started looking for it to acquire such a box, but it didn't show up for me. However, recently I saw a beautiful 24v with yellow body and green roof, together with a pristine 'shadow' box marked Miniatures Dinky Toys for sale in France. It is the 1st type with smooth inner roof. After such a long search I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy this 24v with this shadow box in perfect condition and I am very happy with it. It completed my main versions: 2 versions with smooth inner roof and 2 versions with cross hatched inner roof, including all 3 box types. All four cars have different shades of colour. There are many French boxes to find with a shadow below the model pictured, but as far as I could find is this 24v shadow box really the only French DT box with the inscription Miniatures above the name Dinky Toys, so this box is very unique. In Roulet and Grard Dulin documentation I could not find another French box with inscription Miniatures Dinky Toys. Some Atlas editions reproduced this 24v box with shadow, but always without inscription Miniatures Dinky Toys. This 1st type 24v box is very scarce and hard to find in any condition and certainly hard to find in pristine condition with all end flaps present as mine. The French catalogues from 1950 to 1953 and 1956 also use the inscription Miniatures Dinky Toys on the front cover and this name is also used in many French leaflets. Below I show a very nice picture of the 24v introduction in the French Meccano catalogue of 1953 with all silver mouldings, including the silver window mouldings and silver raised fins on the rear fenders, which are never silver painted on the real DT model. However, the picture on the box fits the model perfectly. Jan Oldenhuis, 20 July 2021









[img]/images/sites

Jan Two very nice new acquisitions to your expanding Buick Roadmaster fleet! Such a lovely model deserves attention, and the more, the merrier. I wanted to point out that I have found two other examples of French Dinky Toys yellow boxes with the words 'miniatures' printed on it. One is the 24U Simca Aronde (not sure if it has the shadow illustration, as the photo I have doesn't show that view, but it isn't mentioned); the other is the 49D Esso Petrol Pumps. It also has the 'miniatures' wording, but no shadow. I have that one, and the box is like new, but do not have a photo of it yet. I will take one very soon and post it. I am quite sure only very early versions of these boxes have that wording. I looked through the very good 'Miniatures Dinky Toys serie 24 Francaise', by Redempt and Wagner and did not see any other references there. By the way, I am assuming you realize that your early yellow version should also have plain Zamac wheels....not polished. Best regards, Terry

Jan's green over yellow model is a first type variant with raw hubs and uncross hatched inner roof later versions were fitted with nickel plated (or chrome) hubs, not polished. There is another box with 'Miniatures', it's the 25B Peugeot D3A Mazda

Erwan--I used to call them plated too, until Jacques kept insisting they were not plated, so whichever I call them, I am wrong.....Best regards, Terry

Jan--Here are a couple of photo of my 49D Esso Petrol Pumps box, showing it also with the iconic wording 'miniatures'. I looked on line for other photos of 49D boxes, but did not see any others with this wording, so like the Buick box, am assuming this is either somewhat rare, or at least, uncommon. I am guessing that these boxes must date from 1954 or so, and likely only that year or part of it. I was very lucky with this box....it is still quite crisp and almost like new....must have spent its life in storage!Best regards, Terry

There were only four boxes printed with 'MINIATURES' and the Buick's is the only one with a dark shadow under the model. 24 u - Simca Aronde issued 06 1953 24 v - Buick Roadmaster issued 01 1954 25 bj - Mazda van issued 10 1953 49 d - Petrol pumps issued 01 1954 model subcontracted to P.R.The boxes of models issued after these had a light or very light shadow under the drawing.The box for the Simca Aronde was the first French yellow box issued by Meccano s.a. All these 'MINIATURE' boxes are rare, they were provided with the first batch to live the factory only.The hubs for the Buick and a few other models were first diecast and painted, next they were still diecast but not painted then came the spun soft steel hubs which were not plated certainly for cost reasons. Chrome or nickel plating have a matt finish and need to be polished which is possible but very unlikely. The evidences which proves that those hubs are not plated is that they rust and also that the plating would hide the very thin circular tool marks and reduce the ridge let away a price multiplied by probably three.The plated hubs come from Roulet's books and many people including the best known auction houses repeat this and other errors. All along his books, Roulet shows his great lack of technical knowledge, he was a civil servant and did not work in factories or design offices.

Jan---I agree completely.....nice to have that special and unique box with such a nice model as the Roadmaster. We were both fortunate to find that early one! Terry

Very nice research on the French Miniatures Dinky Toys boxes by everyone. Many thanks for that. I just checked it out in Jacques his DT encyclopedia. Of all 4 boxes with lettering Miniatures Dinky Toys mentioned by Jacques above, the 24v box is the only box with a shadow under the model. I am attaching 2 photos of the boxes not yet shown from the Dinky Toys encyclopedia of Jacques Dujardin, with permission from Jacques. Because so few of them have been issued makes them rare. I am very happy with Jacques conclusion above that the 24v box is the only box with a dark shadow under the model together with the lettering Miniatures Dinky Toys. This makes this box very unique in his sort.Jan Oldenhuis, 20 July 2021.