39b and 893 Tracteur Unic saharien [Unic Sahara Pipe Transporter] (1959-70)

I recieved this morning a very classic UnicSaharien (new arrival topic) ; nothing special ! But, when I put it together with my old one, I found 5 differences : Bodies colors, with or without windows, Roof and safety wheels colors, the front axle withconcave or convex hubs, I never paid attention at these details on my old model which seems very uncommon, specially the white roof !.

That's all folks !! Richard

Richard----I have never seen one with that white cab and also the white spare wheels; it will be interesting to see if Jacques comments on this. I am assuming that it is all original and not been re-painted in those areas. I will also check Jacques encyclopedia to see if it mentions anything about these variations. Best regards, Terry

Hi Terry. No, Jacques doesn't have the information in his encyclopedia. Even Roulet doesn't know it. it's probably one of the early production, without windows, with convex hubs for the front axle and spare wheels in white color. I can assure you that all is original and the roof is not repainted. This model is coming from my parents home. I did not buy it. Kind regards Richard

Hi Richard, knowing your parent's home had a lot to do with Meccano France, I wonder if this white roofed example was a kind of unofficial colour trial. Do you still remember where it came from? I may have showed before my only example of this nice model, but it may be interesting to see the hybrid character of it, and compare. Early hubs, the later windows, body coloured spare wheel hubs and a mix of tyres: old round treaded ones as spares and new block treaded on the rest of the model. The trailer has the initial perforations of the bar. By the way, I'm afraid it is improbable to get a comment of Jacques soon, as he is ill and in hospital - as his daughter let me know yesterday via his email. Let's hope he will recover soon. Kind regards, Jan

Richard A very fine addition to your collection, and coming from your parent's home makes it even more special. I hope more information can came to hand in the near future. As Jan has written, it is most likely that your model was a colour trial and therefor it may be a 'one of a kind'. I have a number of these models at home, so will check when I return to Australia, (I am still in Beijing, China.) but it is highly unlikely that I have a model similar to your latest!! One of these was the subject of a slightly different shade of colour between the cab and chassis which was discussed in another topic. Still, your model is very unique, so top marks to you, and presumedly your father for having originally acquired it! Kind regards Bruce (150) 20160524/924/2359

Hi Jan. Perhaps you are right ! If nobody have seen a white roof, then it's probably a decoration trial ! I don't remember when I got this model as a child. The only thing I can be sure is that I salvage all the Dinky we had (my brothers and I) when my mother moved in 1976 or 1977. So, it is in a cabinet since almost 20 years but I never noticed that the white roof was uncommon ! I just did it to day when I received the common one, with the concave hubs ! I compared both and opened the Roulet and surprise ... I did not know that Jacques was in hospital and I understand now why he did not answer to my mails. Thank you Bruce. it's a luck Friendly yours Richard

In the 1962 Dinky catalogue, a Unic Sahara is shown with a white roof, this was on Talkmodeltoys website.

Here is a leaflet about the French Dinky Toys being sold in the UK from February 1961, it also shows the Unic with a white cab roof. Dave

Well observed, Dave, and even the box itself appears to show the white roof. But models? I have never seen! It would be a miracle, Richard, if your very copy could have been the one-off prototype example for these picture representations! Kind regards, Jan

Jan Because all my boxes are up in the attic I had not looked at my box but after seeing your post I went up and dug mine out, I suspect all the boxes probably show this with a white roof - can others confirm this. It is interesting that the Ramsey's guide lists the 39c and the 893 as having a white roof!!!! And yet we have only seen the one example owned by Richard - I wonder if there are any more examples out there with white roofs????

The Dinky Toys 1959 catalogue for the US market shows the 893 Unic on page 30 and it had a white roof. Dave