Origins
Miniature car history is intimately linked to the toy history which goes back to the
origins of humanity.
We have archeological evidence of the first miniatures
for every great ancient civilization, beginning with the
civilizations of the very ancient times, whether it is that of
the Valley of the Indus, Egypt or Mesopotamia.
There are many examples in the form of animals or trolleys
scale models carved in stone or wood.
These objects on wheels, found on all continents and at
all times are often beautiful and moving.
The first miniature cars came around 1880, a time when
parents were making toys for their children with wooden
wheels. Then, in 1897 the Charles Rossignol house
manufactures the first miniature steam car.
From the 1930s to the 1970s, miniatures became
widespread and each industrialized country saw the
emergence of national leaders, such as :
■ Bing, Bub, Marklin, Wiking, Schuco, Siku in Germany.
■ JEP,
, (which will first manufacture Citroën toys
and then Renault toys), Solido,
, Joustra, Norev,
Majorette in France.
■ Dinky Toys,
Britain
, Corgi, Matchbox in Great
■ Tekno in Denmark, Paya, Mira in Spain, Mercury, Polistil
in Italy, and ACE, then Hot wheels in the United States,
Bandai, Diapet,Tomy and Kyosho in Japan.
The public passion for miniature cars intensified after
the Second World War, a period during which the 1:43 scale
became very popular thanks to Dinky Toys.
Starting from the 50s, manufacturers began multiplying
and would end up being more than 150 to market miniature
cars in different scales.
During these years the company Norev bought their
competitors Spot-On, JRD and CIJ, as well as the resin
models
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