1/43 Norev Plastic - Caution: Neither Diecast nor Resincast! Just raving bonkers

[Junkman]

I still think this is the most appropriate sector for them on this forum.

For the ones not in the know, Norev started making 1/43 scale plastic miniatures way back in the early Fifties. The name "Norev" is the surname Véron of the brothers who founded the company 1946 near Lyon in France spelled backwards. As the moulding medium, they chose a French plastic material called "Rhodialite", which, like Acetate, warps wonderfully over time. These were cheap toys aimed at juveniles, hence the attrition rate is huge and thusly undamaged examples are scarce nowadays. It was a highly successful business endeavour until ca 1980 when they were hit by - you've heard it before - them yoofz losing interest in toy cars and starting to play with those computers. After a decade or so of indifference and near bankruptcy the company reemerged  as what you know it nowadays, a supplier of fine chod aimed at the adult collectors.

But this is about my traditional plastic Norevs of yore. I had a lot of them when I was a kiddo and they've all been lost in the big ether you all are familiar with.
About two years ago, I started to collect them again, maybe to relive my childhood, or some such rubbish. Ask a psychologist.

So here we go.

It all began with this brush painted beauty I snached at a local toy fair for 50p. Yes, that's half a quid.

 

For an astonishing further half quid, the same fair yielded this 2CV sans headlights.

 

Since there was absolutely nothing broken or missing on the R4, I carefully restored it.

 

One could say that from that moment on, I was hooked.

Edited October 12, 2019 by Junkman

[Junkman]

Next I got this Saviem SC10 U city bus because it was available cheaply on eBay.
It's a very late original Norev with speed wheels and - as a last gasp - from a final production run they had outsourced to Portugal.

It's one of the biggest original models they made and I learned later that the Portugese made models are highly sought after by French collectors.

[Junkman]

This Renault R8 is raring to go.

 

Fiat 1100 D in an untypically dull colour.

 

This is well offset by this DKW Junior.

 

Staying in Wirtschaftswunder Germany for a moment with this Opel Kapitän.

 

And a Mercedes 220 SE.

 

If you think the subjects were unusual so far, think again. This is a Swiss Monteverdi 375L.

 

Time for a little break?

Okay,  I give you a little breather with this group photo.

[Junkman]

However, this wasn't even the beginning.

Next I scored the holy grail of vintage Norev collectors, alas, a wreck without a steering wheel and windscreen windshield.

 

OMG, it's even leaking LHM.

 

Then I got my first MIB one.

 

But that's not all, oh no.

This was the score of yet another local toy fair.

 

A hilariously warped Jaaaag Mark 10.

 

A vanilla Citroen Ami6.

 

A distorted Renault 16.

 

A nearly mint 2CV AZ Luxe.

 

A Fiat 2300S Coupe.

 

A Rocca motorboat without a trailer.

 

And a Peugeot 301 courtesy of eBay.

 

All stars aligned and I managed to obtain a windscreen windshield and steering wheel for my DS Chapron decapotable.

 

And thus, my friends, it's time for another group photo.

[Junkman]

A parcel with genuine postage stamps on it was received from Greece.

 

It contained this:

 

There was another toy fair haul.

 

The Daffodil is tireless.

 

The Renault 4CV is from the pre windowed era.

 

Twisted R8 Gordini. They modified the old R8 tool for it.

 

Lancia Banana Flaminia.

It was my only Norev with a tow bar trailer hitch back then.

 

A Renault Floride and an R16 were aquierd aequird bought.

 

I also managed to source a trailer for the Rocca.

 

The Flaminia was thusly pressed into yachting service.

 

The gent who gave me the trailer threw in a Norev matchbook, Norev shopping bag and Norev sticker.

 

I put the sticker to good use.

 

I celebrated.

 

Some DUI was committed.

 

 

 

 

[randyc]

Thanks for sharing all of those. 

[peekay]

Wow that's quite a collection and I totally get the fascination. I couldn't resist this reproduction:

[Earl Marischal]

Great post!

Good to see how you enjoy your collection.

steve

[payson]

The pair of 2CV’s were enough to make this a great thread, and me envious 

[Junkman]

Guys, I haven't even started yet.

Great 4CV repop there, Peter!

So, where were we?
Oh yes, the longest passenger car Norev made during its toy years.
It's a '58 New Yorker convertible, which reputedly was modelled after Joseph Véron's real car, which is currently undergoing restoration in France.

I managed to amass this rake of wrecks, each of which is knackered in its own peculiar way.

 

Another toy fair haul yielded this bunch.

 

A grotesquely warped, but miraculously complete, H Van.

Pole dancing pole included:

Yes, I know. But try to find a straighter example for anything near sane money.

 

Dayglow Simca 1300.

 

Another in non dayglow.

 

Simca 1500 Break (Wagon)

 

Ford Taunus 12m.

 

Ford Cortina.

 

Another one of these 2CVs just because it was for sale. Might be used for bartering in the future.

 

Then I found one of the holy grails of Norev collectorship - a marbled example - in form of a lilac Lancia Aurelia.

 

 

 

[Junkman]

Next up was this rather shonky 2CV van, but shonky is better than none at all.

Besides, have you ever seen a real one of these that wasn't battered to smithereens?

 

Then I ran into another rake.

 

A Panhard PL 17.

 

Simca Aronde P60.

 

Mercedes W196. They came in all sorts of colours and with numbers 1 - 9.
Imagine my delight to score a #1 in swirly silver!

 

I even got an original box with it.

Yeah, windscreen, blah...

 

And this Citroen 5CV, a real one of which was the first ever car to be driven around Australia.

 

 

 

[Junkman]

Next up is this Renault 5. the Americans among you might know it as "Le Car".

 

A friend of mine, who is a graphics artist and photographer went a bit artsy with it.

 

The W196 required something to win a race against, hence I got me this Maserati 200 Si.

 

Also this remarkably straight Porsche 1500 Carrera.

 

 

Said graphics designer friend made me stickers for my H van.
They aren't authentic, they are from something I love to eat when in France. 

 

Another toy fair haul.

 

Renault NN1, ca 1925.

 

Renault 10 Major.

 

A pair of Peugeot 504s, one is early, the other late production.

 

 

[Junkman]

Oh no, not another toy fair haul!

 

Saviem SG 10 in French racer Jimmy Mieusset's team livery. Norev sponsored them in the 70s.

 

Ford Vedette Depannage. The trailer was not part of the package originally, I just got both in the same loot and thought they make a nice pair.

 

Renault 4 van with door frames and one original sticker still intact.

 

Peugeot 404 Break.

 

Berliet TBO skip loader. I wonder whether there ever was a better example of transportation overkill in toy history.

Norev used this Berliet's base unit for various applications, sometimes with, other times without the wing fender mounted air cleaner.
Interestingly on the ones with the air cleaner the nose is always warped skywards, whereas the ones without are usually perfectly straight.

 

Since I now had Jimmy Mieusset's race car transporter, I needed his race car, a Chevron b23.
Those are hard to find in plastic (Norev made a diecast range at the time from the same tools), but I managed.

Back in the day, these were sold individually, or in a gift set.

 

Norev made only two American cars in their original plastic lineup. Monsieur Véron's Chrysler which I've shown you previously and this Chevy Corvair.
Weirdly they never made the obvious - a Renault Rambler.

 

Also got me a Peugeot 104.

It was missing one hubcap.

 

Norev made this wonderful Henon caravan.

 

Obtaining this Mercedes 250SE with tow bar trailer hitch

 

enables me to reenact yet another pair that was sold as a gift set.

 

 

[Junkman]

First issue Renault Floride, without interior.

The taillights are missing, but to make up for it, the rear screen is cracked.

 

Fiat 600 missing a headlight, which makes it authentically French (other sterotypes available on request).

 

Next up, a Renault 17 TS. It's a very, very late issue.

 

And here we have a real curiosity. It's a Renault 16 fixed to a magnet.

 

Formeta was a German supplier of classroom materials for driving schools.
This model was intended to be used on a metal blackboard. I put it on my fridge.

 

And this, my friends, warranted another celebration.

 

Edited October 16, 2019 by Junkman

[Junkman]

Another R16 found its way to me.

That makes it three.

 

A broken diecast metal Peugeot was obtained for the princely sum of free of charge. It yielded the hubcap for my otherwise nice plastic one.

Since these hubcaps are generic, I now have three more shots.

 

By obtaining yet another knackered Chrysler I finally had everything I needed to make one good one.
To be clear here, this

plus yet another one I sadly didn't photograph before plastic surgery ensued, was barely enough to make this:

 

It enabled me to assemble yet another pairing sold as a gift set.

Then I got this original issue Saviem city bus.

 

Renault 15 with panel gaps of much hilarity.

 

Delightfully wonky Renault 12.

 

Ferrari 375 GTB4.

 

Incomplete Land Rover Depanneuse. They made numerous versions of the Landy, in 88 and 109 flavour.
They are so rare, that even broken examples are hard to find.

 

Another 250SE, this time without tow bar trailer hitch.

 

Citroen GS with typical LHM oh dearage (it's a running joke on another forum. I do this with food colouring).

 

Very late issue VW Beetle in toothache green.

 

Peugeot 204 with typical bonnet hood warpage, which is a shame really, since it's remarkably straight otherwise.

 

Merc R107. Rare that, especially in dark blue.

 

 

Edited October 17, 2019 by Junkman