Diecast Toys - Made in Hungary: Metalcar

One of the biggest Hungarian diecast manufacturer at the 80's was the Metalcar / Metro Co. They released a lot of good quality but illegal copy of the Atlas, Hondarora, Mercedes Vans. Everything looks good but they had more and more problem in the first quarter of the 90's with the cheap Chinease diecasts import. Due the growing Chinease import the firm closed their diecast factory and retool their machines. Now we can check what was our main models and how they acquire their diecast models quality.

• Atlas, Toe Joe Matchbox
• Audi Quattro Matchbox SuperKings
• Batmobile ERTL
• BMW 530i Matchbox SuperKings
• Dodge Delivery Van Ambulance Matchbox SuperKings
• F1 Surtees Matchbox SpeedKings
• Ford Mustang Burago 1:24
• Hondarora Matchbox
• Jeep CJ-7 Renegade Burago 1:24
• Ligier JS-2 Norev
• Mercedes Benz 190E 2.6 Matchbox SuperKings
• Mercedes Benz 190E 1987 Siku
• Mercedes Benz 208D Van Siku
• Mercedes Benz Truck Siku
• Opel-Kadett 1.3 1989 Guisval
• Porsche 917/10 Hi-Tailer Siku
• Porsche 928 Matchbox
• Weasel Matchbox
• Volkswagen Polo Corgi 1:32

(photos - beczl)

(Photo: Bog Zoo)

The direct copy of the Matchbox Atlas, Toe Joe and Cement Truck's (Photos: www.vatera.hu)

The copy of the Matchbox Audi Quattro Superkings (Photos. beczl, www.vatera.hu)

(photos - beczl)

The illegal copy of the ERTL Batmobile. The blister pack also copied as well. (photos - beczl, www.vatera.hu)

The copy of the Matchbox SuperKings - Dodge Delivery Van with Service, Ambulance, Police stickers. You can see the rearview mirror differences on the late version. (Photos: beczl, www.vatera.hu)

(Photos: beczl)

F1 Surtees Matchbox SpeedKings and Porsche 917/10 copys (Photos: www.matchboxmemories.hu)

Metalcar - Burago Ford Mustang copy (Photos. beczl, www.vatera.hu)

Illegal copys of the Matchbox Hondarora's. In my opinion the copy is better than the regular Matchbox one. This model was made a lot of color, wheel, sticker, seat and variation too.(Photos. beczl, www.vatera.hu, www.matchbox.de)

The good copy of the Jeep CJ-7 Renegade Burago 1:24 (Photos. beczl)

The direct copy of the Norev Ligier JS-2. The quailty is very poor as you can see. (Photos. beczl, www.vatera.hu)

Matchbox SuperKings, Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.6 copy from full of plastic (Photos. beczl)

The copy of the Siku 1987's Mercedes Benz 190E (Photos: beczl)

An another Siku copy - Mercedes Benz 208D van (Photos. beczl)

Siku again - The Mercedes Benz Commer (Photos. www.vatera.hu)

Good copy of the Siku Mercedes Benz Truck (Photos: www.vatera.hu)

And the Fire Tender version (Photos: beczl)

The copy of the Guisval Opel-Kadett 1.3 from 1989 (Photos: beczl)

Direct copy of the Matchbox Porsche 928 (Photos. Sam.Joe, Porsche)

Matchbox MB-73 Weasel copys (Photos. beczl)

At last -  the copy of the Corgi 1:32Volkswagen Polo. In the middle of the last pic you can see the Corgi Polizei for demonstration. (Photos: beczl)

Diecast Toys - Made in Hungary: Metchy

Due to the three big diecast manufacturer (Siku, Corgi, Matchbox) the Hungarian diecasts was the biggest part of the domestic toy market in Hungary at the end of 80's with 12-18 billion HUF (without exports) (HUF = Hungarian Forint - approximately 1$ = 100HUF in 1988).

The early 80's the spending power of the toy market was in big increase. The main reason was very clear - lot of children - who born the end of the 70's - grow up and reach the "car age". This tendency was quite a good turnout at the diecast toy market at this time.

After all the toy commerce was in trouble in Hungary because the manufacturer don"t able to produce enough diecast toy and usually these goods was very expensive even so the build quality wasn't very good at all. In this situation a lot on unofficial or illegal factory, dealer and stores established as expected.

Some small factory had no enough resources to develop and built a new model so they had just copy the biggest diecast makers cars as well. Sometimes they buy up the old and remaining Hungarian made Siku, Matchbox, Corgi diecast parts and after the assembly they sell their modell under the well-known company logo (for example: Matchbox – Metalbox, Siku - Rexi).

The other way was to built a "brand new" production line with the remaining (or stolen, "lost") mold and machinery. It was very common at this time because the political situation wasn't very clear in Hungary at late 80's - early 90's. (The socialist era is collapsed a few months later.) These factories put on the market their diecast cars very quickly but sometimes a poor quality.

Sometimes we got a lot of misinformation or a halfinformation for these products, because these diecast toys production wasn't fully documented. I try to fill my list as correct as possible but it should be exist another variaton of Hungarian diecast copys as well. That is why I can't indicate the cars color in my list because these models should be exist several color variations as well.

Diecast toys Made in Hungary - Metchy:

• Porsche 928 (illegal copy of Matchbox Porsche 928 SF-59) usuallay has got a varied sticker on hood and doors
• Jeep CJ-5 (illegal copy of Majorette Jeep CJ-5)

Porsche 928 (photo: Breki Finnland)

(photo: Breki Finnland)

Jeep CJ-5  (photo: http://zh1968.hp.infoseek.co.jp)