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Topic starter
04/09/2025 10:53 am
Mebetoys
Meccanica Bessana Toys (mostly known for its acronym Mebetoys),was an Italian toy manufacturer that produced die-cast scale model cars during the 1960s and 1970s.
The company was purchased by Mattel in 1969, which continued selling Mebetoys as one of its brands. Mebetoy's main competition in Italy were Mercury, Polistil and the rarer Ediltoys.
Sinclair's Auto Miniatures in Erie, Pennsylvania introduced Mebetoys to me in the 1970s. They are similar in quality to Solido, Dinky and Corgi. Here are some examples.
I'm sure several of our members still have them in their collections.
04/09/2025 11:19 am
"I'm sure several of our members still have them in their collections."
Well, count me out David - I've never seen these. They're pretty cool though.
04/09/2025 11:40 am
Good lesson today David, thanks. I have a couple Polistil's, all or mostly Ferrari's. But no Mebetoys. They look pretty darn good, especially for the smaller scale!
04/09/2025 12:05 pm
Thanks for the memories! I bought most of my 1/43 Mebetoys in the 1990s but my first one in 1988.
The Duetto with racing bikes on the back is the most rare, perhaps. Never got that version.
My favorites might be the Alfasud Sprint and the Junior Z:
They made several Giulia versions:
and some newer four doors:
You can see later on they switched to speed wheels (blame Hot Wheels) but they are still part of my collection!
04/09/2025 12:33 pm
Interesting! I'm surprised but I have never heard of this brand.
04/09/2025 1:00 pm
Once Mattel bought Mebetoys, many of the old castings were converted and sold as Gran Toros, especially in the US. That is how I heard of them growing up in Nashville USA. You could think of them as 1/43 Hot Wheels!
Alfa Romeo 33 by Gran Toros:
Here is a fantastic reference for them: http://www.grantoros.com/
07/09/2025 1:52 pm
I had maybe a half dozen or so back in the day. But inaccuracies like the doors on the Ford GT or using red on what should be an all-white Chaparral were a turnoff. Only one remains, the A38 Matra 530 Vignale, probably because no one else made one.
07/09/2025 4:03 pm
I am delighted to have a red Mercury Fiat that my Dad got me. It has a spring-loaded "suspension" for it's wheels.