Notifications
Clear all
Forum 43
10
Posts
5
Users
27
Reactions
1,175
Views
Topic starter
06/08/2023 10:09 pm
Here is a Joal (Spain) vs Politoys (Italy) comparison. I just got a bright green Joal Alfa Romeo Giulia SS with red headlights. It is either very menacing or very Noel Christmasy! 
So time to compare it to the Politoys that came out in the late 1960s. The Joal could have been after that in the 1970s perhaps.
So time to compare it to the Politoys that came out in the late 1960s. The Joal could have been after that in the 1970s perhaps.
There has been debate and comments over the years in the old diecast online community about whether Joal had the Politoys/Tekno/etc molds themselves or just reverse-engineered the models. I am on the side of the reverse-engineering.
I had the dark blue Joal already so I got it out along with two Politoys from Italy. The gold diecast metal one is very close to the Joal but the wheelbase is slightly off, the detailed Alfa badging and Giulia name are missing. The baseplates are so so similar that Joal had to have copied the Politoys but made up their own master and molds. The way the doors hinge and the front bumper attachment are also different so not a 100% copy.
The grey Politoys is completely different - a different mold, called a Giulietta SS on the baseplate, and made in plastic! The Giulietta Sprint Speciale came out in 1959 and was changed to a Giulia specification in 1963. Production ended in 1966.
Hopefully, a few of you will enjoy these ramblings...
07/08/2023 2:46 am
Very nice and quite interesting model automobiles, Karl. It is fascinating they can be so close but not exact copies. Those red headlights would be positively menacing. I would certainly get out if the way if I saw those coming !
07/08/2023 4:15 am
Thank you for this comparison Karl. I have owned both (and may still do so although they are not in my inventory despite not remembering selling them) and always thought Joal used the Politoys casting. You show this is definitely not the case.
Now you make me wonder about my Joal Jaguar E-Types which I always thought were Tekno castings. I'll pull them out for a closer look.
Steve Jacobs and John Kuvakas reacted
07/08/2023 8:11 am
Although I don't have these models Karl, I found your write up interesting. A friend has a 1/1 Sprint Speciale and I am forwarding this information to him.
John Kuvakas and Karl Schnelle reacted
Topic starter
07/08/2023 10:47 am
@david-green I've made the Jaguar Tekno-Joal comparison as well. Look fo a new post soon....
John Kuvakas and David Green reacted
Topic starter
07/08/2023 10:51 am
@bob-jackman 1/1 SS - they are drop-dead gorGEous! In a 1950s streamlined curvy sorta way! If your friend went to any of the AROC conventions, I might have seen it!
07/08/2023 5:00 pm
@karl Karl, my friend's Sprint Speciale is silver. He has a large collection of Alfas and Lotus. Several years ago the Southeast Alfa club had a tour to the Jackson, Ms area and came to our house to see my collection of model cars. I built a special display of Alfas of various scales which was a big hit. Andy and Bonnie Menapace are also locals who are into Alfas and were the ones who arranged the tour.
Topic starter
07/08/2023 5:16 pm
@bob-jackman I had not realized you lived in Jackson! We have cousins there - next time we visit I'll stop by for a tour! We were just there last year...
07/08/2023 6:58 pm
@karl Karl, we actually live outside of Jackson on the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Lori and I would love for you to tour my collection of model cars and 1/1scale cars and her miniatures. If, when you next visit, I knew in advance, I could probably get my friend to open his garage and you could see his collection of 1/1 scale Alfas and Lotus.
Steve Jacobs and Karl Schnelle reacted
07/08/2023 9:59 pm
There was also a USSR-made version of the Giulia SS, probably made from ex-Politoys molds.
Karl Schnelle and Ed Davis reacted