Size Matters part 25

Brian Salter continues his series examining the origins of scales used.

Brian Salter continues his series discovering scale origins.

Bikes seem to get everywhere - be they pedal, petrol or electric - everywhere, that is, except toy fairs. Collectors of the miniature variety (I assume there are some) must have something of a hard time.The choices open to them are rather limited, to say the least, but that does bring a couple of pluses in the form of low cash and space requirements. Thinking on, that is likely why there is interest in the real things in the first place.

Just to make things really easy on both counts, let’s look for some pedal cycles. I’m sure I’ve seen a range of pedal cycle models at some time, named brands and manufacturers of bikes in all their glory, but time to eat humble pie on that one. Large scale by our usual standards, maybe 1/12 or even larger. So what is otherwise actually out there?

In at the deep end, and why not? Arguably, one of Corgi`s finest pairs from its finest years has to be the two Paramount Tour de France vehicles. A considerable investment, to be sure.What will become familiar is the situation where cycles of all types are liable to be used as an enticement to purchase a toy or model vehicle. From the late 1960s pair, we turn to 1986/87. Corgi again, but nothing like the investment from the manufacturer, not nearly so attractive a result, but actually not so easy to locate now. As to bike scales, it is best to take the vehicle as your lead.The Great Book has the Paramount Citroën at 1/47 and the Renault at 1/43, whilst by the 1980s 1/36 rules for the vehicles.

No mention of the Tour de France can be made without a reference to the legion of advertising vehicles that accompanies the race. Some great renditions to 1/43 scale, even the larger vehicles,

have been made at veritable pocket money prices in recent years, almost a good reason to start collecting. For further fun and light relief, don’t miss, and don’t ask the scale of, Mr. McHenry’s Trike from The Magic Roundabout and Elliott’s powered bicycle with E.T. on board.

“Stop Me And By One”, both written and spoken, was once a familiar part of our world.At least three contemporary manufacturers have provided miniatures of an ice cream vendor’s tricycles.Very modern, as in 1950s top quality plastic, was the one from Airfix complete with separate canister lids.At around 1/24 it is a great little toy, but the other two are going to introduce us to something close to a standard scale for bikes and especially motorbikes. Morestones produced a fairly ordinary cream coloured version, whilst Taylor and Barrett came up with one in dark blue, typically Walls, and complete with the famous slogan.The material, lead, the scale has to be in the region of 1/32.

Scale wise, it is for a moment, once again, worth going straight back a hundred years or so, to the earliest use of machines for military purposes.Where lead soldiers at 1/32 scale already ruled, their two wheeled transport was sure to follow. In 1920, Britains introduced its first items of military motor transport - a solo Despatch Rider and a unit of the Machine Gun Corps with its sidecar mounted weapon.The model, although updated, was not really developed as it could have been. However, the scale was already pretty much set in stone for military items and many others had adopted it with many civilian, mainly farm, items following.

However, in the 1930s nothing much more followed in the two-wheeled world. Dinky followed

its general car scale fairly closely with both solo machines and combinations, but, as with the few available larger offerings, there was little chance of being able to identify the make of the bike itself. Britains, considering the importance and obvious presence of AA and RAC outfits on the road, failed to include them in its (1/32 scale, of course) Road Series! Probably the first in this scale was Moultoys of Wrexham with its sidecar units, with Budgie Toys joining the fray in 1958, with patrols from both motoring organisations.These were then updated in 1964, as the sidecars themselves were redesigned.

In 1962, things had started to change forever - Britains introduced its first new motorcycles, modern materials, modern details, named machines and proper liveries.These were part of the range until 1984, but, amazingly, it was never to include the AA or RAC. In the toyshop this was just about it for 1/32 scale bikes. In more recent time, Autocraft of Kinver has taken on the mantle in period style with numerous sidecar outfits, and not just British.

If you needed to go large, at least in the 1970s and 1980s, Polistil from Italy was your best friend. Motorbikes are great for detail, little is hidden, and there is unlikely to be any familiar, but tricky, bodywork to model correctly. Even at 1/32 there is a lot of detail to be had, so how about 1/24 or 1/15, or even 1/10? Polistil did them all, a total of 47 in the 1983 catalogue, whilst a contemporary Russian edition had just one each at 1/24 and 1/18.

Back in the real world, that is the world of 1/43 scale diecast cars, there’s a problem. Similar scale motorcyles are almost non-existent. Maybe fine for bikers, but what about the rest of us? If you buy a diecast car with motorcycle outriders the chances are they will not match.The Spot-on ‘all to one scale’ Lambretta is liable to be too expensive, but do not miss three Matchbox 1-75 issues for a bit of near perfect size matters window dressing.

Smaller still - today, just about everything is available in OO and/or HO scale, but bikes do struggle. Back in the 1930s, the newly invented scale of 1/72 for aircraft did bring along some accompanying military vehicles, including a lone despatch rider.We’ve seen how Dinky did very well indeed for the time at around 1/48, but it was up to Britains to enter the true OO world of 1/76 railway accessories with its solo machines in 1951.This range ended in 1960 and it is hard to find anything at all in OO scale since. In HO things have been a lot better - much more attention has been paid for many decades to lineside details by a number of well established specialist scenic firms. Even Lego’s earliest mini residents could get about their HO townscapes in economic fashion, but not now though! DC

▲ Tour de France by Corgi again, this time to 1/36 scale, but nowhere near so attractive, merely using standard castings. The Peugeot 505 at left (with sunroof) was issued on its own. The other two (and a third) were each issued as a Gift Set 67 in 1987, each of the three sets containing a 205 T16 as seen behind. Can it be assumed the bike wheels are true to scale?

▲ Splendid effort by Airfix and probably from Woolworths in the 1950s. Larger than the few previous 1/32 metal offerings, so maybe around 1/24 or 1/25.

Will thinking outside the box ever get any better? Corgi’s classic pair, even though the two vehicles look to be slightly different scales at apparently 1/47 for the Citroën, from 1970, and 1/43 for the 1968 Renault.

▲ The good old toy soldier scale of 1/32 served us well and still makes an attractive display, biker or no. Moultoys made its sidecars detachable and look to have been the first road patrol combinations in this size. Britains did a considerable and varied range and brought the genre into our diecast world - the earliest issues were without riders, had individual artwork for each marque and had the scale in the small print. Autocraft reversed the technology and majored on classic commercial combinations. Its AA group also included an early solo machine and one of the earliest cycle scouts of 1905, John Drew,

▲ The Super Kings Range Rover Vigilant, a correctlymodelled earlier emergency services version, is near exact 1/43 scale - the bikes, rather obviously, almost 1/32. This 1977 fire vehicle, complete with front mounted pump and side control panels, was not altered for this 1979 export version, No K-99.

▲ Motorcycles as accessories. The red CJ-5 Jeep and trailer is Corgi Set C10 from 1982, whilst the white No K-171 Super Kings Toyota Hi-lux is of 1991 vintage. Both vehicles are circa 1/36. Handy if the maker already has some near to scale bikes in one of its ranges, great play value and maybe collectable, one day.

▲ State of the art in 1982, E.T.’s powered bicycle. Just how, we are not told, likewise the scale, but too good to miss.

▲ Three great Matchbox issues from the early 1960s. These catalogue illustrations say it all - near perfect accessories for any contemporary 1/43 scale collection, even if the subject is normally off ones radar.

▲ Three of the smallest and all home-brewed with matching transport. Dinky is to the left at 1/48 with a military version of the 39 series Packard. In the middle it’s Skybirds’ Scammell Pioneer, its first diecast vehicle, to 1/72. To the right, at 1/76, comes Britains’ Lilliput Bedford. Although the Skybirds rider is the only one that is cast separately, he is also the only one that was not multi-tasked for other duties.

▲ About as small as it gets. Lego power, muscle power and motor power from the 1960s. Lego started as a toy focused on building buildings, but its ‘System’ included the street scene as well. Vehicles and much else was to HO railway scale, 1/87. Some bicycles were included in the larger sets, but an accessory box of six is reported to have been a popular purchase.

▲ Three pages and one close-up from Polistil’s 1977 catalogue. There had never been anything like it before, and has there since? Three large scales, 1/10, 1/15 and 1/24, and dozens of versions. It appears that any collection of ready-made motorcycle models is likely to consist mainly of Polistil and 1/32 Britains products.

▲ Another bit of fun, but this time we are told the scale is 1/26. Mike Pigott covered this set in detail in the August 2021 issue.