Dugu Miniautotoys

Lore & Background

Bartolomeo Chiodo, an auto enthusiast, named his company Dugu after the district of Varallo Sesia where he lived; 'Dugu' means owl, while the other district is 'falcet' (falcon). The logo became a stylized angular owl with large round yellow eyes, following a tradition of European toy companies using animal names (e.g., Corgi, Husky, Budgie). The first Dugu models were made by Stampopolastica for a year, some in plastic, before Chiodo began producing his own. In 1962, Stampopolastica started its own Rio line. Dugu models were similar in concept to Rio, Brumm, and Minialuxe.

Marques reproduced were mainly Italian—FIAT, Lancia, Itala, SAME and FIAT tractors, Legnano, Brixia, Cisitalia, Bernardi—but also French and German makes like Peugeot, Darracq, DeDion, and Benz. Two American models, a Duesenberg town car and a Cord 812, were made with encouragement from American diecast marketer David Sinclair. Most models represented vehicles made before 1930, though a few postwar examples exist. The company produced a 'Museo' series for the Ruffia Automobile Museum, which collector Cecil Gibson noted were less detailed than retail Dugus. Dugu models were generally respected but not considered quite up to Rio's standards.

Reader's Guide

Dugu Miniautotoys holds a significant place in diecast history as one of the earliest makers of veteran-age car models, setting the stage for later manufacturers like Solido, Corgi, and Brumm. The company's models, while sometimes more crude and simplistic than those of Rio or RAMI, offered authentic details such as copper wiring on the 1907 FIAT F2 race car and accurate steering wheels. The Cisitalia 202, for example, captured the car's shape well but had an oversimplified grille and no opening parts. Dugu's packaging evolved from blue and yellow boxes mimicking other 1:43 producers to later black, white, and minimalist yellow paper under clear plastic display cases. The company changed its name to Sispla in 1974 and ceased production around 1975. Some announced models, like the 1923 FIAT Eldridge 'Mefistofele' record car, were never produced by Dugu but later made by Zeppelin. A few Dugu models also appeared later under the Oldcars brand.

Did You Know?

• The name 'Dugu' means 'owl' in the local dialect of Varallo Sesia.
• The first Dugu models were made by Stampopolastica, some in plastic, before Chiodo started his own production.
• The 1907 FIAT F2 race car model used actual copper wiring to represent copper tubing on the real vehicle.