Polistil

Lore & Background

The origins of Politoys as a company are somewhat unclear. It began as Politoys APS about 1960, starting production of 100 plastic cars in 1:41 scale, including contemporary cars and veteran vehicles such as an Alfa racing car from the late 'teens and an 1899 French Gobron Brillie. As the 1960s progressed, some models were produced in fiberglass. Following trends set by Mercury, Corgi Toys, Dinky Toys, Norev, and Solido, the company changed over to diecast metal vehicles in 1964 or 1965. About 1970, the company name was changed to Polistil, possibly because of similarity with the British Palitoy; early toy boxes sometimes carried the names 'APS', 'Polistil', 'Politoys', and 'Policar' simultaneously.

The company's main research and design center was in Milan, where larger toys such as trucks and dolls were produced. Most vehicles were made at the Chiari manufacturing center, which focused on diecast vehicles. Polistil kept track of its vehicle lines using sets of capital letters followed by numbers. The M-Series, introduced in 1965 in 1:43 scale, was precisely detailed with a wide range of offerings; sixteen vehicles were introduced in the first year, with numbers starting at 500. The cars had many moving parts (normally two doors, hood and trunk opened) and detailed engines and undercarriage. Plastic seats almost always tilted forward, and on some models they were covered with a fuzzy material imitating velour. Politoys M was the first diecast line where (for a time) all apertures opened on every model, contrasting with Dinky and Corgi which tended toward the toy market with gimmicks and TV/movie vehicles. Politoys went for consistent realism, and one American ad emphasized how the models could be taken apart and reassembled.

By the late 1960s, the M-Series range had expanded to 37 models, heavily concentrated on Italian vehicles—76 percent of one catalog's models were Italian, 37 percent alone being Alfa Romeo. Unique models included the Iso Rivolta, a Chevrolet Corvette Pininfarina Rondine Coupe, and the first Lamborghini (bugeye) 350 GT. The M-Series faced tremendous competition from Dinky, Corgi, French Dinky, Solido, Tekno, Gama, Schuco, Marklin, and especially Italian rivals Mercury and Mebetoys. Mattel's Hot Wheels diminished the American market after 1967. Politoys M used jewels for headlights, while Solido used clear plastic lenses. The M-Series used generic wire wheels. By 1968, the company experimented with plastic wheels on low-friction axles in reaction to Hot Wheels. Later 1:43 scale series were the E, EL and HE; some early models in these series matched the M-Series in detail, but later 1970s issues featured toy-like chrome plastic wheel designs.

Reader's Guide

Polistil's significance lies in its role as a major Italian diecast manufacturer that, for a period, set a standard for realism in the 1:43 scale market. The M-Series was notable for being the first diecast line where all apertures opened on every model, a feature that distinguished it from competitors like Dinky and Corgi. The company's willingness to confront market trends directly, changing model lines every two or three years, kept its offerings current but also meant it did not produce as wide a range of models as some rivals. Its legacy includes a strong focus on Italian vehicles, particularly Alfa Romeo, and unique models such as the Iso Rivolta and the first Lamborghini 350 GT. After going out of business in 1993, the Polistil brand was acquired by the May Cheong Group, owner of Maisto, alongside the name of former competitor Bburago. A new site, 'Quelli della Polistil' at www.quellidellapolistil.it, documents the history of the factory.

Did You Know?

• Polistil initially produced plastic cars in 1:41 scale before switching to diecast metal in 1964 or 1965.
• Polistil's name change about 1970 may have been due to similarity with the British Palitoy.