Eligor Models

Lore & Background

Eligor was established around 1976 in Martignat, France, by Jacques Greilsamer, who had previously written the Catalogue of Model Cars of the World. The name 'Eligor' was a combination of two garages owned by his father: 'ELITE' and 'VIGOR'. Greilsamer used older molds previously employed by Norev for plastic models, but Eligor's vehicles were made of diecast metal. The company later passed through several ownership changes, including a period under Louis Surber, then HobbyCar S.A. in Lausanne, Switzerland, and finally in 1996 was bought by Paul and Anne Marie Vullierme, who relocated it to Izernore, France in 1998.

Eligor's early models were designed for adult hobbyists, similar to brands like Brumm, Vitesse, and RIO. The lineup featured many French vehicles from the 1930s to the 1960s, including Bugattis, Delages, Citroëns, Peugeots, and Panhards, but also included German, British, Italian, and American cars. Models were often offered in both 'top-up' and 'top-down' versions. Early quality was inconsistent, with some models sharing basic casting dies, but precision improved through the 1980s. The brand was not exclusively French, offering a variety of international makes.

In later years, Eligor shifted its focus to trucks and buses, mostly in 1:64 scale, with about 30 different models available in several hundred liveries. The company built up promotional offerings, especially with silk-screened sides on trucks, becoming similar to the French Winross. The logo originally featured a fat 'Pac-Man'-style font with a hand grasping a small car; around 2010 the lettering changed to more serif letters, but the hand remained.

Reader's Guide

Eligor occupies a distinctive place in diecast modeling as one of the few European manufacturers still producing in France. Its early commitment to adult-oriented models, with opening features and detailed interiors, set it apart from children's toys. The brand's evolution from classic French cars to a heavy focus on trucks mirrors the paths of other model companies like Tekno and Lion Toys. Eligor's willingness to offer many variations of a single model—such as the Ford Model A in at least 29 different liveries—demonstrates a strategy of maximizing a casting's appeal through diverse applications. While early models sometimes lacked the precision of competitors like Brumm or RIO, the company improved over time. Its later emphasis on promotional truck models, with extensive silk-screened liveries for European companies, made it a go-to source for commercial vehicle collectors. The brand's survival through multiple ownership changes and its continued production in Europe contribute to its legacy as a resilient and adaptable manufacturer.

Did You Know?

• The name 'Eligor' combines the names of two garages owned by the founder's father: 'ELITE' and 'VIGOR'.
• Eligor's early models used older molds previously used by Norev for plastic models, but Eligor's were diecast metal.
• The 1963 Triumph TR-5 Monte Carlo model by Eligor has all opening features and a removable ragtop, rare for the time.
• Eligor's logo originally used a fat 'Pac-Man'-style font with a hand grasping a small car; the lettering later changed to serif style.