There are numerous models of the 500 made by Polistil (originally Politoys), a Lombard company (1955-1993), currently owned by China.
We have already become acquainted with the 500 Giardiniere M5XX art. 512, with the “caricatures” of the MG Series art. 21 and with the Abarths of the M Series art. S599.
Let's continue our examination of production.
► art. E23 Fiat 500 L / Fiat 500 L Abarth (photos 1-6) from '70 in 1/43 with opening doors, black interior and steering wheel, printed headlights, black roof decal and chequered roof decal, black line on the front bonnet with number 28 on the left door, fast wheels.
Colors: red, white, orange, beige, blue, cream, metallic gray, olive green and acid yellow.
►The second series M art. S599, from '74 onwards, sees the release of the model renewed in several parts due to the change of brand, from Politoys to Polistil.
For example, the only doors that remain open without decals, the plastic base and the tires become hard rubber. In practice, it becomes a 500 L, sold on a white polystyrene base and inserted in a box with a photo of an L.
Colors: metallic white, red, green and blue (photos 7-9).
► The third and final series (photos 10-12), from 1976, also due to the company's economic policy, lost the following characteristics: the doors no longer had the window surrounds, the tyres became slightly smaller with the hubcap and without shock absorbers.
On the rear hood the license plate is MI 62303 and the writing FIAT NUOVA 500 appears. A set of details that mix an F with an L.
The colors are: white and red, pastel, while the green and light blue are metallic. There is also a French blue, but it is rarer.
The S series packages included information sheets for the model and a sticker of the little red Polistil man.
► Between the late 70s and early 80s, a third series model of the 500 L was released in a box with a sloping black plastic base, including a booklet on the history of the real 500.
There are two colours: white and red (photo 13).
In the following years I happened to find toy models almost identical to those produced by Polistil. Perhaps the molds were used by the Chinese who bought the brand.
* * *
NB: in my research, given the enormous production of models in various scales, I tried to concentrate the news on the subject as much as possible.
For more information and photos see www.quellidellapolistil.it, www.aessemodels.it, or the book by P. Rampini “Modelcars made in Italy 1900-1990”, Giorgio Nada Editore (2003).
We would like to thank our member Claudio Mattioli for his availability: the photos represent examples of his collection.
As always, for anyone who has news on the matter or wants to know more, you can write to my email: lorenzo500pc@alice.it
{gallery}modelling/polistil_2{/gallery}
