 |
 |
 |
Brief History of Bburago
The Bburago, Lombard company founded by
Cavalier Mario Besana in Burago di Molgora, begins his story
in 1974 as "Martoys" becoming the following year "Bburago".
Even the "Mebetoys" is a close relative of the Bburago
founded in 1966 by Mario Besana and always sold
then at Mattel.
"Car Models to play there," was the slogan that
appeared on the advertising of the early 80's and in fact
this has been the policy of production where the model was not
intended to be displayed in the window,
but to be "played."
The Italian Bburago ceased production in 2005 after the failure,
and the brand was bought by
China May Cheong Group continues production in China in
maintaining catalog still some
older models of the Italian production.
Production
The point of strength was the Bburago 1:24
scale in addition to the good price-performance ratio that has
made the
success in the modeling industry.
The first product model was the Renault Alpine (cod. 0101):
 |
 |
While the 1:18 scale is the appearance in the late '70s with the Rolls Royce Camargue (cod. 3001):
 |
 |
The experience continued with the scale 1:43,
a series of Formula 1 cars in 1:14 and a series of trucks
FIAT 1:43.
(Picture two examples of scale models 1:43):
 |
The first cars were characterized by 4 or 5
openings, decreasing thereafter for needs
production sometimes only to opening doors, many elements such as
the wheels, the steering wheels and levers
exchange were standard, consequently identical on all models.
Of a given model, in addition to a range of different colors, can
exist numerous variants:
street, racing, police.
The quality of these models is increasing year by year at the
beginning of the 80 are inserted
steering wheels, but the leap is had in 1985 with the Ferrari 288
GTO, model with 4 openings,
interior door panels covered with, rubber tires with stellar rims,
as well
to the interior and good reproduction of the engine:
 |
 |
 |
Significant was also the production of
assembly kits in the scale 1:24 and 1:18; in practice it was the
same models sold assembled, presented in kit, easy to carry with
already painted body and enriched depending on the model with
decals water.
One of the first mounting kit:
 |
 |
 |
 |
Also mention the "economic"
series, characterized by some special non-chrome, as the
rims, steering wheels and gear levers.
Many also produce advertising and promotional models like those
produced for distributors to
Fuel "IP" or the commemorative versions.
(In photos Ferrari Testarossa Italy '90 and a key ring):
 |
In 2002 he born the collaboration between
the Bburago and Giugiaro Design for the construction of "Prima";
a 1:18 scale model car created especially for Bburago, in fact,
the true self does not exist,
hence the speedster version:
 |
 |
In 2004 it produced a commemorative model
for the 30 ° of the Bburago life; it is a replication
the first 1:24 model limited edition 1000 pieces, the Renault
Alpine:
 |
 |
The catalogs
The Company over the years has published many catalogs in paperback; here are some:
 |
It was possible to request them to the
shopkeeper, find them in some packages of scale models 1:18, or
request them by mail by writing directly to Bburago.
Leafing through the magazine "Mickey Mouse" from the
mid-70's, it is possible to reconstruct the history of this
company
through advertisements that appeared, first sporadically and then
in the 80's in almost all the numbers,
You can also get a personal catalog with all models advertised on
the "Mickey Mouse."
In these pages I put the models of my collection in scale 1:24
and 1:18;
for people like me who was a kid in the 80's these models
accounted for happiness and fun,
and now finds himself a nostalgic of the time, the cars of
Bburago
today represent an object to find and collect.
