Playart Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF and Efsi Fiat 242 van

Here are a few unique European vehicles that are less common in the U.S., and one in particular is very hard-to-find in this condition.

Playart Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF

I was not born around the time Playart was plentiful at Woolworth stores, so I do not know much about the brand aside that from others it was just a downmarket diecast brand that produced some nice vehicles, if they lack detail in some areas and appear to be rather plump.  However, years later the brand is highly sought-after by collectors depending on models as there are a few that are hard-to-find and one of them is this Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF.  Before the Stratos the Fulvia was the car that Lancia used for their off-road rally races; as usual a rather basic Fulvia sedan outfitted to race car duty and by this 1969 the Rallye 1600 HF had a unique look with a sports-car like forward-thrust front-end that featured driving lights that are larger than the outer round headlights.  Also the car was lowered and flared fenders were added to accommidate the larger tires and the bumpers were removed and hood, doors, and trunk are made of aluminum to save weight.  The front independent and live axle rear suspension was retained, as was much of the interior components, but the engine is a larger 1.6L V-4 that produced 115 horsepower through a 4-speed manual transmission.  With this design this was one popular and successful rally car for Lancia, then the move to a new front-wheel drive model meant the Stratos would be the next best thing for Lancia’s rally car wins.

I’ve seen a few of these Playart Lancia models on Ebay and despite the odd color schemes they command high prices, yet somehow I got lucky and found this pure red with black interior in playworn condition for about $15 bucks, the cheapest you can find on this casting out there!  The look is stylish and screams rally car from all angles, including the separate black fender flares to accept the wide Playart wheels.  Up front the chrome grille has the quad round headlights, V-shield grille, and lower slots where the front bumper one stood, while on the hood there is a visible hood scoop.  The side profile shows a split beltline with a more upright roof pillar design, while the rear has a chrome valence panel with small square taillights.  The doors open to an interior with two front seats that have the ribbed pattern, the skeleton of the rear seat, and a steering wheel that is flat up against the dashboard.  This is probably one of the best-looking Playart castings out there and it goes perfectly well in red with this rally-car look.

Efsi Fiat 242 Van

Another brand that is not well-known in the U.S. is Efsi, yet they do make diecast vehicles and one of the most common and popular with the brand is the Fiat 242 van.  I can see why as each and every one has a decal of a company across the sides; in the case of my tester on the driver’s side door is the KLM Dutch airlines logo along a baby blue color.  The 242 was introduced in 1974 and lasted until 1991 as a new front-wheel drive van shared with Citroen.  The design of the front-wheel drive layout allowed for a lower load floor in the back not obtainable in rear-wheel drive vans, along with better traction on slippery roads.  The style is typical boxy van look with a more angular front-end (like a GMC motorhome) that has the familiar Fiat family styling.  The engine up front is likely I-4 gas and diesel engines with four or five-speed manual transmissions.  Today the front-wheel drive Fiat vans still continue in two different versions with a more modern look.

Up front the hood angles down to the full-width grille that contains the quad headlights and FIAT badge inside, while the sides have a nice and clean van profile with crisp and clear door lines and handles.  The roof has a ribbed pattern and the wheels are nice disc wheels with wide and treaded tire pattern, while the rear has dual doors that dip way down toward the rear bumper and trailer hitch and square taillights.  The novelty to this van is on the right-side as a little tab sticks out: move that tab back and slide the door back to open the sliding side door to the vast cargo area in the back.  The track design is smooth and clean with no hesitation and makes up for the interior where the bench seat is up against a steering wheel-less flat dashboard.  Efsi also makes a Citroen (or a Peugeot?) van with the same design and sliding door, but unique styling touches and both vans work great as a functional panel van in a diorama.