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"Bugatti Baby II"
Photo: BUGATTI
In Burghaslach, Bavaria, on the A3 between Würzburg and Nuremberg, there is one of the country's largest automobile plants.
The bestseller, the toy manufacturer Simba-Dickie's bobby car, has sold millions of times.
According to the manufacturer, the most successful “slide car” in the world costs 39.90 euros.
When the manufacturers of large cars put their badges on it, it quickly becomes more expensive.
In addition to the red original, many car manufacturers lure with licensed versions of the Bobby Cars or toy cars inspired by them.
Marketing begins in the nursery.
Porsche 911, VW Beetle or Tiguan, Audi TT, Mercedes-AMG GT: As miniatures, they should all build brand loyalty.
If the running already works, the manufacturers continue with pedal cars in the style of the Kettcar.
And beyond the slide and pedal cars, there are numerous miniatures that are more or less true to the original at toy or car dealers, which whir through hallways and playgrounds with an electric motor.
As in real automobile life, there are no upper financial limits.
Starting prices from 35,000 euros
If you are ready for anything, you can spend six-figure sums - or yourself - for the teenage offspring at the British Little Car Company.
There are currently three models that bear the blessing of the original manufacturer.
They are significantly larger than Bobby Cars, painted in the original colors, lined with the same leather and sometimes use identical parts for the nameplate or ignition key, for example.
There is a choice of the Bugatti Baby II, which is inspired by the legendary Type 35, the Aston Martin DB5 known from the James Bond films, which is also available with gadgets from the "Goldfinger" strip on request, and a Ferrari Testa Rossa .
Every model, which is produced by hand in Bichester within about a week, stands on a tubular space frame.
An aluminum body coordinated with the designers of the original supplier is placed over it.
Underneath is an electric motor, the prototypes cover more than 5000 kilometers.
Even the cheapest car is more expensive than many full-blown new cars at 35,000 euros.
Nathan Harrington shows that such toys do not necessarily have to be as expensive as the miniatures from Bichester.
In Vietnam, he has more than a dozen classics built on a scale of 1: 2, from the Formula 1 racer from the 1960s to the Porsche 356 or the Mercedes 300 SL to the Land Rover Defender.
With prices starting at just under 10,000 euros, these are still quite expensive toys, but only a fraction as expensive as the PS gems from Bichester.
fww / dpa
