Diecast from Israel

[Dr Jazz]

Hi Anyone know these?
I have not seen them before so would like some info if anyone has some.

[mike]

Hello Jazz.
Never seen before. but very interesting.
Thanks for the view of the models.
Greetings Mike

[SMS88]

Not hard to find in this playworn condition or these most common colours -nicely made but very light due to high plastic content - the VW Beetle plus short run colours on some models or any m.i.b fetch paper money!

[Cam]

These are Israeli Die Cast from Sabra Gamda Koor. They are 1/43 scale and are of very good detail and scale of American Cars. The quality is not up to Dinky or Corgi standards and parts are not available for them at all. They were sold from Israel under the Sabra Gamda Koor brand, and also in the US under the Cragstan label, thus there is two different base plates for them.

I recently started collecting them as I can find them for a decent price, but some of the asking prices on ebay are absurd to say the least. You can see the few I have so far at http://www.sinanju.ca/Sabra/Sabra%20Toys.html

I have also compiled a list of the models I know of and their colour variations. Some are quite hard to find.

Cam

SABRA MODELS (CRAGSTAN)
8100 Chevrolet Chevelle Station Wagon (blue, tan, Israeli army, red)
8101 Chevelle Ambulance Station Wagon (white israeli, red cross)
8102 Chevelle Fire Chief Station Wagon (red)
8103 Chevrolet Impala (red,)
8104 Ford GT (red, white, blue, black)
8105 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (silver, blue, red)
8106 Ford Mustang (red, green, blue, orange)
8107 Pontiac GTO (red, white, tourist bureau)
8108 Buick Riviera (gold, blue, red)
8109 Oldsmobile Toronado (silver, brown, red)
8110 Cadillac Eldorado (light blue, dark blue)
8111 Chrysler Imperial Convertible (gray, green, white, red)
8112 Dodge Charger (orange hippie, white police, white UN)
8113 Chevrolet Corvair (green, gold)
8114 Plymouth Barracuda (white, blue, army staff)
8115 Chevrolet Police Car (blue, blue and white)
8116 Chevrolet Taxi (yellow)
8117 VW Beetle (red, yellow hippie, green, black)
8118 Ford Thunderbird (light blue, dark blue, orange)
8119 Pontiac Firebird (silver, gold, red, blue, green)
8120 Chevrolet Camaro SS (blue, red)
8121 Ford Torino (met. green, gold)
8122 Chevrolet Pickup (gold, green, tow hook)
8123 Cadillac Deville Convertible (purple, blue)
???? Ford Prefect (blue, light green)

[Dr Jazz]

Hi Cam & Mick

Thanks for answer, very interesting. They do seem a bit plastic ish... I will probably sell them on ebay later. Alway cool to find something new.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

The scale of these Israeli models is between 1/50 and 1/55, chosen as the default scale due to their origins, they were instigated by the British Lone-Star Co. and the all plastic baseplates replaced the previous metal baseplates, used on similar models in the U.S. on the "Tootsietoy Classic Series" and the U.K. as "Lone Star Roadmasters", collectively from 1960 to 1964. The idea of making mostly American cars, plus the VW Beetle, (very popular in the U.S.) was because Cragstan was the main marketing company of them, intending to market them on their home markets and in Eroupe. Models were marketed as..."Gragstan Detroit Seniors" in America and..."Gamda-Koor Sabra" in Europe, from 1965-69 and in the U.K. from 1969-1972.

So, the two seperate ranges were really the same range made for two different main markets with matching baseplates, made in Israel under the guidence of Lone-Star. It has been hinted at, that Cragstan made these themselves, but if this was the case, the scale they chose must have been copied from those Lone-Star designed 'Tootsietoys' and not just chosen at random as an ideal size!

GHOSTHUNTER.

[misterpop]

If there is a Road master connection they could have easily made a Rolls Royce as they had the raw material hey Ghosty...Was it a Cloud.?

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Yes misterpop, Lone-Star made a Silver Cloud from 1962 to 1964, this was based on a Silver Cloud II, but they upgraded the model into a Silver Cloud III and carried on marketing this version from 1964 to 1967, they could have had a plastic baseplate put on this, and added it to the U.K. Cragstan range for 1969 to 1972, but for one model, maybe they felt it was not cost effective in shipping it out to Israel.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[SMS88]

The scale of these Israeli models is between 1/50 and 1/55, chosen as the default scale due to their origins, they were instigated by the British Lone-Star Co. and the all plastic baseplates replaced the previous metal baseplates, used on similar models in the U.S. on the "Tootsietoy Classic Series" and the U.K. as "Lone Star Roadmasters", collectively from 1960 to 1964. The idea of making mostly American cars, plus the VW Beetle, (very popular in the U.S.) was because Cragstan was the main marketing company of them, intending to market them on their home markets and in Eroupe. Models were marketed as..."Gragstan Detroit Seniors" in America and..."Gamda-Koor Sabra" in Europe, from 1965-69 and in the U.K. from 1969-1972.

So, the two seperate ranges were really the same range made for two different main markets with matching baseplates, made in Israel under the guidence of Lone-Star. It has been hinted at, that Cragstan made these themselves, but if this was the case, the scale they chose must have been copied from those Lone-Star designed 'Tootsietoys' and not just chosen at random as an ideal size!

GHOSTHUNTER.

Sabras are larger than Lone Stars of the same period - the VW Beetle is actually proper 1/43 scale and all of the others in the 8100-8123 catalog number range are not much less than 1/43, larger cars that I have like the Buick Riviera are around 1/46 certainly none are as tiny as 1/50 scale or Siku 1/55 scale. While the original intention may have been to restrict Cragstan Detroit Seniors baseplates to North America in fact they are almost as common as Sabra baseplates in Scandinavia although packaging may all have carried the Sabra name & promoted collecting Israeli coins and stamps