Any Ideas?

[johnboy]

I got this at Potters Bar yesterday and could use some help identifying it. Is it an Opel? It's made of solid metal with rotating wheels and is approximately YY scale. It's stamped "800" on the bottom, followed by a lozenge containing a star, the number 908 and a letter, possibly M. It looks a little like a non UK silver hallmark. Has anyone any info on this model? thanks

[motorman]

JB could this actually be Silver? the 800 could be a hallmark for the amount of silver per 1000 in the metal........just a thought!!

[GHOSTHUNTER]

A jewelry manufacture by the name of 'Uno a Erre' in Arezzo, Italy has made a series of classic and veteran cars to around 1/43 scale that includes a 3 Ltr Bentley tourer (that's how I know of this company), and they usually put the Italian Silver hallmark on their products and it is usually the number '800'. I don't have a full listing of what cars they made or when they made them.

Yours looks like it has some of those details, especially the '800' and what looks like a registration number or logo in an oval as you mentioned.

Sorry I can't give you more info, but these are very hard to find in the U.K. and if it is one of those models from 'UNO', you may have found a very nice italian Silver based model car. It would be nice if I could see it in the hand, so maybe next year we can arrange to meet at a toy fair.

Don't plan your retirement on this model just yet, because it may be a cheaper version made by a 'copycat company' in basic Mazac, that's why I would like to see it.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[johnboy]

Thanks Ghosty, I googled that info and the maker's models are a little different and mounted on plinths, but I'll do some more searching. Is it an Opel though? It was only cheap and it looks better in the hand and of course the little marks underneath helped my interest

[GHOSTHUNTER]

It does look more like 'Pewter' than 'Silver' in the pictures but having the '800' Italian Silver content number has got to suggest it has Silver content as part of it's manufacture.

Ghosty.

[johnboy]

Perhaps a little winter project for me to try and identify this I've got a few pewter models and in the hand it's not like pewter, perhaps the photo is a bit deceiving. The finish can depend upon what metals are in the alloy. I've just tested it with a magnet and there's no signs of magnetism, even in the wheels and axles.

[johnboy]

I don't know if I asked, but is it an Opel or am I wide of the mark

[GHOSTHUNTER]

It is difficult to define further, because the wing-line is classic model 'T' Ford as is the Acetylene tank between the foot plate and body, but the Ford would have a transverse front spring (look at the 'Yesteryear' model), but the bonnet and grille is nearer to Opel than Ford.

I think the answer is in the symbols and marks and you might want to Google hallmarks and registration marks for Foreign Silver ware. If it were of British origin it would most likely have the '924' Silver mark instead of that '800' mark.

You could take it into your nearest Jewelers shop and see what they say.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[johnboy]

It is difficult to define further, because the wing-line is classic model 'T' Ford as is the Acetylene tank between the foot plate and body, but the Ford would have a transverse front spring (look at the 'Yesteryear' model), but the bonnet and grille is nearer to Opel than Ford.

I think the answer is in the symbols and marks and you might want to Google hallmarks and registration marks for Foreign Silver ware. If it were of British origin it would most likely have the '924' Silver mark instead of that '800' mark.

You could take it into your nearest Jewelers shop and see what they say.

GHOSTHUNTER.

Thanks Ghosty, I might try that. It would be nice to identify the maker.

[nickjones]

Hi John.
If you rub it with a piece of paper and it is silver it will leave a black mark on the paper.