Model Citizen by Paul Vreede

These Lego cars were sold as being in the H0 scale of 1/87. Compared to other makes, Wiking for example, they tend to be a tad larger. But they were still very useful for a model train layout; something which Lego also suggested in an early ideas book which featured an earlier town plan with an H0 model railway running round it, over bridges and past buildings made out of Lego (See http://brickfetish.com/ideas/dk/byggebog_1955_26.html - there are minute links at the bottom of the pages to see the rest of that book; the entire site is very much recommended).

The train track is overdoing it a bit to my taste, so I'm contenting myself with just having some contemporary buildings, based on various sources.

The front cover of the town plan shows some buildings that I've also built. Incidentally, the boy playing with the Esso truck is a young Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the grandson of Lego Founder Ole Kirk Christiansen and the man who was CEO and Chairman of the company until 2004 (his last name starts with a K due to a clerical error when he was born apparently).

The back of the townplan shows other buildings, some of which were available as sets at the time. I've built a few of those to go with my townplan as well. The iconic Esso service station I initially built from loose parts, but then I found a glued-together display model at a swapmeet, made from all the correct parts including the special plates trimmed in red.

 When this town plan period started, Lego was made from cellulose acetate. Which has a lovely slightly translucent shine to it, as opposed to the dense colours of the ABS plastic that came in from 1963. But it has less clutch power (as Lego calls it) which when young we countered by clamping a sheet of paper between the bricks and tearing off the excess (a trick I've used again f ex in the aerial on the fire station roof).

Its other disadvantage is that it can (and most often does) warp over time, making larger bricks completely useless. The white flatbed trailers made from cellulose acetate are very likely to be twisted into weird shapes, and most Mercedes convertibles and moving trucks go somewhat banana-shaped as well. 

The Bedford trucks (and passenger cars) were issued in ABS plastic before the Bedfords were replaced with Mercedes trucks. But for sheer period nostalgia, the bright shine of cellulose acetate is hard to beat.

Innocent Times Revisited by Paul Vreede

These little Lego cars are the earliest toys I can distinctly remember having as a child of 3-4 years old. Sometimes when my father came home from work (I presume on payday), I was allowed to search the pockets of his dark grey overcoat, and I would find a little cardboard box with one of these vehicles inside. I also remember a line-up in a glass display cabinet in the back of Mascot toy store (I think it was) in The Hague.

The printed cardboard town plan I had when young didn't survive (I now shudder to remember it was turned into a puppet theatre...) but did get a replacement much later in life when I found one for a nice price at the monthly Brussels swap meet. This prompted the acquisition of a few of the cars and the construction of a few buildings. 

A renewed interest has recently resulted in quite a few more vehicles and buildings being added to an extra couple of shelves in the bookcase where these are on display. Bringing back the same joy as they did during the earliest and most carefree days of my life.

I'm no expert, but I gather Lego started making these vehicles in 1955, initially offering a series of Bedford trucks and VW vans, the latter strangely without any window openings in the original version. VW Beetles were added, which were used by VW as promotional toys next to much larger-sized ones also made by Lego. These were all painted in correct VW colours, and so stand out amongst all the other vehicles which are moulded in standard Lego colours (plus green for the VW vans. Baseplates aside, there was no such thing as a green brick readily available in those days, a few rare exceptions being produced in Norway apparently).

More car models followed, mostly of German cars but also a few from other countries. Then the Bedfords were replaced with Mercedes trucks with a few types of truck disappearing but more types being added. All in all the range lasted until the second half of the 1960s before disappearing from the Lego catalogue.

My photos show what I have - at least one of each model in the range, except for the early VW vans, a short version of the VW Beetle (though I'm restoring one) and a Vauxhall estate. The latter was unique to the UK and Australian markets, like the Jaguar E-Type which I do have. Bedford trucks exist in one colour (combination) only; Mercedes trucks exist in several colours except for the articulated tank trucks. The articulated trailers exist in one more printed design than I have. The scooters and (motor)cyclists were also part of the range, as were the traffic signs and flat trees.

Part Two to follow shortly!