A strong toy truck designed after the 1938 CHEVROLET and included in the Victor Bonnet toys catalogue from 1948 up to the end of production in 1956 This impressive and attractive US truck is all tin with driver and clockwork, produced by the firm under the ref 303
The US range made by Victor Bonnet and successors entails seven models, all inspired from the US trucks and issued from 1949 up to 1956. Actually this US tin truck novelty was already planned in 1939 but not yet included in the toymaker range for kids, because of the lack of metal sheets after WW II. Curiously, Victor Bonnet didn’t choose a french truck to design and make his new toy , as his rival french JEP (jouets de Pairs) toymaker made in the 1940s with the superb Delahaye fire truck . The Vébé cabin chassis measures 32 cm, and the accessories are entirely made of metal sheet The rear axle is used to propel the toy and the truck can be geared with the use of a lever displaid under the front calender. The cabin with rounded corners conforms to the model 1938 Chevrolet truck. Black rubber tires with HUTCHINSON brand are mounted on metal wheels too. If there are two doors on all toy trucks of this particular range, only one door is opening . They are alll fitted with a driver Victor Bonnet issued in total seven different versions during 7 years of production.
US range, Vébé FRENCH production from 1939 up to 1956 TIPPER TRUCK, ref 303, first issue in 1948
FLATBED TRUCK, 1948, measures 32 cm
Torpedo « grande échelle », FIRE TRUCK Pompier de Paris with 4 firemen, rotating ladder (62 cm high), ref 222
FLATBED TRUCK ref 300 and 300b, 1952
FLATBED TRUCK ref 301 with tarpaulin, ref 301, 1948
TANK TRUCK, ref 305, marked « Vébé liquide inflammables»1948, 40 cm long, first category
CRANE TRUCK US 6X6 , driver and rotating crane, red black and grey, ref 3108, 1955
End of the production in 1956
RIGHT AND BELOW:
A very amazing crane truck, it measures 50 centimers long and 44 high! Itt is fitted with two clockworks motors, one to move the crane and the other to move the toy. It was made in very strong tin, fitted with electric headlamps.
Victor Bonnet, successor of Fernand Martin
Historical facts 1880 : Séraphin Fernand Martin is housed at 90
boulevard de Ménilmontant / PARIS/ FRANCE 1912 : The firm is sold to Georges Flersheim 1916 : Death of Georges Flersheim 1919 : Victor Bonnet is running the firm and
reissued the Fernand martin toys range. The Trademark « F.M. » is abandoned and changed into « Victor Bonnet & cie »
Below the 1930 ad
1924 : « Victor Bonnet & cie » is changed into
« Etablissement Victor Bonnet » 1960 :
Etablissement Victor Bonnet factory is
The gorgeous « Gros cammionnage » truck is made under the 261 Mark, issued in 1922 by the successor of Seraphin Fernand Martin, all tin and canvas, we can see the strong mecanism and the lever mechanism. Available in red or yellow
closed Right: a Vébé advertising truck without any clockwork sold at affordable price by Vébé in the 1950s
Story and pictures by Pasky (thanks to Mick Duprat for photos) Email the author at paskytoy@orange.fr
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