I don't know too much about the Road Champs diecast brand other than pretty much all their stuff were made by other manufacturers on a marketing agreement. A bit like Edocar and Imperial Toys for example. They were associated with Yatming for quite a while but also Welly too who have always been happy to let other companies sell their products under different names.
This super charming classic VW Beetle Convertible is certainly a Welly product and is one of their earlier castings from the early 1980's. Not a licensed affair but a surprisingly good effort replicating the real vehicle without turning it into a caricature. Part of a never opened Road Machines 25 vehicle set found recently probably dating from the mid 1980's. Mint and boxed.
Tags: road champs welly vw beetle convertible diecast
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An early Welly product in all but name is this 1970's Chevrolet C-10 Stepside which was actually sold under the Road Champs brand in a marketing agreement. The name started out in the early 1980's by a company called JRI Inc. in Philadelphia and quickly grew to encompass other scales and utilising other peoples products too such as Ertl and Yatming. I can't find a company website so can only assuming its now defunct?
This Chevy is very much of its era when the Far East flooded many Western markets with inexpensive models which massively undercut Matchbox etc... Very crisply cast with lots of chrome and metallic paint plus unusually a Chevrolet bowtie badge and CHEVROLET cast in to the rear despite Welly products of this era not actually being licensed! Part of a wonderful 25 vehicle set still in its cellophane wrapper found recently on Ebay. Mint and boxed.
Tags: road champs welly chevrolet c-10 stepside diecast
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An earlier version of the Welly Audi Quattro still wearing the four ringed badge at the front which they had to subsequently remove when vehicle manufacturers became more strict with copyright issues. Its possible this casting is still being produced by Welly, it was certainly still appearing in cheap multi-sets at Aldi up until 2014.
Sold as a Road Champs product who were prolific enough to warrant me to catalogue it as one despite it actually being made by Welly. A typical of the era simplistic and a bit on the crude side. Part of a 25 vehicle Road Machines set sourced recently on Ebay. Mint and boxed.
Tags: road champs welly audi quattro diecast
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Road Champs aren't a brand I particularly remember growing up, i'm sure this American based companies products did make it here but I don't recall seeing them. From what I can gather they were a marketing led enterprise who didn't actually produce anything themselves but sold other peoples products as their own. At one point earlier on they used the fledgling products of Welly who im sure is a toy company you've heard of ;-)
Their roots were in cheapo unlicensed models such as this early Mazda RX-7, not quite up to Western standards at the time but very nearly there. Later versions of this casting had their doors cast shut but being an earlier example ensures this one has fully working features.
Part of a 25 vehicle set. Mint and boxed.
Tags: road champs welly mazda rx-7 diecast
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Like so many early Welly products this rather crisply cast BMW 3.5 CSL took its inspiration ie. copied from Tomica who have for most of their existence had to put up with masses of toy makers copying their products. Being a budget knock off means no opening doors like the original though it does share its wheel design. My good friend Mikaela sent me an identical example recently though that one had the BMW name on the baseplate whereas this Road Champs branded one has had it removed, no doubt at the request of BMW themselves!
Part of a very nice 25 vehicle Road Machines set dating from the 1980's. Mint and boxed.
Tags: road champs welly tomica tomica copy bmw 3.5 csl diecast
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