ChristianMatthiesen

@mf135 (#1): These are indeed terrific pictures of very rare models. In regard to the first model, I do not have much to say. The decals are finished in the same way as the regular Volvo BM Valmet, except for leaving the Volvo BM name out. I do not know if there was a model with double rear wheels, but I have never seen one. Another possibility, however unlikely, is, that there was never made a model with double rear wheels casting of this one. Instead it was finished in the same (lighter red) colour scheme as the Volvo Valmet, and these two models, but the decals from the later “Valmet 805†finished in white. This model would be similar to the British colour variation of the 5 different Valmet colours but with double rear wheels. As for the second model this appears in the 1987 Britains catalogue (on the front cover as well). Both models are reflections on what happened to the 805 tractor in real life, but one can wonder: why did Britains switch back and forth in the decaling, as they started with the Volvo BM Valmet, changed it to these two models, and switched back again all within 1987? The second model has a sibling with double rear wheels as well. However, I have never seen a boxed issue of that one. I have noticed that these two Britains models seem to occur more frequently in Sweden, maybe this is due to the fact that the Swedes simply bought more Valmet models from Britains than other countries. Or perhaps these were shipped to Sweden in greater number than other markets. Do you have any thoughts on that? @Bill (#2): They do not appear in “Pocket Guide to Britain's Model Tractors 1948-1998â€. David Pullen, at least applying for the issue I have, lacks quite a few variations of different models. Though, it is still incontrovertible an amazing book that will set the standard for every piece of literature on the Britains farm line for many years to come.

@Steve (#26): In the 1950’s and, for some part, in the 1960’s the British economy was, despite the problems caused by World War II, in good shape, leaving the unemployment rates at times around 1 %. Britains had their attention to the home market in these years, thereby making the Fordsons, Fords and Massey Fergusons the first model tractors to be produced by Britains. In 1973 England, together with Denmark, joined EEC while holding an unemployment rate around 3 %. That same year the oil crisis hit and, combined with other things, weakened the British economy. With the entry into EEC, English companies gained the opportunity of exporting to EEC-countries without paying tariff. With a national economy in the defensive, while Germany was experiencing their “Wirtschaftwunderâ€, Britains saw exporting, as they did before the war – especially during the economic crisis in the 1930’s – as a way to keep the company growing. Of the same reason 1978 saw the introduction of the Deutz DX 110 especially market for Germany, thus breaking Ford’s and Massey Ferguson’s monopoly on Britains models, 1979 the Fiat 880DT for the Italian market (though Fiat had a large export in both agricultural machinery and cars, thus making them attractive in other markets as well) and 1980 the Volvo 2654 for the Scandinavian market. Thereby had a cultural change within the farm line been founded that would last for almost thirty years. The reason, why they never made a John Deere model before the 5410 (you can see by the Corn King that they was flirting with the thought), was, that they did not hold the necessary license, as ERTL had that right exclusively. I agree that it is unfortunately impossible to please all. However, if they kept the tradition from the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s and kept a few European brands (perhaps Valtra and Deutz or Fendt) and made a John Deere less every third year, I think they could reach a larger customer basis. However, I do not study business, so that last part is pure homespun philosophy. Post scriptum: I am very pleased you like the new Ford 7600, I am a big fan as well.

@Tris (#14): Thank you, I will contact him within the next couple of days. @Will (#15): That is a very good idea. I have totally forgot about this feature, but that is an excellent way to stay in touch with the customers. @Niels (#16): Your point in regard to increasing competition is very good. If you look at the total number of models in 1/32 scale being produced in 1993 and 2013, it has increased with many hundreds per cent. In that light it can be understandable that Britains (and ERTL) seeks the largest producers of farming equipment. However, TOMY’s business strategy aims at being the largest toy company in the world by 2015[1]. In order to do so it will be necessary to take certain risks in regard to product development. A strengthened position in the Scandinavian market could help Tomy achieve this, and a new Britains Valtra model would definitely help, as Valtra is one the most sold tractor brands in all of the Scandinavian countries. @Markus (#17): That is a very good point. In the first years after 1997 it seemed, due to the fact that most North American collectors of farm toys had little interest in the 1/32 scale line, that ERTL would focus on the 1/64 and the 1/16 scale models and let the 1/32 scale line be made with focus on European brands (Same Rubin 150, Hürlimann and Renault Cergos). This seemed to change from around 2000 until 2005. Since then, it has almost exclusively been John Deere and CNH. You also make a very good point in regard to the difficulties the European brands face towards the American market, hence making models of them impossible to sell there. However, it is my hope that Britains would try to make one model, hopefully a Valtra, of a European brand among the six or seven new tractors they make every year. Perhaps it would sell well in Europe, hence making the North American sales less important, perhaps not. But then they at least would have tried, and let us not forget that Europe is a large market for model tractors. @590mf (#18): Britains models are still a fantastic buy! It is evident that John Deere and CNH hold (together with AGCO) hold the largest part of the worldwide tractor market. However, that does not necessarily mean that Britains’ production range should be held exclusively for these models. I am not pleading for Britains to change their whole market strategy, neither for them to go back to making models for ten different brands. But I do find it sad, that they make four or five different John Deere models each year, while there has not been a new Valtra, Deutz or Fendt in more than ten years. @LadyFerguson (#19): Britains has always, regardless of the era of time, made models that very robust (Fordson Major, Claas tipping trailer, many of the Land Rover models) and some that were less (the 8 furrow Kverneland plough being one of the best examples). In my view, that has never changed. However, I fully agree that Britains should not forget their contemporary line in order for aspiring collectors, such as your nephew, to feel attached to some particular contemporary models, and hopefully start a collection of their own some day. [1] http://www.toynews-online.biz/news/35639/Tomy-aims-to-be-largest-toy-company-worldwide

@Paul (# 11): Thank you. You are absolutely right in regard to the importance of the consistency. A reason for the, sometimes, differing quality and level of detail can perhaps be explained with the fact that Tomy (and RC2 before that), as far as I know, develop 1/32 scale models in both Exeter and the United States, thus having two development departments making consistency a bit harder to achieve. @Tris (#12): Tris, you are a man with many great thoughts. I agree that it is very important for Britains to have an attractive line for children to play with, since they will be the collectors of tomorrow, and part of Britains’ charm is their egalitarian spirit; that you can walk into a toy shop and buy them. However, they should still aspire to improve the level of detail. But as they proved decades after decades, that is no problem. In order to go on with the ideas for a Valtra it would be necessary to talk to someone with connections to Britains. How do you think this idea can best proceed?

@Britainstoys.nl (#1): I apologize it has taken a while to answer this thread. I do have some prototypes; unfortunately they are located at my father’s address, as I do not have the room for an entire collection yet, so no pictures can be taken within the next fourteen days. In my view, the most interesting prototypes are always the ones that never entered production. Unfortunately, I only hold one of these. To the best of my belief it is a four row beet drill finished in lime green (not similar to any other colour Britains ever made but close to the colour used in a short timespan on the 3 furrow plough). By all accounts it was made in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s (ex Britains Archive). Furthermore I have a pre production (prototype) version of the Valmet 805 finished in white, almost transparent, plastic. Like yours it comes without the cab. The model I personally takes most interest in is a Britains Valmet 805 Autoway sample. It differs from the standard issue in regard to the rear mudguards, which are black, and the exhaust. The exhaust is finished in plastic, unlike the standard issue, and is a lot taller and resembles the actual exhaust more closely. It can be seen on the back of the boxes containing the Valmet 805 from ’86 – ’88. Then I have a number of models either promotional or containing production flaws: Blue Valmet 8750 with narrow wheels, Ford TW 25 with grey wheels, Fiat show models on plinths for toy fairs (in the same style as New Holland TR85 in your collection) et cetera. In regard to your green Massey Ferguson 595: Are you sure it was made prior to the standard model? In my view it seems more plausible, due to the colour, that it was made as a colour trial for the Deutz DX 110 (which came out in 1978), though this would not make it any less exciting.

@ Tris (#1): Thank you! I am pleased you liked it. @Stephen (#2): Yes, Britains holds an amazing history. The reason why they have taken up the models from the 1980’s is, in my view, due to market analysis. The segment they are trying to reach with these models are collectors, who themselves remember the Ford TWs of the 1980’s, thus creating a nostalgic aura surrounding them. @Richo (#3): Universal Hobbies makes fantastic models, which very few companies seem able to match in regard to quality. However, without offending anybody, I think they lack the history and nostalgia (i.e. culture) that the Britains range holds, thereby reducing them to impressingly made models rather than small pieces of history. I think you are right in estimating the total number of coloured Valmets to be 2500. I guess almost all of the four Dutch colours went to collectors since people of that time ought to have a pretty good clue they would be very expensive in the years to come. Many have probably thrown the boxes away, though. I think the case for the British colour variation is a little different. It is not obvious, in the same right, that this model sticks out from the normal one, qua leaving the losses a bit higher. Furthermore it is not unusual that some collectors “cheat†and only have 4 Dutch colour variations, leaving the British one alone. My estimate would be a little less than 2000 pieces left divided onto 5 different models. I know the British version had a twin, which was made in the same casting with double rear wheels. It came in a box similar to the 5484 Volvo BM Valmet with double rear wheels. Perhaps it was a test run or a flaw in the production. Do you have any thoughts on that? @David Scrivener (#4): I recognize your point. However, there were not many structural changes to the company in connection with the take-over by Dobson. Dennis Britain, the last member of the Britain-family involved in the company, had already left in 1978 from a position as managing director. Perhaps even more importantly Charles Biggs, head of development, stayed until 1998. In my view Britains had made some fantastic models by 1984, but by that year, the best ones were still to come. In regard to the figures (if you are talking of the soldiers) 1986 was, in my mind, one of the best years. @Bob (#5): You ought to, I think, stretch that to January 1998 when production was transferred from England and Charles Biggs stopped as head of development. I can understand why, though. Especially the first models after Charles Biggs had gone (the Renault Cergos, Same Rubin and Case IH 135) are not . . . . very good. But I see Britains a little more the way one would see its one and only: They may do stupid things, they may hurt you, but you still love them. @Markus (#: Very good contribution. However, I have to disagree with some of it. Valtra would not lose anything by having Britains making a model along with Universal Hobbies and Siku. Furthermore, they had a long tradition between them lasting from (the Volvo BM) 1980. In my view, but that is only pure speculation, it must have Britains that dropped the connection, as there was no new Valmet/Valtra models being produced (expect the Britains Claas colour) from 1998 until Universal Hobbies came around with the Mezzo 6850.

An essay by Christian Matthiesen. "Britains is the best toy brand in the world because of three things: Quality, tradition and culture." The weather of January 1993 was, in the case of Denmark, characterized by heavy storming coming in from the west. At the same time only a few hundred miles across the North Sea, one of the most celebrated toy companies of the century, Britains Limited, was making preparations to celebrate their 100th anniversary as a producer of hollow casted toy soldiers. But in the case of Britains, a storm was on its way as well. The British economy had in 1993 been in recession for some years. Britains was struggling to survive in a market with decreasing sales. The year before the factory was moved from Blackhorse Lane, London, to join the Dobson-held Petite factory in Nottingham in order to cut costs. Despite this it was possible to hold a range of models from Ford, Massey Ferguson, Valmet, Fiat, Renault, Fendt, Landini, Lamborghini, Same and Deutz. Twenty years later a look at the new Britains program unveils the opposite truth. The company is, financially, strong as ever, but the diversity in the model range is gone. This is, in many ways, a natural development. Many manufactures of farming equipment have merged during the past twenty years. On the other hand the regional stronghold of the individual brands has been somewhat leached. In order to hold a share of the German model tractor market it is no longer crucial to produce neither Deutz nor Fendt, though it would be an obvious advantage. In the same way holds John Deere a large market share in the Scandinavian countries, thus can John Deere models be sold here thereby ignoring Valtra’s homecourt advantage. For the same reason Britains has produced two or three new John Deere models every year for the past half a decade, and a little less New Holland and Case IH models. Massey Ferguson has been granted two (if you ignore their respective versions with loaders) new models for the past ten years, JCB a little more. This is a small disaster. There have been upsides in regard to the diversity as well, though. The 2007 Väderstadt seed drill was a treat. The Simba Solo Train was great too. But in regard to overall brand diversity in the product range, one must wonder: why is it all centered around John Deere and CNH? In 2014 it will be exactly 25 years since the Dutch importer of Valmet in 1989 had Britains made the famous five different colour variations of the Valmet 805. Why not celebrate these fantastic models by making a new Valtra with a limited edition colour variation run for the Farm Toys Forum?