Pilen S.A. (also known as Auto Pilen) was a Spanish manufacturing company headquartered in Ibi, Alicante, which produced die-cast scale model cars from the 1970s through the mid-1990s mostly in 1:43 scale. A majority of the castings were inherited from French Dinky. The company was started in the 1960s, diecasting items like colorful metal sailboats and key chains. In the late 1980s, Pilen was apparently bought by AHC of the Netherlands.
Products
Pilen made at least 50 different models, in the most convoluted story of diecast seconds and recasts of any successful diecast manufacturer. Dies were apparently used or copied from a variety of other companies including Dinky, Corgi, Solido, Mebetoys, Tekno, Politoys (Polistil), and possibly some Mercury models.
European cars
Vehicles in Auto Pilen's lineup were mostly European and included Ferraris, Porsches, Renaults, Citroens, Mercedes-Benz, Volvos and some American cars as well. There was also a line of at least eight Formula One cars in 1/43 scale from the 1960s including BRM, Ferrari, Lola-Climax, Lotus-Climax, Cooper-Maserati, Brabham, and Honda. A few helicopters and airplanes were available. Numbering for the regular 1:43 series began with an "M" (perhaps reminiscent of Politoys M-Series) and went from 300 to 500.
Since this was a Spanish company, FIATs are not shown as FIAT, rather they are SEATs (pronounced 'say-ott'). This was FIAT under license in Spain – starting in the 1960s – long before Volkswagen took control of SEAT. Thus it is the SEAT 600, the SEAT 850 Spyder, the SEAT 127, etc.
Build quality
For all the complexity of origins of the models, however, the products were uniformly of very high quality. Most were done in a refined and handsome manner, with evenly applied colors. The paint application was often in a brighter, almost spectraflame (though that is a Mattel term) appearance. There were many opening features and hoods, trunks, and doors matched the bodies with satisfying precision. Finished parts were thin and svelte and models appear much like Solido – not heavy-handed like some British Dinkys and Corgis.
Tyres were rubber and wheels authentically matched each model – where a generic one was necessary, a handsome wire wheel was employed similar to those seen on Politoys M Series. Sometimes the chemical reaction in the rubber compound of the wheels could cause melting of the plastic on the base plates of the display cases, but unlike Sablon diecast made in Belgium (which also had Spanish associations) whose plastic wheels all melted with contact with rubber tyres, the problem was avoided on Pilen models by using metal wheels.
These models did not appear rushed into production, though some have experienced cracking of faulty zinc alloy conglomerate 15 to 20 years later. Pilen in the mid-1970s was right up with other 1:43 scale companies packaging their models in clear plastic display cases. The screws used to hold models to the orange and yellow plastic bases, however, held them tightly and the tyres often melt and become fused to the plastic of the bases. This is due to a chemical reaction to a softener in the rubber of the tyres. With a bit of coaxing, usually the tyres pull free from the base with no damage.
Typical Pilen brochures were thin narrow folded strips 1 3/4 inches wide which normally advertised thirty cars. On the opposite side, the collector was reminded that five of these strips could be collected and remitted to receive a key chain from "Escuderia" Pilen – such diecast trinkets had been traditional Pilen products for some years. Auto Pilen models were the main diecast toys seen in Spanish department stores El Corte Ingles and Galerias Preciados in Spain in the late 1970s.
Complex origins
The Last Dinky
Pilen's model selection appears taken (whether by direct copying from blueprints or through available dies) from a variety of other producers, especially French Dinky Toys. Some tools from Meccano s.a. were transferred from Calais to Pilen in Spain so the models made by Pilen were Dinky castings – the base plate of which had been modified from MADE IN FRANCE to MADE IN SPAIN. For example, the Talbot/Simca/Chrysler 1100 saloon, Renault 12 saloon, Mercedes 250 coupe, Ferrari P5, Citroën CX Pallas, and Matra-Simca Bagheera were French Dinky castings. Later versions of these cars, though, did not say Dinky anywhere on the base plates.