The French Dinky Supertoys 36b/896 Willeme Articulated Covered Truck was introduced in late 1958, making its first catalog appearance in 1959. It followed the wonderful 36a/897 Willeme Log Truck, from 1956, using the same cab, but painted a darker shade of red.
One of my very favorite large French Dinky Toys was the Willeme Log Carrier. I purchased this new from the US distributor, H. Hudson Dobson around 1958, and I was impressed from the moment I opened the box. This was one of the first Dinky Toys trucks to feature realistic dual tires and wheels, something their English cousins were much later in adapting. As usual, this truck is wonderfully finished with gleaming paint and full of detail, complete with a spare tire and wheel behind the cab. The articulated trailer is a little jewel, with an underneath center webbed beam running the full length. And for several years, this beam was featured with realistic openings, just like the real thing. Later models had these filled in.
Another very neat feature was the use of real wood “logs”: in this case carefully cut and trimmed twigs, of just the right size, which yielded a very realistic looking load of logs. and one can only imagine the trouble this must have caused, sourcing the tiny bits of real wood, then cutting them to length, etc. And they had to be a compatible size to work. Of course Meccano did not do this themselves; I am quite sure these were sourced from someone, but it helps show the lengths that Meccano could and did go to sometimes on their models. If this was made today, they would undoubtedly be made of plastic.
The French Meccano factory was at the top of their model making game when they produced these models in the late 1950’s. After 65 years of ownership, I’m still impressed with it! These were made from 1956 through 1971, in three versions, all with minor differences. I certainly encourage you to find one, if you don’t already have it in your collection!
The brother to the Willem Log Truck: the Willeme Articulated Truck, with the Covered Fruehauf Trailer. The trailer is an amazingly complex casting, composed of many pieces, along with an amazing number of tires and wheels. Another delightful model by Meccano France!
The Articulated Truck used the same Willeme tractor unit that the earlier log truck had used, but had a Fruehauf trailer in back, complete with side and rear opening doors. I did not buy one of these until a few years ago, and after getting it, was quite impressed. The trailer is a very complicated casting, with those sides, the moving doors, and the intricate layout of the ribs on the bottom.
The Willeme tractor was also one of the first trucks to get true dual wheels and tires, as does the trailer unit… lots of tires and wheels on this one!
Look at how exquisitely done the Willeme cab was. The contouring of the casting, the level of detail, they bright finish, the real dual tires and wheels. All showcasing just how well the late 1950’s French Dinky trucks were designed and made.
A closeup study of two French trucks that Dinky used in the late 1950’s‑through early 1960’s. One the left is the Willeme and on the right the UNIC. Both of these appeared on other models over the years. Notice, that in this case, both are hauling the same basic trailer, with the Willeme being used for logs, and the UNIC for steel pipes destined for the Sahara oil fields. Dinky was smart to re-use some of its components, by carrying different loads and using different colors.
