Subject:
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LEGO Minitalia... the Italian Connection...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Mon, 1 Jul 2013 23:36:38 GMT
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Viewed:
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23299 times
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Minitalia was recently discussed on Bricklink... and there is still a lot known
about the reason for its' existence...
In early 1970 the Italian Parliament passed some toy import restrictions that
affected the importation of LEGO in Italy. So by May 1970 TLG started the
process of setting up a new LEGO toy system known as Minitalia to be produced
and sold in Italy. This process even included using a different plastic other
than ABS, and in using one of TLG's other LEGO brick pattern, besides the tube
bottom pattern...
By late 1970 the European Union may have gotten involved in the Italian import
dispute, especially since Denmark considering joining the EU (they did so in
1973 along with the UK), but a referendum had to be passed first.
So in late 1970 the Italian Parliament, with much pressure from the other EU
members at the time to renounce the earlier toy restrictions, which they did.
The result was that LEGO sales were never stopped in Italy... but yet Denmark
had already started the production process of creating boxes, catalogs and parts
for the Italian market. All the expense would have been for nothing, if the
plans for Minitalia were scrapped.
So, instead TLG proceeded with Minitalia production in Italy, and an unknown
inferior plastics was used for the first 4 sets (#1, #2, #3 and #4) that went
into production in Italy alongside regular LEGO in Italian toy stores.
One side benefit of this introduction of Minitalia was the introduction of some
new windows/doors. Although the 1x6x3 13 pane window was nearly identical to
the classic LEGO Panorama window, the new 1x4x3 window was introduced with
shutters and shutter clips on the windows. These were the forerunners to the
(1978 introduced) 1x4x3 windows with shutters.
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=29719
Also introduced was the first LEGO door that actually opened. This door was a
1x4x5 door with 9 lights (instead of 4 for the 1978 introduced no-glass door).
These 2 windows and the door were introduced long before the true minifigs were
introduced, but these appear to have been popular with Italian children.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamo05/6586737037/sizes/l/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamo05/6734421765/sizes/l/
Another item introduced was a cardboard bi-fold roof piece that replaced the
need for dozens of roof elements. This cardboard piece was introduced only in
green, but was soon discontinued.
Even though LEGO elements, sets, and catalogs were produced and sold in Italy
during all the 1970s, the Minitalia sets and parts were also sold there. They
were mainly red/white bricks and white windows/doors from 1971-72, and in 1973
the introduction of blue/yellow and clear elements, as well as ships, cars and
other vehicles was introduced. Also, regular LEGO parts (in ABS plastic) were
being introduced into Minitalia sets, as the Minitalia molds were wearing out.
By 1975 the Minitalia line was finally discontinued, as the molds were worn out,
and the set box inventories were depleted.
There was however one final Minitalia type pair of sets still produced. This
was the #1 and #2 LEGO sets... sold in Italy from 1976-77, and the #2 set was
also sold in Japan from 1978-80 (known as #1902 in Japanese catalogs).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamo05/6586668859/sizes/l/
These sets had regular LEGO elements, except for the windows/shutters and doors,
which were all of the Minitalia type. The shutters were in green, but the
windows/doors were now found in black only.
The last of the Minitalia parts appears to have been sold in Japan by 1981, and
that was the end of a very unusual series of sets.
There is an entire extensive chapter in my Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors
Guide, with new updates that mention the "duality" of Italy selling locally
produced LEGO Minitalia sets, along with Danish produced regular LEGO sets.
Cheers,
Gary Istok
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