Verem Lola T-280
This model was made in the seventies by Verem, which was a division of Solido. The wheels and interior are very crude, and I had to apply the decals myself. The rear is just a stamped representation of a grill, and looks very "Hot Wheels"-esque. However, the chrome is done nicely, and it even has a suspension. It's charm is in it's obscurity and vintage, but it does look silly next to a high-end minichamps model.
The decision to collect or include Solido, or any other vintage item, in this website has been not been without controversy. The detail on these cars is very crude when compared with modern cars, but the influence these products has had cannot be ignored. There are many other companies who produced 1:43 toy cars in the sixties and seventies, but I have chosen to exclude them. The difference with the Solido cars is that they are traceable to a specific event, and have accurate (if crude) car markings. For example, there are many Porsche 917's by a number of manufacturers, but they are of a solid color with possibly a racing number that corresponds to no particular race or driver. The Solido Porsches can all be verified that they represent a particular real-world car.
This piece also illustrates what happened to this form of racing in the mid seventies. The rise of prototypes, and not cars that the spectators could recognize as 'sports cars' took some of the romance out of endurance racing. Instead of sleek Ferraris and Jaguars, you got this bathtub-like object whizzing by you. The classically stuffy (but wonderfully written) UK magazine 'Autosport' said recently that sports car racing should have all of the 'dream cars' being allowed to show their true spirit on the track. The problem was that this car, and other prototypes of the day, were more of a nightmare.
The box has 'Edition Limite'" stamped in gold and 'ref 606' as a model #. Again, it would get laughed at if it were produced today, but in it's day it was probably state-of-the-art.
The original Solido Models had three-digit reference numbers starting with 100. This dated back to a Jaguar D-Type that was made in 1956. The last model in this series was the #199 March 707 Can-Am car.
I am looking to complete a the following guide to document all relevant Solido/Verem racing models. The list thus far:
Compliant Solido Models | |||||
Place |
Car |
Car # Class |
Model |
Ref. # |
Image |
| '100' Series | |||||
| DNF | Ferrari 312P Pedro Rodriguez  David Piper  | 18 | Solido 100 Series | 177 |  |
| 1 | Porsche 917K 'Porsche Salzburg' Hans Hermann  Richard Attwood | 23 S 5.0 | Le Mans 1970 | 186 |  |
| 2 | Ferrari 312 PB 'Shell' Jacky Ickx  Clay Regazzoni  | 51 P 3.0 | Solido 100 Series | 194 |  |
| 4 | Ferrari 512M 'Sandeman' Chris Craft David Weir  | 16 S 5.0 | Le Mans 1971 | 197 |  |
| 1 | Porsche 917K 'Martini' Helmut Marko  Gjils Van Lennep  | 22 S 5.0 | Le Mans 1971 | 198 |  |
| 11 | March 707 'STP' Chris Amon  | 77 | Can-Am 1970 | 199 |  |
The reference numbers and packaging changed around 1972. For most of the 1970's, the models were two-digit numbers 10 thru 99, and many Le Mans models were issued. The most famous of these is the 1972 Matra Le Mans winner, which was the only version available until Spark Model created one at the end of 2008.
Solido also gets credit for having the only version of the Porsche 917/10 Can-Am car. Many manufacturers have promised this, but so far nobody else has delivered...
Some of these models were also issued with "1000" reference numbers. For example, the No. 86 Porsche 936 is also available as No. 1086.
Compliant Solido Models | |||||
Place |
Car |
Car # Class |
Model |
Ref. # |
Image |
| '10' Series | |||||
| 6 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Dave Heinz Alain Cudini  | 54 | Le Mans 1974 | 16 ('Gam 2' Series) |  |
| 1 | Porsche 917/10 'L&M' George Follmer | 7 | Can-Am 1972 | 18A |  |
| DNF | Porsche 911 Carrera RSR (2.8) 'Bosch' Claude Ballot-Léna | 108 Group 4 | Tour de France 1973 | 24 |  |
| DNF | Porsche Carrera RSR Mark Donohue George Follmer | 6 | Daytona 1973 | 24 ('Gam 2' Series) |  |
| 11 | BMW 3.0 CSL Dieter Quester Toine Hezemans | 51 T 5.0 | Le Mans 1973 | 25 |  |
| 1 | Lancia Stratos 'Marlboro' Sandro Munari  Mario Manucci | 111 Gr 4 | Tour de France 1973 | 27 |  |
| 1 | Gulf GR8 Ford 'Gulf' Derek Bell Jacky Ickx | 11 Sportscars | Le Mans 1975 Series | 38 |  |
| DNF | Porsche 934 'VSD' Willy Braillard Jean-Louis Ravenel Jacky Ravenel | 69 GT +3.0 | Le Mans 1978 | 68 |  |
| 1 | Porsche 936/77 'Martini' Jürgen Barth Hurley Haywood Jacky Ickx | 4 Group 6 | Le Mans 1977 | 86 |  |
| 1 | Renault-Alpine A442B ‘elf’ Didier Pironi Jean-Pierre Jaussaud | 2 B6 | Le Mans 1978 | 87 | |
This series of variations came in a white box, and most seem to be based on the "1000" series. Most were rally and touring cars, but they did do a 936...
Solido "Record" series | |||||
Place |
Car |
Car # Class |
Model |
Ref. # |
Image |
| 2 | Porsche 908/80 ‘Immo Klein’ Reinhold Joest Jochen Mass | 1 B6 | Minichamps | 10861 | |
Some of the base models were also issued in a pre-painted kit form, where the buyer would have to assemble the base as well as apply the decals.
Solido Top 43 Model Kits | |||||
Place |
Car |
Car # Class |
Model |
Ref. # |
Image |
| 65 | Porsche 935 John Paul Al Holbert Michael Keyser | 18 | Daytona 1979 | 0041 |  |
| 15 | Porsche 935 Charles Mendez Johnny Rutherford Paul Miller | 5 | Daytona 1979 | 0042 |  |
15 | Porsche 935 'Kores' | 39 | Le Mans | 1702 |  |
| ?? | Porsche 935 'Valiant' ? ? ? | ?? | Nurburgring 1978 | 1709 |  |
| 29 | Porsche 934 Dale Whittington R. D. Whittington Preston Henn | 93 | Daytona 1979 | 1712 |  |
While Solido survived as a brand, the cars abrubtly end at 1981. The various series that followed were re-issues of earlier base moulds. This cutoff date has a certain elegance for Le Mans collectors, as the Group C era began at that same time. For this reason, Solido models remain frozen the Group-6 turbo era, and retain a very 1970's feel. We were also spared yet another version of the Porsche 956.
These cars were from an early 1990's reissue series. While the moulds were the same, the paint and detail quality were slightly better than the older versions.
Event | |||||
Place |
Car |
Car # Class |
Model |
Ref. # |
Image |
| 1 | Matra 670 Short Tail 'Elf' Henri Pescarolo Graham Hill | 15 | Le Mans 1972 | 2407 |  |
| 2 | Matra 670 Long Tail 'Elf' François Cevert Howden Ganley  | 14 | Le Mans 1972 | 2408 |  |
| 9 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 'Thomson' Alain Serpaggi José Dolhem | 40 GT 5.0 | Le Mans 1973 | 2409 |  |
| 5 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 'Shell' Cyril Grandet Dominique Bardini | 71 GT 5.0 | Le Mans 1974 | 2410 |  |
| DNF | Porsche 935/77A 'Hawaiian Tropic' Rob McFarlin Bob Akin Roy Woods | 71 IMSA | Le Mans 1979 | 2411 |  |
| DNF | Porsche 935/79 'interscope' Ted Field Milt Minter John Morton | 68 IMSA | Le Mans 1979 | 2412 |  |
| DNF | Alfa Romeo T33/3 'Shell' Toine Hezemans Masten Gregory | 37 P 3.0 | Le Mans 1970 | 2419 |  |
| DNF | Alfa Romeo T33/3 'Shell' Teodoro Zeccoli Carlo Facetti | 38 P 3.0 | Le Mans 1970 | 2420 |  |
This was the last set of cars issued before Solido went inactive in the early 2000's. While much of the series consists of rally and touring cars, there are some interesting road racing items. The final and most important piece is the Mark Donohue Porsche 917/10.
Mad props to Solido for creating a very obscure version of the Martini Porsche from the Le Mans weekend test race. This car had me puzzled for quite a while, but it does show up as #62 on the results sheets.
Solido "Racing" Series | |||||
Place |
Car |
Car # Class |
Model |
Ref. # |
Image |
| 1 | Porsche Carrera RSR 'Martini' Gijs van Lennep Herbert Müller | 62 GTS | Le Mans 4 Hours 1973 | 1920 |  |
| 1 | Porsche 935 'Weisberg' Manfred Schurti 
John Fitzpatrick
Bob Wollek
| 6 | Nürburgring 1979 | 1925 |  |
| 4 | Porsche 917/10 'L&M' Mark Donohue | 6 | Can-Am 1972 | 1944 |  |
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Solido #1333 - Porsche 936 "Fantasy" Boss Livery |
While Solido were the first to put out well-researched cars with accurate details and real-world race liveries, there was a series of "fantasy toys" that do NOT have accurate graphics. Luckily, these all have reference code numbers that begin with "13", and have a distinct package that was designed to be hung on a retail peg hook. These cars were clearly intended to be toys for small children.
The most confusing of these is the Porsche 936 "Boss" car. There was never such a car in this livery, but this Solido model seemed plausable enough, and I researched the hell out of it. I had figured it was an Obermeier racing car from the early 1980's DRM series, and I spent many hours trying to find it in the results tables.
There are several other "fake" Porsche cars in this series, such as a Yellow "J. David" 935 and a generic 934. Again these do not represent cars that ever existed.
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Verem #615 - Ford Mark IV, Sebring 1967 |
In the mid 70's, the Verem packaging shifted to a funky "intergalactic" box style. This also featured a custom-labeled plastic base which provides much better protection.
Verem Models | |||||
Place |
Car |
Car # Class |
Model |
Ref. # |
Image |
| Verem '600' Series | |||||
| 17 | Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Pierre Mauroy Marcel Mignot | 42 GT3.0 | Le Mans 1973 | 602 |  |
| ? | Ford Mirage ? ? ? | ? S 3.0 | Le Mans 1976 | 604 |  |
| DNF | Alfa Romeo TZ1 Jean Rolland Fernand Masoero | 40 GT 1.6 | Le Mans 1964 | 605 |  |
| DNF | Lola T280 'Start-Pilote' Daniel Rouveyran Christian Mons Christian Ethuin | 61 S 3.0 | Le Mans 1973 | 606 |  |
| DNF | Porsche Carerra 6 (906) Christian Poirot Pierre Maublanc | 42 S 2.0 | Le Mans 1968 | 607 |  |
13 | Porsche 917/10 'Air Canada' | 4 | Can-Am | 608 |  |
| 2 | Alfa Romeo 33 TT12 Rolf Stommelen Carlos Reutemann  | 3 S3.0 | Nürburgring 1974 | 609 |  |
| 1 | Ferrari 312 PB Jacky Ickx Clay Regazzoni | 1 | Spa 1971 | 610 |  |
| DNF | Gulf-Mirage GR7 Ford 'Gulf' Vern Schuppan Reine Wisell  | 12 Sportscars | Le Mans 1974 | 611 |  |
| 1 | Ford Mark IV Mario Andretti Bruce McLaren | 1 P | Sebring 1967 | 615 |  |
