#358 DARDA - BEACH BUGGY (Ref. 1280-140) (Around 1975)

In the first article published in this blog about Darda, we already talked about a Buggy, which was the first creation of Helmut Darda, and the first model to be sold with the new, revolutionary pullback motor. I am not sure if it was exaclty this model of Buggy the one which was designed first, since there are a few similar models, for example, one came with a folded canopy on the back, other with a soft top, while this one has a roll bar between front and rear seats. 

I own this model twice, although the second unit is actually a copy made in Hong Kong by another unknown die-cast company. The car is marked on the chassis only as "Made in Hong Kong - Pat P" (Patent Pending), plus a logo with two children faces. If you have more information about this Darda bootleg, please let me know.

Comparing both, you´ll discover almost no differences. The most notable are the motor and the plastic interior, that have different colours. The bootleg motor does not work, so it has been proven to be a lower quality product, than the original one, which is still working.

I have also found this nice ad on Youtube, which was aired in 1976 according to the person who uploaded it. You can see the most important features of the toy there.

NOTE: If you're interested in this particular brand, I have updated all previous entries dealing with it. See all my Darda articles here.

UPDATE: Second Buggy unit in green

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: BEACH BUGGY (Nr. 1280-140)
• Scale: Approx 1:64
• Year: Around 1975 / Unknown
• Company: Darda (Germany) / Unknown Toymaker (Hong-Kong)
• Size: Around 6 cms