Trofeu is a line of 1/43 scale diecast vehicles made by Replicar in Portugal. The company was started in 1989, in Espinho just south of Oporto - the same town where Metosul and Luso Toys had previously been made in the 1960s and 1970s. Trofeu products are mainly contemporary

rally Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade * Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event Spor ...

cars alongside their stock counterparts.

Product history

The first model was a 1987

Ford Sierra The Ford Sierra is a mid-size car or large family car manufactured and marketed by Ford Europe from 1982-1993, designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément — and noted for its aerodynamic styling producing a drag coeffici ...

Cosworth RAC Rally, which had been driven by Stig Blomqvist. It was released in March 1989. In 1990, the second model was introduced, a

Toyota Celica The is an automobile produced by Toyota from 1970 until 2006. The Celica name derives from the Latin word '' coelica'' meaning 'heavenly' or 'celestial'. In Japan, the Celica was exclusive to the '' Toyota Corolla Store'' dealer chain. Produ ...

GT4 ST165. Trofeu also manufactured the newer Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185 and ST205 in both rally and stock guises. Trofeu miniature cars were made of diecast metal mounted on plastic chassis. Most cost about 40 Euros. As is common with diecast makers today, one rally model would commonly be made in multiple liveries to save on tooling costs. For example, the mid-1970s European Ford Escort RS2000 appeared in Trofeu's line-up in more than 30 different variations, produced up through at least 2004.Stewart 2004.

Besides rally

Though rally cars were standard fare, Le Mans and prototype racing models often appeared such as the Porsche LMP and 936. The occasional taxi and police car also were produced. One odd model, considering the normal fare, was a Scandinavian Volvo Duett panel van.

Numbering and packaging

Early Trofeu models were numbered with 0 prefix such as 010-015 for Ford Sierra, 016-030 for Toyota Celica ST165 and 031-042 for the Mitusbishi Galant. The first Celica ST185 came with a 044 reference number, but later the whole Celica ST185 line was renumbered with four prefix numbers from 444 to 459. The next models also came with new reference numbers such as 7## for the Celica ST205. Models were usually packaged in clear plastic display cases sometimes highlighted with folded card decor.

List of models

List of 1/43 scale cars by Trofeu: * Ford Sierra Cosworth * Toyota Celica GT4 ST165 * Mitsubishi Galant VR4 * Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD ST185 * Ford Escort RS Mk 1 *

Subaru Impreza The is a compact car that has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker Subaru since 1992. It was introduced as a replacement for the Subaru Leone, Leone, with the predecessor's Subaru EA engine, EA series engines replaced by the new Subaru EJ ...

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Toyota Celica GT-Four The Toyota Celica GT-Four is a high performance model of the Celica Liftback that was produced from 1986 to 1999, with a turbocharged '' 3S-GTE'' engine, and full-time AWD. It was created to compete in the World Rally Championship, whose regu ...

ST205 * Renault Alpine A110 *

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* Fiat 131 Abarth *

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Opel Kadett The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel from 1936 until 1940 and then from 1962 until 1991 (the Cabrio continued until 1993), when it was succeeded by the Opel Astra. Kadett I (1936–1940) ...

* Porsche 936 LeMans * Porsche LMP prototype racer *

BMW 2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains independence from Indonesia and ...

* Volvo 445 Duett *

Maserati Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. ...

presentation car *

Vauxhall Chevette The Vauxhall Chevette is a supermini car that was manufactured by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1975 to 1984. It was Vauxhall's version of the " T-Car" small-car family from Vauxhall's parent General Motors (GM), and based primarily on th ...

Sources

Works cited

* Stewart, Sean. 2004. Small Ford Scale Models. Webstring selection. ClassicFord.org

* 1994 Trofeu Catalog, Portugal * 1997 Trofeu Catalog, Portugal Toy cars and trucks Model manufacturers of Portugal Die-cast toys 1:43 scale models {{Toy-stub