Montaplex

Dated: February 8, 1999.

 

Airfix Ancient Britons ...................................Airfix Sheriff of Nottingham

 

Airfix British Highlanders...............................................Airfix Curassiers

 

Airfix Beduins..........................................................Airfix Foreing Legion

 

Airfix WWI US Infantry.................................................Airfix Australians

 

I don´t remember!...............................................Airfix Russian Infantry

 

I don´t remember!......................................................Airfix British Paras

 

Matchbox US Infantry..................................................Airfix Astronauts

Editor's notes: (dated 1999)
This is by far the best and most comprehensive article on Montaplex I've ever seen. Thanks very much to Mr. González for his contribution.

Other notes:
-- General Franco was the dictator of Spain at the time that these sets were originally sold. There was a tight rein on imports and exports so these sets would have been the next best thing to English imports.
-- A Spanish dealer once told me that the molds were originally made in Romania.
-- Full marks must be given to the imagination of Montaplex, who else would have come out with South Koreans or New Zealanders? Other sets included Norwegians, Moors and Christians, Arab camp, various Western forts, and even a detective set.
-- The illustrations are generally very good and imaginative. The artist does like his flags. Unlikely though it seems, all combatents are shown going into battle with huge flags, even the astronauts are waving some sort of flag in space.
-- Prehistoric dinosaurs set propagates mistaken belief that humans existed together with dinosaurs confusing a generation of children.
-- The Chinese set requires a great leap of imagination. Though the Germans (the Reichswehr not the Wehrmacht) trained the Chinese Nationalist Army, their legacy was the coal scuttle helmet (and Tsingtao beer.) During the 30's, the fledgling Chinese Republic's military was trained by the Germans who had a long tradition in China, especially in the Northeastern province of Shantung. When the Germans first muscled in after the Opium Wars one of the first things they did was set up a brewery which continues to produce beer to this day. Next time you're in the supermarket or a Chinese restaurant you can try a taste of history, beer from a brewery set up by Kaiser Wilheim's Imperial Germans homesick in Imperial China almost 100 years ago. (Note dated Oct 13, 2003: What a small world, a few weeks ago during a conversation on beers a friend told me that his friend had restarted the Tsingtao brewery in the 70's. Apparently after the Chinese Communist victory in 1946, the godless Communists shut down everything capitalistic, including the brewery in Tsingtao. This friend of a friend (American) was travelling in Tsingtao in the 70's when he found the brewery and persuaded the local officials to open up the brewery, he provided the money and knowhow.)
-- Prussian set, this makes it the first Franco-Prussian War set anywhere.
-- Viking set, pretty much the same BUM set that was previewed months ago, apparently someone had dug up the old molds. The old molds are pretty worn and the new stampings are incomplete.
-- Ivanhoe, you guessed it, a couple of sprues of Airfix's Sheriff on Nottingham's men, with a surprise. It looks like the Roman Centurion minus shield was also pressed into service.
-- Scottish troops, the Scots are so identified with their kilts that they are even shown on horseback with their kilts!
-- Astronauts, we can definitely date this set to the 70's as we can definitely see Star Wars tie fighters in the background.

Hit the back button to go back