Efsi Toys
Encyclopedia
Efsi was a Dutch company making diecast cars and trucks starting in 1959 as Bestbox. The company was based in Heerlen, the Netherlands, which is located in southern Limburg province.
Other cars, like a Jaguar XKE convertible, BMW coupe, and a Citroen DS ambulance were also made. Many EFSI cars were a bit smaller than those made by Matchbox and some dies seemed very close to Matchbox - like the Mercedes-Benz 280 convertible and a Mercedes-Benz flat bed truck. One earlier Ford Transit van casting appears similar to one made by Zylmex around 1990, so EFSI appears to have participated in the common practice of selling tooling to companies in other countries.
With time, EFSI became known for its HO scale truck line. Early trucks were Dutch DAFs but a Mercedes-Benz cab (long and short wheelbase) and a Commer van were also common (Bickford 2009; Rixon 2005, p. 97). Varied liveries were seen, often of Dutch or mainland European products like Philips, KLM airlines, Miele appliances, Intertrans Freight Logistics, and Libeltex nonwoven materials (EFSI Made in Holland, 2010–2011; Johnson 1998, pp. 65–66; Rixon 2005, p. 97). Other international companies like Exxon Escorenes, Pirelli, Hurlimann Beer, and Safeway Foods were also done. One truck, a FIAT van with sliding side door was often seen with automobile ads (FIAT or Citroen) or with Police or 'Gendarmerie', according to language. Just as often, though, trucks were produced clean, without any livery at all.
Early trucks were produced with a very simple wheel design, while later ones incorporated a triangular chrome wheel that looked a lot like a Majorette design. Packaging in the 1980s was simple as trucks were held in flimsy plastic containers with an EFSI identification sticker on the lower side of the container. Later, more design and color was incorporated on a cardboard blister, but, still, the presentation was simpler than more developed diecast companies - no printing was usually seen on the back of the blister card. One interesting aspect of packaging was the eight sided STOP sign in red seen on the blister packages for EFSI Toys. The meaning is unclear - if it was a strange sign to tell parents and kids to hunt no further - that they had found the right toy, or if it was some regulated warning. Most EFSI toys were stamped 'Holland' or 'Made in Holland'.
enterprises (Briethaupt no date).
History
In 1959 (some sources say 1962), Bestbox started making simple diecast cars as a welfare project (perhaps of the Dutch national or local government) to employ disabled people (Bickford 2009). The Bestbox name was discontinued in 1971, perhaps because of the similarity to the name (and competition) of Matchbox toys (Briethaupt no date). At this time, the name was changed to Efsi which a few sources say was apparently an acronym for European Federation for Social Integration - though such an organization has not been authenticated (EFSI Made in Holland, 2010–2011). Though similar to Matchbox, and popular locally, Efsi toys do not seem to have been too well known outside the Netherlands (Rixon 2005, p. 85).Typical Vehicles
Among EFSI's first vehicles were a set of 1960s Formula One cars including Brabham, Honda, Lotus, and Cooper Maserati (Briethaupt no date; Rixon 2005, p. 85). These were first marketed under the Bestbox name. Another popular line were a very Matchbox-like series of Ford Model T vehicles in various forms including coupe, pickup, delivery van, delivery van in fire engine livery (with ladder), tanker, and wrecker truck. These were simple but attractive, and were produced up into the early 1980s (Briethaupt no date).Other cars, like a Jaguar XKE convertible, BMW coupe, and a Citroen DS ambulance were also made. Many EFSI cars were a bit smaller than those made by Matchbox and some dies seemed very close to Matchbox - like the Mercedes-Benz 280 convertible and a Mercedes-Benz flat bed truck. One earlier Ford Transit van casting appears similar to one made by Zylmex around 1990, so EFSI appears to have participated in the common practice of selling tooling to companies in other countries.
With time, EFSI became known for its HO scale truck line. Early trucks were Dutch DAFs but a Mercedes-Benz cab (long and short wheelbase) and a Commer van were also common (Bickford 2009; Rixon 2005, p. 97). Varied liveries were seen, often of Dutch or mainland European products like Philips, KLM airlines, Miele appliances, Intertrans Freight Logistics, and Libeltex nonwoven materials (EFSI Made in Holland, 2010–2011; Johnson 1998, pp. 65–66; Rixon 2005, p. 97). Other international companies like Exxon Escorenes, Pirelli, Hurlimann Beer, and Safeway Foods were also done. One truck, a FIAT van with sliding side door was often seen with automobile ads (FIAT or Citroen) or with Police or 'Gendarmerie', according to language. Just as often, though, trucks were produced clean, without any livery at all.
Early trucks were produced with a very simple wheel design, while later ones incorporated a triangular chrome wheel that looked a lot like a Majorette design. Packaging in the 1980s was simple as trucks were held in flimsy plastic containers with an EFSI identification sticker on the lower side of the container. Later, more design and color was incorporated on a cardboard blister, but, still, the presentation was simpler than more developed diecast companies - no printing was usually seen on the back of the blister card. One interesting aspect of packaging was the eight sided STOP sign in red seen on the blister packages for EFSI Toys. The meaning is unclear - if it was a strange sign to tell parents and kids to hunt no further - that they had found the right toy, or if it was some regulated warning. Most EFSI toys were stamped 'Holland' or 'Made in Holland'.
Whither EFSI?
Around 1988, apparently when the welfare program was closed, the company name was changed to Holland-Oto which is still in operation (Bickford 2009). This company has connections with Dutch AHC which was also connected to the Spanish JOAL and PilenAuto Pilen
Auto Pilen was a diecast line of models made in Ibi, Alicante, in southeastern Spain by Pilen S.A.. Models were produced from the 1970s through the mid-1990s mostly in 1:43 scale. In the late 1980s, Pilen was apparently bought by AHC of the Netherlands...
enterprises (Briethaupt no date).