The Story of ESCI: 1967-2000 (Models & Figures)

The story of Esci is both interesting and sad; the Italian kitmaker started out as one man's dream, which saw its heyday and then passed into history. Author Jean-Christophe Carbonel has written a very good account of the rise of Esci; the company began as an importer of toys and model kits from Asia in 1967. Esci's founder, Mr. Dino Coppola, then proceeded to develop Esci into a viable plastic model company. Esci's very first kit onto the market was a 1/9 scale model of a WW2 BMW R75 motorcycle and side car. Other models followed so by 1976, Esci was marketing a few kits in its range and also a yearly catalogue. As the author describes, all was not so straightforward, the company had to get over a number of obstacles along the way, from government 'red tape' to partnerships with other kit makers and toolmakers that didn't work out, together with finding the right staff who could come up with the ideas of making the products appealing to customers in a very competitive international marketplace. As well as describing the searching and sorting out of various challenges that confronted the company, the author has included the range of Esci products in various photos such as art work, boxing and built models, which appeals to the nostalgia buffs among us. Unfortunately as the years progressed many of the original people who made Esci departed the company and in 1999, the company stopped operations. Its kit moulds were sold off to Italerai and Esci passed into history. I like this book as it describes the rise of an important kit maker of the time and also provides the nostalgia of seeing all the old kit line in living colour. The book also contains various appendices at the rear dealing with: products that were announced, but not produced; products from outside toolings and a full listing of the entire Esci range. In summary a well written and interesting account of one of the interesting model kit makers of the early years of the model kit industry, this book will appeal to those of us who wistfully remember plastic model kits and the joys of assembling them. Well done, Jean-Christophe Carbonel!

I love to study model companies and there products and this book is well done I wish I could get the book he did on Matchbox Models too but not available from Amazon

Thank you for the awesome service and fair price!

Item delivered on time, was as described

Author provides some great information on the original company and the selection of kit subjects with good coverage of the kits released by ESCI through 1999.

Sentymentalna podróż opisująca historię firmy modelarskiej ESCI. Masa zdjęć, ładne wydanie. Polecam.

Fast delivery, very well packaged, Item as described. Thank you so much!

Great book on Esci kits , great pictures to show kits that I grew up with. Great reference book.

Kit collectors, nostalgic modellers will need no prompting to buy this book!

Excellent book loads of information good pictures