The French Dinky Richier Road Grader Although French Dinky introduced the Richier Profileur 100 (886) into the range in November 1960, it was not until April 1961 that the French Meccano Magazine advertised the model. The 176mm long grader or road profiler had a front chassis width of 85mm, a rear chassis width of 60mm and a height of 90mm. The profiler blade, which could move through 180 degrees, also had width of 60mm. The model’s tyres were 27mm in diameter, the standard for large or heavy duty Supertoys. At the vehicles front, its wheels slightly pivoted on a vertical plane. The yellow chassis of the vehicle had grey-green seating, arm rests and engine and the driver has a blue overall. French Dinky withdrew the model in 1965.

In April 1961 the French Meccano magazine announced its “Big Competition”, with 2,500 new francs worth of prizes, based on the introduction of the Richier Profiler 100. The competition involved setting the profiler in a diorama with a range of other construction machinery represented by other French Dinky Toys. With a closing date of 15th January, 1962, the competition had 5 levels of prizes, with a first prize of Meccano, Hornby or Dinky models worth 500 new francs. At the 5th level, there were 30 prizes worth 50 new francs.

The real Richier Profileur 100 was 7.720 metres long, with a 3.8m front undercarriage, a 2.74m rear undercarriage and a height of 4m. Powered by a 100cv diesel engine, the unit weighed 11 tonnes and could move in forward and reverse at 4 speeds, with a normal running speed of 20km/h. The vehicle was capable of working in varied terrains, hollowing out and building embankments often on undressed surfaces.

At Neuville, St. Amand, south of St. Quentin, Richier construction machinery had its headquarters and main plant, with a second site at Charleville, near Mézières, in the Ardennes. Richier built a wide range of equipment, including bulldozers, compressors, road rollers and graders, under their own brand name. They also manufactured equipment for the Ford Motor Company, who bought-out Richier in 1972. The product range was modernised but by 1979, Ford decided to sell the Richier Company to SAMBRON, who moved all production to Charleville. Ultimately, the company was sold-on to Bobcat and eventually, to the New Holland Machine Company. available in yellow finish. French Dinky in detail...