Solido - Catalog Content Analysis

Catalog Content Analysis

Though the focus has always been French vehicles, that emphasis has magnified somewhat over time. An inspection of 115 vehicles in the 1975 catalog shows 48 percent of Solido offerings to be French made vehicles (Berliet, Saviem, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, Simca, Matra, etc.) with nine countries represented (Famous Miniatures 1975). German offerings came to 26 percent. Italian - 18%, and Great Britain, New Zealand, Sweden, Spain, Russia and the United States were all represented. The U.S. had 10 percent of the models.

A count of all French vehicles of the 175 portrayed on the Solido website in 2010 came to 52%. While German vehicles made up 10% fewer offerings, Japanese vehicles were 12% (no Japanese vehicles appeared in 1975), beating Italian (11%) and British (6%) offerings. American vehicles were only 2% of vehicles - mainly military vehicles of the past, which is very different from Solido of the 1980s when Cadillacs, Thunderbirds and Studebakers, among others, were offered. American, German, Italian, and British models were less prevalent after 35 years, and three fewer countries were represented.

Over the decades, then, offerings have become slightly more nationalistic with more concentration on French vehicles and somewhat less diversity of international marques. Traditional Solido lines have been maintained, but the company seems to be in heavier competition, not only with Norev, but with the likes of French Eligor and Portuguese Vitesse in the selection, fit and finish of models.