Das goldene Zeitalter
Starting in 1964 Solido incorporated vintage vehicles, their "L'Age d'Or" (or Golden Age) line into their range, starting with the 1928 Mercedes SS. These were slightly larger and more complex than the leaders in the field at the time, the Matchbox Models of Yesteryear, and better finished but not as detailed as Rio Models. Making vintage cars had the advantage that they never grew out of date – indeed some models introduced in the mid-1960s were still being made when Solido renumbered their ranges in 1980. The "L'Age d'Or" range along with Matchbox and Rio were among the first diecast lines marketed to adults as much as children. As the 1960s progressed the models became lighter by using plastic bases, and the range concentrated increasingly on sports and racing cars. In comparison their great rivals French Dinky stayed with their tactics of modelling mostly the sedans on the French roads at the time. The late 1960s were a tough time for die-cast vehicle manufacturers in general, but Solido survived whereas French Dinky closed shop in 1971. In the mid-1970s, there were about 50 models in the standard Solido line.