Model motor vehicles by Burago / Bburago (Italy), 1970s/80s

Bburago is an Italian brand and former manufacturing company of toys and die-cast scale model cars. The company was founded as "Martoys" by the Besana brothers, Ugo, Martino, and Mario, who sold their first well-known brand Mebetoys to Mattel. After only two years, the Besanas renamed the brand "Bburago" (with two 'B's at the beginning of the name). It is said that the change came because of possible confusion with the classic toy maker Marx Toys. It was based in Burago di Molgora, where all products were made from 1974 to 2005. At its most popular, Bburago's main competitors were Politoys and Maisto, the latter of which was to become dominant in the 1:18 market segment around 2000.

Bburago quickly became one of the leading manufacturers of die-cast model cars, because of its high quality and realistic detail. In the 1980s, Bburago expanded its more... product line to include a wider variety of vehicles, including trucks, buses, and motorcycles. The company also began producing models in larger scales, such as 1:18 and 1:43. Bburago's models were also featured in a number of popular movies and television shows, such as "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Back to the Future."

Bburago's popularity began to decline in the 1990s, as other manufacturers, such as Maisto, began to produce more realistic and affordable models. In 2006, Bburago was acquired by the May Cheong Group, a Hong Kong-based toy manufacturer. The company's production was moved to China, and the quality of its models began to decline. In 2007, Bburago was acquired by the Spin Master Corporation, a Canadian toy company. Spin Master has since invested in improving the quality of Bburago's models, and the company is now making a comeback. Bburago's models are still popular with collectors and children alike, and the company is once again one of the leading manufacturers of die-cast model cars. less...