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Showing results for tags 'Minitalia'.
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Most people think of the first modern LEGO door as the 4 panes door introduced in 1978 with the arrival of the first minifigs.... However there was a prototype door for the opening 4 pane door that came out 8 years earlier... before even any figures (before the 1973 introduced maxifigs and the 1975 introduce minifig "stiffs"). This door was the 1970 introduced Minitalia door. Minitalia was a LEGO System made only for the Italian market starting about 1970. The Italian Parliament had passed some legislation making toy imports very difficult, so TLG established a plant in Italy to make a slightly different construction toy for the Italian market. Although these toys had "LEGO" on the box... it also had "MINITALIA" in large letters on the box. These Minitalia sets were produced from 1970-75, with the windows/doors produced for Italy and Japan as LEGO sets until 1980... in unique #1 and #2 LEGO sets... The slightly different Minitalia parts can be found here... http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=P&catString=394 Here is the first Minitalia 9 pane door design of 1970, next to a 1978 introduced LEGO 4 pane door design of 1978.... And here is the backside of the Minitalia and modern LEGO door (with some slight differences)... The rare Minitalia style door wsa produced in only 2 colors... white from 1970-75... and black in a LEGO set with Minitalia doors/windows from 1976-80. The black doors are much rarer than the white ones. Because these doors are compatible with regular LEGO... they are a highly prized addition to many LEGO MOCs... that like to show off this unique style door.... From Chapter 44 - LEGO Windows/Doors (1949-99), and Chapter 34 - LEGO Minitalia Sets & Parts (1970-80)... of my LEGO DVD/download. Gary Istok
