Maker record
Vitesse
Vitesse was a Portuguese model-car brand established in Maia in 1982 as part of Cinerius, Lda. It produced die-cast cars, predominantly at 1:43 scale, including rally subjects and classic road cars. Its first model was a Lancia Rally 037 in Martini livery, followed by the Retro Vitesse line of classic cars. The brand became part of Sun Star Models Development Group in 1993.
- Founded
- 1982
- Countries
- Portugal
- Locations
- Gueifães, Maia, Portugal · 1982
- Founders
- Francisco Abrunhosa · Bernard Peres
The story of Vitesse
Vitesse began in 1982 in Gueifães, Maia, as a brand of Cinerius, Lda. The company was established by Francisco Abrunhosa and Bernard Peres, who had experience in the field and were recruited by northern Portuguese businesspeople to create a miniature-model industry. Although the initial plan was to make toys, the business turned to collector models. Its first release was a 1:43-scale Lancia Rally 037 decorated with Martini advertising, representing the car driven by Markku Alén in the 1982 Tour de Corse.
Between 1982 and 1984, Vitesse introduced its Retro Vitesse line of classic vehicles, including a 1960 Chevrolet Corvette, a BMW 328, a Ferrari 250 Spyder California and a Mercedes 170V. Fernando Pinto designed models for the early catalogues. In 1993, Vitesse was purchased and incorporated as a brand by the Sun Star Models Development Group in Macau. Jornal dos Clássicos reports that Vitesse production ended in 2001 after a period of activity in the Far East; it also notes that the logo and moulds passed to several other companies.
