pucciManuli - A Remarkable Collection

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During the 1930’s, automobiles in Europe were the equivalent to Sleeping Beauty compared to the booming American metropolis.  New York and San Francisco began to witness the very first traffic congestion.  However, many European cities could go for weeks without seeing a single automobile with an “Otto Motor.”  In addition, numerous newspaper articles about American luxury cars became a sensation among readers and created an unprecedented, and unexpected, yearning.

It is, perhaps, this reason, that in 1932, Jan Dobe’s grandfather (the founder of Arcurio Models) sat down in his modest carpenter workshop in the tiny Czech town of Kosova Hora, and recreated the Ford Lincoln V12 in wood.  He had used photographs from various newspapers as his reference.  He quickly mentioned to his wife that he had crafted the wooden car for his son.  But those who knew him well knew he was making the model for himself as well.  To be able to touch the “Miracle Car” from America, even if it was only made out of wood and in a scale of 1:12, was quite remarkable.

Upon completion of this wooden Lincoln, demand from the townspeople was so great that he was forced to, over time, craft 12 more of these beautiful pieces. It was mostly adults who patiently stood in line to purchase these toy cars.  Of course, they all claimed to be waiting in line on behalf of their children, but when the local clergyman bought a Lincoln as well, it became clear that the wooden model represented more than just a toy.  It satisfied a yearning, facilitated dreams and became a great object of desire.

Jan’s grandfather would have been able to create many more of these beautiful Lincolns, if it were not for the war in 1939.  And when the war ended in 1945, just three short years later, Communism nationalized his workshop, where he was turned into a simple workman and had to witness the deterioration of his own shop.   However, the blueprints he developed for his Lincoln managed to survive in his attic.  And, in September of 1998, another carpenter was able to build a Lincoln from these very plans.

When Jan’s family held this new Lincoln in their hands for the first time, they could sense the allure emanating from this “toy” and we were able to understand the enthusiasm the townspeople had felt.  They are very proud to say, that after so many years, like Sleeping Beauty, the Lincoln has come alive and consumers were, once again, able to purchase this toy.

Additional models were added to create a portfolio of wooden old-timers, all in line with the ideas of their grandfather, and they are certain that he would have built these cars exactly the way they look today.

The Production…
Every model is crafted by hand.  It starts with choice wood, where great care is taken.  All of the parts of the model have to match, not only in size but in color as well.  In addition, the alignment of the wood grains has to be chosen in such a way that the individual parts come together to form a cohesive unit.  This requires years of experience and an inherent feeling for the wood.  No machine is able to accomplish this.

The mechanical parts of the model also require skilled hands.  Wood itself is easily breakable.  One wrong grip and the wooden gear wheel, for instance, would break like a porous piece of rock.  Since the mechanism that moves the wheels is fully functional and must work under pressure, the choice of wood is of the utmost importance. And while all models of one type are the same measurements, each model is unique, influenced by the natural design of the wood and personal decisions of the craftsman.

The wood is not painted or otherwise chemically treated.  From their point of view, painted wood looses its sense of nature and beauty.  For conservation purposes, they use only olive oil.  This allows the model to go unchanged, both in consistency and tanning, for years to come while simultaneously showcasing the beauty of the natural wood.

Each model requires hours and hours of skilled craftsmen at work, but the results speak for themselves.  You receive an item that children of all ages admire and enjoy.  The smooth sides of the model invite you to run your fingers over it, sensing the wood.  And, of course, everyone wants to move the finished piece back and forth to experience how well a scale model, made of wood, can actually move.