Jouef

Jouef

Company type	Brand
Industry	Model railroads, model cars, slot cars
Founded	1944
Founder	Georges Huard
Fate	Acquired by Lima (2001), then Hornby (2004)
Headquarters	Champagnole , France
Products	Model trains, model cars, slot cars
Owner	Hornby

Jouef is a French brand originally known for manufacturing scale model railroads, now under the ownership of Hornby. In addition to model trains, Jouef has also produced model cars and slot cars.

History

Established in 1944 by Georges Huard in Champagnole, France, Jouef evolved from producing lithographed tinplate items to utilizing plastic injection molding techniques during the early 1950s. The company launched a manufacturing facility in Limerick, Ireland, in 1979, which ceased operations by 1981. In 2001, the Italian company Lima acquired Jouef, and following Lima’s closure in 2004, Hornby took over the brand.

Trains

Jouef’s first offering was a tinplate model titled 'Trans Saharan Express - Algiers to Tombouctou'. Among the notable products was the French BB9200 locomotive, recognized for intricate details such as its diamond-shaped pantograph. Under Hornby’s management, the French TGV high-speed train continues to be a prominent item. During the 1960s, Jouef briefly introduced British outline models marketed under the 'Playcraft' label.

Cars

Starting around 1960, Jouef manufactured plastic vehicles in 1:87 (HO) scale—cars, trucks, and buses—primarily featuring French brands like Peugeot and Citroën to complement train layouts. The company entered the electric slot car market in 1963 with the "Record 64" system. From 1964 to 1968, these slot cars were distributed in the UK by Mettoy/Playcraft and licensed in Germany as Egger Silberpfeil; production also took place in Spain. Early slot car models included Jaguar E Type, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, Ferrari Formula One variants, Lotus F1 cars, Porsche 904, and Ford GT40.

Following the end of collaborative agreements in 1968, Jouef continued producing slot cars until around 1980 with models such as Renault Alpine 3000, Matra Djet, Mini Cooper, Lotus F1 variants, Ferrari F1 'Baby,' Ford Capri, Porsche 917, BMW 3.0 CSL, and Lancia Stratos. Some planned models like the Renault 5 Turbo and a 'Batwing' BMW appeared in catalogs but never reached production.

After 1980, Artin marketed lower-cost slot cars under the Jouef name until the mid-1990s. Original French-made Jouef slot cars from 1963 to 1980 have become sought-after collector’s items commanding premium prices.

During the 1990s, Jouef expanded into die-cast vehicles ranging from 1:18 to 1:43 scale under the "JouefEvolution" brand. These were mostly produced in China while train manufacturing remained based in France. The 'Legende' series featured highly detailed models including the 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, Ferrari prototypes such as the 330 P4 and NART 412P, Ford GTs and Mustangs, MGB ragtop, Triumph TR3, and Volkswagen Beetle. These models were distinguished by fine details like metal window frames and realistic engine replicas.

Many of these castings were later acquired by Universal Hobbies (Hong Kong) and reissued as Eagle's Race during the late 1990s with minimal modifications from their original Jouef designs.