Your very own Co-Hog family belongs on this page having fun with other Co-Hogs!
Send me your memories using the form on the Contact page and we'll add them to the party!
In late 1982 Dr. Shane T. Maa ordered an almost complete of Co-Hog Catalog toys and a select group of Special Editions. Once they were all delivered in early 1983, it became one of the largest US Co-Hog collections.
Dr. Maa's Co-Hog Catalog toys were among the last ones that we made as we transferred our efforts to the ever-expanding Special Edition line. Only about 590 catalog toys and 120 Special Editions were ever made.
After 40 years of Dr. Maa’s stewardship, his step son Michael Miles inherited the collection following Dr. Maa’s passing. The best items are still intact although some of the original pieces are gone.
The black Mercedes AMG (#3 of only 6) is my favorite, although the Countach (#27 of 83) looks fantastic in yellow! And the white Two Formula One Race Team (#9 of only 10) is also exceptional.
The original collection contained all of the following items. Each is listed with the production number/total made, color and the original price:
Countach - #27/83 - yellow - $60
Ferrari 512 BB - #30/45 - red - $80
Ferrari 512 BB LM - #13/18 - red - $80
Mercedes AMG 380SEC #3/6 - black - $120
Two Formula One Racing Team - #9/10 - white - $185
Porsche - #111/114 - deep red metallic - $38
Ferrari - #120/120 - yellow - $30
Rabbit - #17/21 - navy blue - $26
Rabbit Rally - #12/13 - red - $32
4x4 Jeep - #29/29 - deep blue metallic - $36
4x4 Van - #11/13 - gold metallic - $32
4x4 Ambulance - #17/17 - white - $36
Dr. Maa’s collection is in good hands and should be going strong for another long while.
To find out more about the original catalog line of Co-Hog Toys click the link.
To find out more about the Co-Hog Special Editions click the link.
Many Co-Hogs have been treasured for decades and are now being passed on and appreciated by a second generation. Thank you to Stephen T. Lobosco from Long Island in New York for sharing his photos of some of the Co-Hogs he has received from his father.
Co-Hogs were then being sold exclusively at specialty shops and galleries around the country. These examples were most likely purchased from Engel Pottery in East Hampton on Long Island. The Engels were fantastic people with a delicious shop overflowing with hand made delights.
The Lamborghini Countach was the first Special Edition that Co-Hog made starting in April 1982 as a new line to complement the catalog vehicles. New marques and models were frequently requested and the line eventually grew to 20 different editions. Stephen’s father’s medium gray metallic Countach is #9 of 33 built and was completed in June of 1982.
The Ferrari 512 BB always looks dressed to the nines in black and ready for anything. This example is either #21 or #22 of 45 - one of the two Boxers in black that I made in December of 1982.
Stephen also included his father's black 4X4 Jeep from the original line of Co-Hogs.
This is the only Jeep I've seen in the wild and is #2 of a total of 29. Stephen's father acquired it in 1981 and kept it in immaculate condition.
No Moab wheeling for this one!
This is a wonderful pair of well-cared for Co-Hogs that spans two eras in Porsche racing History and two distinct Co-Hog periods as well. The metallic red Porsche Racer, loosely based on the Porsche 935, was completed in early December of 1982 before being sent to its new home in Texas. This particular Co-Hog really stands out in my memory - a great new home and a gorgeous color.
Almost five years later, on 9/9/1987, the 50th Co-Hog Porsche 956 was finished and sent to the same home! It is the 17th of 21 done in the Rothmans livery. About 33 years later the owner sent this photo showing their excellent overall health.
Both the 935 and 956/962’s have become racing legends and the gentleman who owns these two Co-Hogs certainly chose wisely.
Love can be a very different animal when you are, in fact, a dog. This Co-Hog Mercedes 380 SEL has the scars to prove it.
Sometimes the crunchy wheels are the best parts.
And other times just a few solid gnaws will do the trick.
No matter how you bite it though, you’re bound to leave some drool behind - everywhere.
Fortunately the Mercedes was rescued by Paul before it was reduced to kindling and Caroline was fine too after she got over losing her toy.
Photos courtesy of Rick Maningas
It seems fitting that the first entry on the ‘Your Co-Hogs’ page should celebrate Rick Maningas and his gorgeous red Co-Hog Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer - #16 out of 45 made. His wife ordered it as a birthday present for him and it was completed close to 40 years ago on 11/10/1982. It looks like it is in pristine condition.
What makes Rick unique is that in 2011 he set out to gather Co-Hog owners together to share anything and everything about their Co-Hogs and the company itself. He started both a WordPress blog and a Facebook page to help spread the idea. Rick also created a mostly accurate YouTube video asking the Co-Hog community to share their experiences with him. There was so little information available that even Rick didn’t know that Co-Hog Toys was started in 1978 rather than 1982.
This post was the very beginning of the Facebook page. It was slow going but Rick stuck with it. He let me know about the page and I started adding little bits and pieces as I could. It has grown since then but is still a pretty much a secret spot. in the great big universe out there Co-Hogs are quite rare.
Each Co-Hog Boxer was handmade from sustainable jelutong wood for the body and maple for the tires. They were spray painted with DuPont automotive acryIic enamel. I used pen and ink to draw up my interpretation of the wheels and silkscreened them on Scotchcal vinyl. The graphics were all hand cut using black vinyl and various Scotchcal colors.
The total of 45 examples were made from June 1982 to July 1986. Each new Boxer had slight differences and improvements. The owner chose their own color and whether they wanted the European or US version. The found homes in the US, Italy and Japan.
I extend many thanks to Rick for his original interest in gathering the Co-Hog community together for mutual benefit. This website is one long-term result of that effort.
Please add your own stories, experiences and photos for the community to enjoy. See the following information on how to do that, or add it to the Facebook page.
There is also an Instagram page cohogtoys to follow if you like. The Instagram page occasionally includes one of my automotive photographs from pre-pandemic days.
Your very own Co-Hog belongs on this page having fun with other Co-Hogs!
If you have any good Co-Hog stories or photos please use the Contact page to get in touch. When we respond you’ll have our email address to send us the stories and photos to be included here. It would be great to hear from you!
(We haven’t figured out how to do it more directly yet. Sorry.)