COBI: Building Block Kits, Scales & Piece Counts

COBI is the Polish maker of building block kits that specialises in historical technology: aircraft, locomotives, vintage cars and military equipment, built from bricks instead of cast in zinc. In our shop the focus is on aviation, classic cars and two locomotives — we do not carry tanks or other ground equipment. Anyone coming from diecast collecting will find something different here — not a finished model, but several hundred pieces and an evening of work. This guide explains the brand, the scales and how a COBI kit differs from a diecast model.

The brand behind COBI

COBI was founded in April 1987 in Warsaw by Robert Podleś, at first as a seller of board games and puzzles. Production of its own building blocks began in 1992; since 1996 the factory has stood in Mielec in south-eastern Poland. In 2006 the merger with Best-Lock opened up worldwide distribution. Today COBI is known above all for its historical model ranges and works with licensing partners such as the Bovington Tank Museum, with World of Tanks and, since 2024, with Volkswagen.

The bricks are compatible with the best-known building block system — the basic patent for it had already expired in 1978. A legal dispute with the market leader ended in COBI's favour.

What makes COBI different from a diecast model

• Printed parts instead of stickers. Registrations, national markings and lettering are printed onto the bricks according to the manufacturer — they do not peel off and do not yellow the way decals do.
• Building it is part of the product. A diecast model comes out of the box finished. A COBI kit is two to several hours of work before the model stands in the display case.
• Historical technology instead of the building site. The focus in our shop is on aviation, plus locomotives and classic cars — subjects that hardly ever appear in 1:50 diecast.
• A different price bracket. The kits in our shop start at just under €14 and go up to €185; the average price is around €49.

The themes in our shop

The COBI range in our shop splits into four areas:

• Aviation — the largest group: Eurofighter Typhoon, Panavia Tornado, F-14 Tomcat, F-16, F-22 Raptor, Mirage III, Saab Viggen, Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Boeing 747 and 737, Concorde, De Havilland Mosquito, V-22 Osprey.
• Vehicles — vintage and classic cars, among them the Opel Manta A, Opel Rekord C and Coupé, Trabant 601 and Barkas B1000 as police vehicles, Maserati Ghibli and Granturismo.
• Trains — two versions of the DR BR 52 steam locomotive, including the largest kit in the range.
• Spaceflight — the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

The complete overview is in the COBI collection.

Scales: the most important thing to know

With Conrad, WSI and NZG the scale is as good as fixed — 1:50. With COBI it differs from model to model. The range holds nine different scales: 1:48 (most of the jets), 1:35, 1:32, 1:12 (the large vintage cars), 1:61, 1:95, 1:100, 1:110 and 1:144 (airliners).

That is not a shortcoming but a consequence of the way the models are built: a building block has a fixed size, so the size of the prototype decides which scale is possible. A Boeing 747 in 1:48 would be about one and a half metres long. For collectors it only means this: check the scale before you buy if several models are meant to stand together. The Opel Rekord C even appears twice in our shop — as a large kit in 1:12 and as a small one in 1:35.

Piece counts

Every kit in our shop gives its piece count in the technical data. The span reaches from 82 pieces for the Trabant 601 to 2,505 pieces for the DR BR 52 steam locomotive; together that is more than 26,000 pieces across the whole COBI range in our shop. As a guide: the jets in 1:48 lie between 350 and just under 1,150 pieces.

Common questions about COBI

Where does COBI come from?

From Poland. The company was founded in Warsaw in 1987, and the factory has stood in Mielec since 1996.

Are COBI bricks compatible with other building blocks?

Yes, the system is compatible — the basic patent for it expired back in 1978.

Do COBI kits have stickers?

According to the manufacturer, the parts are printed rather than fitted with stickers.

What scale are COBI models in?

That depends on the model. Nine different scales appear in our shop, from 1:12 to 1:144. The scale is given with every product in the technical data.

Are COBI kits suitable for children?

The kits in our shop are collector's models for teenagers and adults. The age rating is given with every product; small parts do not belong in the hands of children under 14.

Does a COBI model go with my 1:50 diecast models?

In terms of scale, usually not. COBI is a collection of its own alongside diecast — different subjects, different sizes, a different character. How the diecast brands in our shop work is explained in the guides to Conrad Models, WSI Models and NZG.

All company, brand and model names mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for description and identification.