Blue Box, an Asian LEGO clone

 

Blue Box was founded in Hong-Kong in 1952 by Peter Chan Pui to manufacture toys. Subsequently factories were established in Singapore and Macao. In the 1980s manufacture was transferred to China, although the siege remained in Hong-Kong. The company still operates today employing 7,000 people in China.

Blue Box designed an interesting LEGO clone at an undeterminate date, manufacturing it at its Singapore factory. The style of the box graphics points to a late 1960s or early 1970s date and the production may have ranged both decades.

Blue Box's construction system is quite ingenious in that the bricks are flexible and have underside pins that fit into stud holes giving the most positive connection I have seen with the exception of RASTI. All LEGO bricks interlock firmly with Blue Box's from the top but the opposite is not feasible since the studs of LEGO do not have the holes needed to accomodate the pins.

 

 
    Figure 1- Blue Box basic elements with a 2X4 LEGO brick
    Figure 2- The cover of a Blue Box construction set
    Figure 3- The inside showing the attractively coloured bricks
     
João Manuel Mimoso, Lisbon, Portugal, Feb 18, 2010
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