When a vintage Renault Estafette rolled into our workshop earlier this year, she was definitely showing her age. Rust patches, faded paintwork, a tired interior, this 1977 Cornish-plate van had seen better days. But underneath it all was plenty of charm, and we were given the most joyful brief: restore her as Bluey’s van for the brilliant team at Moose Toys.
If you don’t already know Moose Toys, they’re one of the most creative toy companies in the world, a family-run business famous for bringing the superhappy into children’s lives through award-winning toys and playful content. With offices in Australia, the US, Europe and beyond, we were beyond delighted when they asked us to help bring Bluey to life in van form, we couldn’t wait to get started.
The Estafette itself has a story too.
First launched in 1959, it was Renault’s first front-wheel-drive light commercial vehicle, built to be practical, versatile and hardworking. Production ended in 1980, and while ours wasn’t destined to return to the road, she had a new role ahead: a travelling prop that would debut at Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle.
The challenge was simple: make her look as good as new, while capturing the spirit of Bluey, the much-loved Australian children’s cartoon character.
Here’s how we did it:
Clean & Strip-down
First things first: a really good clean. Ash got stuck into removing years of grime and peeling back the old Punk Taco decals. That’s when we could see the true scale of the job ahead.
Bodywork & Panels
Martin then took the lead on much of the transformation. Wrapping was out of the question, the bodywork was too uneven, so we set about fabricating new panels, repairing what we could, and prepping everything from the ground up.
Paintwork
Next came the colour, and this was a big moment. Working from a tiny toy model of Bluey’s van that Moose Toys gave us, we RAL colour-matched the paint for accuracy. The wheels were resprayed, and we even built a brand-new bumper to match the toy version.
Interior Refresh
Inside, we stripped out the old worktop and replaced it with something fresh and practical, keeping the van neat and usable.
Finishing Touches
Finally, the Bluey graphics went on. That was when the whole character of the van changed — from tired old Renault to a bright, cheerful, and unmistakably Bluey van.
The Result
The finished van made her debut at Camp Bestival where she instantly turned heads, drew smiles, and became the perfect backdrop for photos. For Moose Toys, it was a certainly a showstopper. For us, it was a project that brought together so many of the things we love doing; restoration, fabrication, paintwork and graphics, all wrapped up in a playful, creative brief.
‘Massive thank you again for all your team’s work on this one. We were so pleased with how the truck turned out for Camp Bestival, it was just how we’d envisaged. Quite the transformation from that lovely taco truck that turned up in your workshop!
Can’t wait for the next random challenge we throw your way….!’
helen — Brand manager, moose toys
