Only a few countries ever produced original tin robots, and Italy's claim to fame is Nando. Regrettably it was talso the last Italian tin robot. The maker, Opset, is a company about which I know very little. This robot predates most other tin robots, so it's no surprise to see that most of its design is completely original. Its fascinating to see a different approach to each component from the tried and tested Japanese method. The robot has a boxy metal design, the bare metal finish being relieved by a few decal details. The head is a tapering cube perched on a tiny neck There is a louvre design on the chest, and the usual raised rivets. The arms are fixed in place. The whole construction has a crude and charming simplicity.

The most striking feature of Nando is its pneumatic propulsion. A tiny rubber bulb is pressed, and the pumping action drives the legs. This design is encountered in many plastic toys but I'm not aware of its use in any other metal toy, certainly not in a robot.

The box art is both quaint and very appealing. On the front there's a sad faced Nando wandering the usual cratered landscape, but the side depicts a wonderful Moon scene featuring a whole pile of Nandos roaming around their Moon base. The Earth dominates the skyline, just like the Moon photos from the Apollo missions.

The problem with rubber components is that they perish with age, and this is the case with Nando's delicate bulb. The box is constructed of lightweight card, and tends to disintegrate easily. It's not unusual to see this robot attributed to a company called 'Brevettato' in the auction catalogues, but this is just the Italian equivalent of "Patent".