Wiking

Wiking is a German manufacturer of scale models in HO scale and N scale for model trains. They specialize in models of cars and trucks dating from the 50s to the present day.

Wiking began producing ship models in the 1930s. These metal ships were made in 1:1250 scale. Before and during WW II they were used by the German military for training purposes. The military also used new plane models beginning in 1934/35, and the so called Wehrmachtsmodelle (from 1937/38), models of military vehicles and artillery, both in 1:200 scale. Beginning in 1938 the planes and some of the ships were made from plastic. Based on the Wehrmachtsmodelle, Wiking also made some civilian traffic models whose production was stopped at the beginning of WW II. During the war Wiking mostly produced models for the military as it was considered to be important for the war effort. During the war Wiking employed forced labour, e.g. from Russia.

After WW II there were some experiments with a variety of model topics such as Noah's ark, some clay models, plastic combs and buttons before Wiking started to build model cars. Additionally, there was a small series with models of the Berlin Airlift (1948/49) consisting of five planes and two car models in the scale of 1:400.

In 1947 Wiking started to produce simple car models that mostly consisted of one part, having no windows and no chassis.They were made of plastic and roughly in the scale of 1:100.

The axles were made of wire with flat pinched ends, that were squeezed into the still warm vehicle body plastic and not able to rotate. Only the wheels rolled on the axles. Later models included a chassis and rolling axles. The scale was changed to 1:90.

Since the early 1960s the models received transparent windows, and in the 1970s interiors were added.

For some models today even the original paint from the car manufacturers is used. The scale has been changed to 1:87 (HO).

Since 1969 Wiking has produced car models in 1:160(N) scale which are mostly for N-Scale model train sets.

Between 1949/50 and 1974/75 Wiking again produced ship models. They also tried to sell plane models again in the 1960s but this effort was cancelled as well.

The founder of Wiking died in 1981 at the age of 78 (February 5th, 1903 - November 20th, 1981). Some collectors consider this to be the end of an era, leaving behind the age of stylized models.

In 1953 the workshops in Buer were closed, followed by the Kiel workshops in 1982.

In 1984 Wiking was sold to the Sieper Group (Siku). The current models of Wiking represent a different philosophy and try to be a perfect miniature just like the competition (Herpa or Brekina).

By now old Wiking models are often rare collectors items which can be very expensive. The most expensive Wiking model ever sold is a Mercedes tank truck from 1962 which was produced as an advertising article for the Thyssen company. In June 2006 one of these tank truck models was sold for 10,100 Euro at an auction in Cologne.

External links

* [http://www.wiking.de Wiking's official website]