Maker?

[Idris]

I have had these small plastic cars ever since I can remember and would like to know who the manufacturer was.
I think they are German since the text inside them reads "GES. GESCH.", which is an abbreviated form of "gesetzlich geschützt", meaning legally protected, i.e. trademarked, copyrighted, or patented.
As regards date, one of them appears to be a split rear window beetle. However, since all the others have a generic pre-war American look to them with a stepped radiator grille, it is therefore possible (but IMHO unlikely) that the Beetle is actually a KdF Wagen.
For a long time, I assumed they were early Wiking, but what little information I can find on the Internet suggested that they were issued with silver plastic baseplates providing both the bumpers and the headlights.
Any information would be most gratefully received.

[Malibu]

Hi Idris,

perhaps I can help you - if you allow me to make copys of your pictures and show them in another forum.
As far as I can tell the models are not made by Wiking.

Regards
Stephan

[Idris]

perhaps I can help you - if you allow me to make copys of your pictures and show them in another forum.
As far as I can tell the models are not made by Wiking.

Thank you. That's very kind of you.
Please,feel free to post them elsewhere. (Would that be a German forum, or one specialising in early plastic models?)

[Malibu]

(Would that be a German forum, or one specialising in early plastic models?)

Both

[Idris]

(Would that be a German forum, or one specialising in early plastic models?)

Both

Ausgezeichnet!

[kay]

Hugh,

the earliest Wiking models were issued without baseplates - that was in the time between 1948 and 1953.
They had simple wire axles that were fused-in into the plastic clips of the body.
A couple of them had no maker marks at all at the start of production, but after a short time, most of them got this kind of maker mark:



The "W" and "M" can come with or without circle around it, so if you find the mark, it is a Wiking - if you don't find it, it might be a really early Wiking......
Usually, Wiking models always have silver painted headlights and most of the times rear lights, licence plates (or the whole bumpers) are painted as well.
So all the cars at your picture seem to be based on Wiking models - but there have been lots of cheap copies in the 50's...
Some of them are Opel Olympia models.....here's the later Wiking original (with silver baseplate):





As I can't see any painted parts at all so far, so I guess they are all copies....

Kay

[Idris]

As I can't see any painted parts at all so far, so I guess they are all copies....

Thank you, Kay.
I'm just wondering whether a copy would carry the "ges. gesch." imprint. It would be a very bold move for someone making blatant copies.

[Idris]

I've just rechecked the models. No logos visible on any of them, and the Opel(?), whilst similar to the Wiking, has different wing contours. It is therefore not a direct copy.

[Malibu]

The models are very known in the German plastik model collectors forum bud not the maker - I´m sorry.
You have something special here keep them save.

Stephan

[misterpop]

Nice models....Hope there not like my German beer truck with 14,000 variations..