Schuco Models

Schuco Models

Schuco is one of the most famous names in the world of toy manufacturing, though the actual name of the firm responsible for the production of such a prolific range of fascinating quality toys, Schreyer & Co. (from which the Schuco trademark was abbreviated) received sparse publicity.

From almost their very beginning, in 1912, Schreyer was producing ingenious mechanical toys designed to amuse both young and old - after all, a toy which attracts the attention of adults is liable to soon end up as an excuse for a present for their offspring! Whilst Schreyer's turned out many tinplate mechanical toys, the company also developed an excellent soft toy side to their business.

Amongst their earliest tinplate items was a clockwork activated, fabric dressed, 16 cms tall Charlie Chaplin figure that ambled along, swinging his umbrella around and around -until its spring needed rewinding.

Similar mechanical figures of a cowboy, a boxer with a punchball, a waiter, and a chef were also made. In design they were very similar to the many smaller - around 11 cms - figures introduced after the 1914-18 War.

Variations in the mechanisms allowed figures to move their arms up and down, 'play' violins and drums, juggle, and raise beer steins to their lips.

Some were designed to dance with smaller figures - mice with baby mice; fathers with young daughters; and clowns with little clowns.

An early example of such double- figured toys is the 'Father and Son' toy, representing the once popular strip cartoon figures from the 'Berliner Illustrirten' publication of the mid-1930's.

There were many of these novelties turned out by the factory - somersaulting mice, jumping frogs, running dogs and cats, pecking birds, and even a Donald Duck. Many of the familiar Schuco figures, including Donald Duck, appeared again, following the return of peace after World War II.

Schuco was responsible for a wide range of soft toys during their earlier years and these included all kinds of animals - including the ever-popular teddy bear. Some of these toys were given mechanical movement - dogs and cats in the firm's 'Trip- Trap' range were designed to walk along, if pulled gently on a lead.

The firm's soft-toy humanised 'Automato' figures, in the guise of soldiers, clowns, or policemen, also had clockwork-powered mechanisms to make them walk along unaided. Animals in the 'Acrobato' range of toys could perform simple acrobatic feats. Other live-action examples of a variety of creatures were produced as glove puppets. Many animals had an internal mechanism linking their tails to the head - thus, by moving the tail left and right, a creature's head would respond similarly.

The company was fond of producing little chimpanzees and bears and, in the 1920's, tiny chimps and teddy bears were available which concealed a perfume bottle or a powder compact I and mirror.

To get at these, the animals' heads were designed to be pulled off to reveal the stopper of the perfume bottle or, in m the case of the powder compact, to permit the hinged body of the creature to open to reveal the compact.

Many of these little figures also found their way into the Schuco three-wheeler tinplate vehicle, often having a little chimp in the driving seat.

This was either clockwork or friction- powered and sometimes was issued as an aeroplane by the addition of a simple single wing during manufacture.

Specially sought after by collectors are the examples carrying the wording 'Spirit of New York'.

In the late 1920s motorcar toys appeared with chimp figures as drivers and, by the 1930s the company was manufacturing a wide array of motor vehicles. Amongst these the Schuco 'Studio' was to become one of the most famous of the firm's products. This was a model of the prize winning 4 litre Mercedes Benz racing car that had visible differential gearing,

plus tyres and wheels which could be changed.

This toy is now currently reissued by Gama, the trademark used by the old established German firm of Georg Mangold, which had long associations with Schuco. Gama have also reproduced the Schuco post-war range of 'Oldtimer' cars, the 'Akustico', the 'Examico', and have also, more recently, re-introduced the old Schuco 'Wende-Limousine'.

All these items are exact replicas of their originals and carry the Schuco trademark, owned by Gama since the liquidation of the company.

The 'Examico' car was one of Schuco's most complicated pieces, its mechanism offering a choice of gears, like a real car; whilst 'Akustico' had a simpler clockwork motor plus a horn that could be sounded by pressing a button in the centre of its steering wheel. The 'Wende-Limousine' was designed not to run off the edge of a table!

Later Schuco products to be introduced on the market in the post-World War II years were a number of battery operated motor vehicles, including a fine fire engine and the 'Elektro-Radiant' airliner, a non-flying model based on the Vickers Viscount, which could also be i remotely controlled. It came in various liveries - Lufthansa, BOAC, Pan-American Airways, KLM, Swiss-Air, and Sabena.

Some of the Schuco mechanical toys returned on , the scene after World War II when peacetime production started up once again. Popular products, including the 'Examico', the 'Kommando Auto', and PJF | 'Akustico' became again available.

One unusual novelty " car was the 'Fex', designed to roll over and recover

J when taking curves at speed. Several model motorcycles of were issued, the most ingenious being 'Curvo' which could be programmed to travel in a variety of patterns.

In the 1950s a series of constructional, battery operated automobiles was launched under the name 'Ingenico', many in boxed kits with interchangeable bodies, and all capable of being remotely controlled by cable. Many fine models of battery powered cars and commercial vehicles were also produced.

The 1960s saw the introduction of the wonderful clockwork-powered 'Oldtimer' series.

The 1950s also saw the introduction of the Schuco 'Varianto' system of track-guided vehicles and the miniature 'Micro-Racer' series which offered vehicles with precision steering and were described by the firm as '

The fastest clockwork drive cars in the world'. Otherpost-war products included the 'Disneyland-Alweg Monorail', some small motorboats, and a . submarine that was \ available with either 1 electric or clockwork s motors.

One i J interesting and unusual model from this period was 'Amphibio', the motor car that doubled as a boat! By this time Schreyer & Co. was

Today the name Schuco has been revived in Germany and replicas of the old company's toys are, issued from time to time.xperiencing the financial difficulties which were then affecting all Western toymakers, mainly as a result of stiff competition from Japan.

Eventually the economic situation forced them into becoming a part of the giant international Dunbee, Combex, Marx organisation which, in its turn, was to go into liquidation in the 1970s.

Today the name Schuco has been revived in Germany and replicas of the old company's toys are, issued from time to time.