Siku

Although the Sieper company of Lüdenscheid, Germany, was established in 1921, it was not until 1950 that it diversified into the manufacture of toys under the Siku brand. Siku is an abbreviation of Sieper Kunststoffe (Siku Plastics), and the original ranges of figures and vehicles were indeed all plastic. Diecast vehicles made of zinc alloy began to appear in 1963, marking a gradual shift away from plastic. The main vehicle range from 1958 was 1:60 scale, changing to 1:55 in 1975, although Siku went on to produce other ranges including the 1:32 Farm range in 1983. Today Siku remains a major producer of model vehicles and also owns the Wiking brand.