Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH (MÄRKLIN) was founded in 1859 by Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Märklin and is based in Göppingen in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. It originally specialized in doll house kitchen accessories, but after 1891 the sons of T.F.W. Märklin focused on tin toys and trains when they acquired the Firm of Ludwig Lutz. Although they were most famous for trains, they also produced some beautiful tinplate and diecast toys also. The VW toys were initially meant as accessory for the train sets. In the early 1950's they started producing plastic toy cars also.
Plastic body with solid windows and good details of front and rear hood, door seams and rear oval window with air louvers. No chassis and the pin axles with plastic wheels are melted onto the body. The early version which came in 1953 had no markings, the 1954 versions had MÄRKLIN – MADE IN GERMANY marked on the inside. Curious detail is the fact that the toy features the split window beetle scrotch cooler on the left front side! Makes you wonder whether the toy should have been launched earlier as a split beetle? MÄRKLIN catalogue nr. 860/3.
