Sieper-Werke (The Sieper Company) was founded in 1921. It was originally a manufacturer of metal tools and cutlery in zamac and aluminum and, later on, ashtrays, badges, medals, belt buckles, and buttons. The factory located in Ludenscheid, Germany, was outfitted with new casting molds in 1949 for grating, sandblasting and painting zinc cast goods. The company was even contracted to make Mercedes-Benz's star-shaped hood ornament. The company also experimented with early plastics. In 1943 the company expanded to a facility in Hilchenbach, about 30 miles from Lüdenscheid, though the latter has always been the Sieper-Werke's headquarters. Still, consumer products like plastics, furniture, mirrors and cabinets have been developed and manufactured in the Hilchenbach facility. The Lüdenscheid facility, in turn, generally focused on promotional items for major brands. It was not until 1950 that the company started producing toys in Lüdenscheid, registering the trademark SIKU for the new products. SIKU originates from abbreviating the name of the founder of the company, Richard SIeper, and the German word for plastic, KUnststoffe (e.g. Sieper Plastics). Originally, there was a broad variety of SIKU toys which at first were plastic, including figures and animals. These were often called 'margarine figures' because they came in margarine packages in a food promotional. The success of the plastic figures gave capital for SIKU to start a post WWII vehicle line.
Plastic body with cut out windows and good details of front and rear hood, door seams and rear oval window with air louvers. Clear plastic window insert. Chassis molded in silver plastic with bumpers, plastic wheels (marked "5,50 x 16") and chassis marked SIKU. The 2-tone version is definitely original SIKU and done in several color variations between 1956 and 1959, according to the RAWE catalog.
There also exists a version with a trailer, which originally came in a SIKU box "Volkswagen mit PKW-Anhänger". This was produced between 1957 and 1961.
The company VERKEHRS-VERLAG GmbH, Remagen, Germany, also produced a driving school set that used SIKU vehicles, including the Oval Window Volkswagen.
