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 located 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 other 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 “give away” promotional. The success of the plastic figures gave capital for SIKU to start their post WWII vehicle line.
Plastic body with solid windows and details of the front and rear hood, doors, headlights and a raised license plate light. No chassis and the plastic wheels are part of the body. Also a very rare red version with separate plastic wheels and axles is known. There is a number 4 under the front hood and a round mold mark under the back part of the roof. Promotional items used in the 1950s by Fri-Homa in Germany, Jamin in Holland and various other companies. Supposedly, DS plastics in The Netherlands acquired the molds and/or a license for production in The Netherlands. Also used as an ice cream spoon. The ice cream spoon was used by ice cream manufacturers in the 1950's in Europe. See the yellow spoon with the C.Jamin marking, which was used for the candy and ice cream manufacturer Jamin from The Netherlands. The orange spoon dates from the 1970's from Colombia; most probably the molds were sold to and re-used in South America! The kids would eat their ice cream and break the spoon off the car afterwards, so the car would remain. It explains why a complete spoon is very rare to find! It came in 5 or 6 different car makes, among which the Split Window VW Beetle.
