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January 1,
2010
By:
Larry Lorance, founder
www.FireEngines.net
Schuco, the legendary toy manufacturer, which
was founded in 1912 by Heinrich Müller together with the
salesman, Heinrich Schreyer, with the name Schreyer &
Co, became famous on account of its toy cars
manufactured in the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, many of which
were patented.
After an eventful time in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the brand
became a member of the SIMBA DICKIE GROUP based in Fürth,
Germany, in 1999. The Group’s main brands are SIMBA and
DICKIE, and also included are EICHHORN, NORIS,
DICKIE-TAMIYA, CARSON, BIG and since 2008, SMOBY. The
SCHUCO brand is blossoming again as part of the SIMBA
DICKIE GROUP, which is a major company in the toy
industry.
According to
Wikipedia, the first model was designed shortly after
World War II to be used in agriculture as a
self-propelled machine providing a power take-off to
operate saws in forests or harvesting machines on
fields. It was designed with permanent 4WD with equal
size wheels in order to be driven on roads at higher
speeds than standard farm tractors. With their very high
ground clearance and a flexible frame that is
essentially a part of the suspension, Unimogs are not
designed to carry as much load as regular trucks.
Due to their off-road capabilities, Unimogs can be found
in jungles, mountains and deserts as military vehicles,
fire fighters, expedition campers, and even in
competitions like truck trials and Dakar Rally rally
raids. In Western Europe, they are commonly used as snow
ploughs, municipal equipment carriers, agricultural
implements, construction equipment and road-rail
vehicles. Unimog designates a range of
multi-purpose four wheel drive medium trucks produced by
Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The name Unimog
is an acronym for the German "UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät",
Gerät being the German word for machine or device.
Daimler Benz took over manufacture of the Unimog in 1951
and they are currently built in the Mercedes truck plant
in Wörth am Rhein in Germany.
In the United States, Suhuco is represented by
Silvergate Distributors, Inc. who offer a
full line of Suhuco models including a large
selection of model European fire appliances in
1:18,
1:43, and
1:87 scales.
The model
featured here is a 1:18 scale 1950's Mercedes Benz Unimog
401 Fire Brigade. The first
Unimog for Suhuco was released in September 2001 and was
a 1:43 scale model.
Unimog Fire Brigade
Credit to photographer |
Unimog Fire Brigade
Credit to photographer |
Most of the
2009 fire models are no longer available, However,
according to Michael Stephens, Silvergate Distributors
CEO, this model was for 2009 but has
just arrived at their warehouse in San Diego, CA.
This is a limited edition but the total number made has
not been released yet. This model features:
-
Steerable wheels
-
Highly
detailed interior
-
Authentic and highly detailed fire fighting skid
-
Detailed
front water pumps and connections
-
Clear
plastic front lights and plastic rear light
-
Detailed
nozzles and connections
-
Simulated canvas cab canopy is removable and highly
detailed
-
Operating rear appliance gate
-
Accurate
wheel and hub assembly
-
Spare
tire
-
Detailed
engine compartment
-
Working
front and rear trailer hitch with attached chain
-
Authentic colors
This model
is available through
Silvergate Distributors, Inc. directly or through
one of their
authorized retailers.
It retails for $215.99.
I am looking
forward to the new 2010 releases. We will know
more after the 2010 Toy Fair in Germany this February.
Click on any photo
to enlarge
A very special thank you to
Magic Tool Box for providing MagicZoom |
