Cars & Trucks Highlights 2024
Herpa is in party mode for its 75th birthday. The company was founded on 9 March 1949, our high-quality car models being launched in 1978, our trucks added in 1980, and our first miniature aircraft produced in 1988. Reason enough to present high-quality models in various scales at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, as we always have, but with a definite nod to our anniversary.
Sought-after classics
Classic automobiles are undeniably popular collector models, so Herpa is recreating two more classics. Firstly, the VW Beetle 1303 with indicators on the mudguards and "elephant feet" at the rear, and the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing from 1955.
At the start of the Toy Fair, a refrigerated lorry will be on the road at Heide-Logistik advertising "75 years of Herpa" - the model being available for purchase at the same time. And a Liebherr LTM 1300-6.2 mobile crane from the Swiss haulage company Emil Egger is once again making an appearance. The wide sun visor based on the Scandinavian model is an interesting new design feature on the HH Bode / Tailwind container semi-trailer truck. Tailwind is a "Lidl" subsidiary and transports non-food goods to Germany.
Ever more electric…
With its striking design, Volkswagen is breaking new ground as a purely electric vehicle manufacturer with its new VW ID BUZZ. This transporter is already close to completion at Herpa, and the first samples will be on display at the toy fair. The ID BUZZ is set be available from specialist dealers in late summer in the plain Candy White paint finish, in a metallic paint finish, and also in a stencilled bi-colour version.
“Construction vehicles”
Moreover, new truck moulds are scheduled to appear in the “construction vehicles” range. The Meiller skip loader is available in two versions: The AK 14 with two axles and the AK 16 with three axles. The vehicles haul different sized skips. The models have been announced for the first half of the year. Actually, the T60-9S Telehandler from Liebherr is a new design. It is steerable and the boom can be telescoped out. The model comes with two attachments: a fork and a bucket.
The MAN TGM multi-purpose equipment vehicle is another newcomer among emergency vehicles. A completely revised cab, a new all-wheel drive chassis, and an updated superstructures are being developed to this end. The vehicle will be presented in the THW (Emergency Technical Services) version, but it is also used by fire departments in this lay-out. Models are to be delivered in the first half of the year, but a further variant without the front equipment box will become available at the end of the year.
Modellbau Schwarz
There will also be new models produced in collaboration with Modellbau Schwarz. The short cab of the Scania Vabis LB 76 with a new front bumper, additional headlights, and a new roof spoiler will be released at the end of the year. The first Mercedes-Benz LP 2032s have almost completed the production process, and are expected to be delivered before the end the first quarter.
Further new moulds, also in the 1:500 scale, are planned for 2024. These include the Boeing 757-300 with the extended fuselage. There will also be special models celebrating 75 years of Herpa at various events throughout the year.
Text: Mathias Neigenfind
Bilder: Herpa
