On vacation: Schuco VW Beetle & Piccolo ES Caravan

It’s not long since Schuco’s VW Beetle 1500 has been the subject of one of my posts. Indeed it was back in January when I looked at two of the German brand’s gorgeous colourways for the little Volkswagen. Now there’s another one in the line-up with a brilliant little addition in the form of a perfectly replicated Piccolo ES caravan.

The Beetle itself is a car that we all know well and needs no back story. But in putting this article together I had fun researching the history of the little Piccolo caravan.

Made by Putzbrunn company Elektro-Stahlbau between 1954 and 1957, It was designed for the popular small cars of the era; the BMW Isetta, Goggomobil, Fiat 500, Citroen 2CV and of course the VW Beetle. 2.3 metres long and 1.5 metres wide with a weight of 90-120kg (depending on variant) the Piccolo could even be towed behind a Vespa scooter. It also seems that Elektro-Stahlbau designed an amphibious version powered by an outboard motor with air filled fenders to aid buoyancy! Estimates of production figures are in the low hundreds, and it seems only two of the amphibious versions were built.

Replicating such an obscure little thing means there are some serious car people behind the scenes at Schuco, well engrossed in the world of classic cars. It’s a perfect coupling with their Beetle 1500, now with the added tow hitch. The quality and construction is as always, top notch, and that extends to the Piccolo which is metal bodied (and based) with a decent weight to it. The tiny wheels are shod with rubber tyres and metal axles and roll perfectly. The Beetle itself is a brilliant diecast in its own right. The Marina Blue paint looks brilliant with the matching colour coded wheels, and on the Piccolo offset with white. The pair make for a properly cool couple.