Before I was a regular Lamley writer, I did a couple of guest posts on the blog to highlight parts of my collection. One was about the 1:66-scale models produced by Schuco in the 1970s. A quick click here to read that post will bring you up to speed on why I love these charming, intricately cast relics of the Cold War.
There aren’t that many Schuco 1:66 castings to collect, perhaps only 40 different ones in all, so it wouldn’t be too hard to complete the set if you spent your life glued to eBay and threw money at the problem. That’s not how I collect, though, so I tend to only add a couple of new ones each year, as and when I come across them.
This most recent set of four that I bought came via an Instagram sale by my good friend @nms_collection_. Nick embraces diversity in his 1:64 collection but had duplicates of these, so I was able to grab them from him for a very fair price. Thanks Nick!
Let’s take a look at each in turn, starting with the Porsche 914.
If you follow my own Instagram feed @diecast215 then you might have seen a shot of this petite model alongside the recent Matchbox release.
It’s certainly small! Love the way they managed the colour breaks on this one. The windows have seen better days and the paint finish is likewise showing its age, but it’s in decent shape overall. Schuco actually released two versions of the 914: this 914/6 and the S, each in multiple colours.
We move on to something a little more sedate, the Opel Commodore GS.
This one has a few chips around the edges but still displays well. It pairs well with another Schuco Opel already in my collection, the Admiral 2800E. Both would have been perfect for wafting along a West German Autobahn.
Next comes one of the later Schuco 1:66 castings, the Mercedes-Benz 350SL.
I thought I’d picture it alongside the Matchbox 350SL (in this case, a later Bulgarian model), so that you get a sense of the size.
I think the Schuco casting represents the real thing beautifully. Look how that rear wheel tucks right up inside the arch, for example.
The final newcomer is also the star of the show, in my opinion. It’s a Ford Capri 1700 GT.
The Mk.1 Capri will be familiar to many collectors from the recent Matchbox release, but this contemporary Schuco really captures the stance of the real thing and showcases the brand’s typical casting detail. That steering wheel is cast and painted!
The paint finish on this one is better, too – the blue is deep and shiny.
I now have 25 of the 1:66 castings, so I’m over halfway. The hunt continues!
Nice additions. I have a few Porsches. Like you I am going for quality over quantity. Definitely a precursor to today’s detailed 1/64 line.
I meant to ask. What are the differences between the 914S and the 914/6 models. I know the base has info for both on it.
I got close to 40 some are Schuco designed but wear the Norev brand which are quiet rare – I would agree the Capri 1700GT is a great model – I got mine in same colour brought 7 years ago – My rariest car is the Rei of Argentina (Rei took over Schuco 1/66 castings) of Opel Manta B 1.9 GTE in yellow with black roof pretty much mint in fragile plastic box
I also have that REI yellow Manta Juilian, sadly mine is not quite mint and has no box!
I believe there is no difference in the castings, the /6 is sold as the racing version with a different model number
The differences are:
301 826 Porsche 914 – 1.7 was only available in white and a somewhat middle blue color. The blue one was also known as made in Manaus.
301 827 Porsche 914/6 were yellow, a lighter shade of orange and dark green. The 914/6 always had a black painted roof and c-pillars.
301 836 VW Porsche 914/6 Rennversion, only in white, black painted roof and c-pillars with different red or black stripes on front hood. The stripes could be a sticker or painted and a starting number which should always be a sticker.
302 869 VW Porsche Renndienstwagen reddish orange or signalred, Black roof and c-pillars, yellow beacon on roof and stickers with stripes and “R”.
All of them are only known with a 3 digit code on the bottom.
My source is a little Schuco collectors book from 1995, written by Ralf Schütte. Only blck and white pictures. Covers also 43rd scale Schuco models as well as the cars from Norev and Rei.
Hope, I could help you a bit!
Great info Stefan, thanks. I’ve seen that book, time I picked it up!
That’s cool that you worked out a deal for these beautiful castings. The 914 really is small, isn’t it. You seem to be acquiring enough to start several car dealerships!
When I first saw some of these at a show years ago, I couldn’t believe that they existed – I had never seen anything written about them. If I had been living in Germany I would have been making regular trips to the hobby shops to buy them, no doubt.
The stock Capri is very cool but I also was impressed that they made a separate casting for the RS version. Such is the love for the Capri!
Congratulations for your find! Lucky getting the Mercedes without a broken winshield frame. That would be the most common issue on those.
The painted steering wheel is not diecast. Almost all of those 66th scale Schucos use that part with teh steering wheel as a retainer for the opening doors. That part is made from som kond of rubberish plastic, so the wheel.
I for my part like the old 1/66 Schucos much more than the ones you can buy today. Maybe it´s because I owned many of them still being a kid.
Here in Germany you still can find some at toy shows and similar. In decent condition they mostly cost somewhere around 25 Euros. Depending on rarity.
All in all there are roughly 350 models to collect, many of them only color variations.
I don´t own any anymore, sold them off, since I need all of the space for my large Hot Wheels collection. The only ones left are a orange colored VW K70 and a light green Audi 80.
Thank you for the info about the steering wheel, Stefan! Several of my Schucos came from markets when I lived in Germany