Peak Euro vintage: Siku DKW F12 & Roco Traffic set

The Siku DKW F12 has been a diecast I have waited a long time to add to my collection. Examples are out there on Ebay and other sites, but normally weigh in at hefty prices that put them way out of reach for my budget. Thanks to a bit of searching online through classified ads in Germany though, I managed to get one from source, and for a price that I could more than stomach. And now it’s arrived I understand the high demand. It’s a beauty.

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The DKW F12 was a revised version of DKW’s Junior model, going on sale in 1963. While the F12 was outwardly similar to the Junior on the surface, under the skin the 3 cylinder two stroke engine was enlarged from 796cc to 889cc, and the front brakes were upgraded from drums to discs. As well as the saloon, a cabriolet was available in limited numbers from 1964 and production of both types continued until 1965 when the Auto Union brand was acquired by Volkswagen.

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The Siku version really is gorgeous. The proportions are fantastic and it’s a very well made diecast. There’s a metal base, opening bonnet (with a handy little indent to let you open it with ease) and jewel headlights and clear plastic rear lights. Under the bonnet there’s a faithful representation of the 3 cylinder engine.

It’s a great little thing to handle and look at, it’s petit and pretty and you can tell it was a real premium diecast in its day. I absolutely adore it. The interior is simple but there’s a great little detail on the rear parcel shelf; a luggage set.

The arrival of the Siku F12 also gave me a perfect opportunity to line it up with my 1/66 scale plastic DKW Junior from Austrian model railway company Roco.

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The Junior is part of a 4 car “Traffic Assortment” that would complement a model train set. Despite being designed to sit on a car transporter carriage on a model DB train or blend into the background in lovingly crafted scale version of Bahnhof Berlin Zoologischer Garten, the models are very cool in their own right, and the Junior is my favourite of the 4.

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The other vehicles are an Edsel Citation, an Opel Kapitan and a Ford Taunus wagon. They’re not supposed to be amazingly built, and there’s a lot of burrs and casting lines, but small details like badges and swage lines can be clearly seen. The Edsel is a beast, dwarfing the other three cars.

The Opel Kapitan is a great looking thing.

And the Ford Taunus has to be part of any 1960s German traffic assortment.

It’s a cool little set in my opinion; rare, left field and oozing with retro charm. And I feel very lucky to have it. If you asked me to rank the top pieces in my collection, the Siku and the Roco cars would be firmly amongst the best.

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(Find the Siku DKW and Roco Traffic set on Ebay)