Siku… I still remember when I got my first Siku die cast toy car. My dad had just returned from an abroad business trip and I clearly remember that I wasn’t expecting a Siku forklift but I was so amazed by the attention to detail of the toy that I can not remember, for the life of me, what I was expecting to get. In short, my dad had picked the right present. Later as I grew older I found out that Siku cars were quite expensive compared to Matchbox, Majorette and others. Consequently I gave up on asking for other Siku toys as I knew there was slim to none chance of getting them. Also, they were not widely available in my country.
As time went by I had grown out of toy cars and started pursuing other interests but when I got a baby boy I still remembered which brand impressed me the most and made the best die cast toy cars… That company from Germany! I was too eager to share my knowledge with my son and I bought him a die cast 1:60 sized Siku Bugatti Veyron when he was about 2 and a half years old (one of the first complex words he could speak were Bugatti Veyron, really! :D) and I also gave him “THE” 1:60 forklift. Soon I found out that that wasn’t the smartest idea. You see, little toddlers do not appreciate the attention to detail that goes into making such a beautiful little toy car. In a matter of weeks he had dismantled my forklift (it is completely my fault, I know) and had also removed the tires from his Bugatti Veyron.
I had realized that I have to wait before presenting him with the most beautiful toy cars. It was by chance that one year later when my son was 3 and a half years old his mother got him a 1:55 Siku School Bus. Fate would have it that she got it for him when she was on a business trip. A year has passed and the bus is in nearly perfect condition, just a few scraps here and there. But the wheels are still turning perfectly and most importantly the tires are still there :). Seeing this remarkable quality I just had to get him a new model and as the holidays were approaching he had asked for a car transporter (he already had a LEGO car transporter, but hey! you can’t mix LEGO’s with die casts, everyone knows that! :D). Sure enough Siku had a 1:55 Car Transporter in its catalog and the only reason my wife had agreed to spend the extra money on it was because she was already sold on the quality of their toys and had seen our son playing with the School Bus on numerous occasions.
When he got the truck I had to control myself a bit (dads will understand) and let him have fun with it alone. But as soon as he had given me the truck so “I could take care of it” while he was busy running about, my eyes lit up like lights on a Christmas tree. I examined it and was immediately satisfied. This was a good toy and worth every cent. It will last him a long time. It is completely made from metal with only a few parts made from high quality plastics. The truck cabin can be lifted, the trailer is attached very securely, you can lower the upper lever, remove the spare wheel and most importantly IT FITS ALL die cast toy cars in the size range of around 1:60 on it perfectly.
Check out the images and see for yourself how good it is:
Unlike the larger scales I am not that happy with the 1:64 scale cars. Firstly, they’re expensive as hell. Secondly, they’re not the best designed die-casts around (Majorette 1:64 line shines here for example) and thirdly, they’re not the sturdiest (Hot Wheels and Matchbox win this contest any day of the week). lately some of the models have plastic wheels while others have really good rubber tires that stay on the wheel but they’re not fast… they’re not like Hot Wheels, Matchbox or Majorette which are practically designed for kids to push them around on large surfaces.. Some of the models that have doors that can open do not seem that well built. A BMW I bought him as a reward, for being brave at the dentist :), has quite loose doors. It’s an amazing feature with toy cars to have movable parts but it has to be done right (Majorette does this far better).
The cars in the image below are concept cars and are a bit cheaper than the rest of the Siku 1:64 line and unfortunately have no moving parts. Thankfully though they do not have rubber tires but have plastic wheels instead. You can check this if you look closely at the packaging.
Siku World
Siku has a product line called Siku World where they make all sorts of accessories and play sets for toy cars. I noticed that Siku had some road signs on sale and decided to spontaneously buy them. One of, if not the only, the best impulse purchase of kids toys I made ever :D. I knew that Siku made a bunch of accessories for die-cast toys like roads and garages and even ferry boats but they were always slightly out of our price range. These signs are amazing! They’re made of a very sturdy plastic which can be bent and returns to it’s original state which makes them practically indestructible. I can only see fire damaging them. The images are not stickers nor are they glued to the plastic so they can’t be peeled off. Also, if you look closely at the bottom you will see the metal parts of the signs there. These serve as anchors making them stand straight up. Even if you budge them they do not tip over and it can not be removed making it very safe for kids. I’m telling you… these are the best signs I have seen. They also have traffic lights made in the same fashion and I can’t wait to get my hands on them because my kid loves the signs and they’re being used often in play; with larger cars, legos and other toys. If you click the image below it will lead you to a selection of Siku road signs.
Because of the quality of the road signs we decided to go all in for Christmas and buy our son a proper Siku play set. We decided for the Siku Fire Station.
The firehouse isn’t at all impressive and it’s very hard to put together.I had trouble doing it and I do not see a lot of kids who are under 12 doing it without the help of their parents. Once I’ve assembled it it even seemed quite sturdy but when the pieces start to fall off, there’s a domino effect and the whole thing collapses rather easily.Since it fell apart the first time my kid has never ever asked me to assemble it again!
The road plates are a completely different story. He plays with them often and he can put the plates together by himself. The plates feel like real roads with plenty of room for 1:64 die cast cars for both driving and parking. However.. I didn’t actually buy the plates… I though I was buying the Firehouse and getting the plates as a bonus. Also, too bad there weren’t any trees or street lights which you can put into the little holes you can see on the road plates. One tree and 2 street lights would have been great!
It’s just too expensive and the money required to get it can score a whole lot of better toys in my opinion. Also, you can get the Siku road plates for less than half the price. Check them out here!
The sets are ideal for 1:64 die-cast cars so all of my kid’s Matchbox’s and Hot Wheels fit perfectly.
Siku Racing
My wife bought a set of racing tracks by accident when they were on sale. She thought it was a complete track but it was only a single turn. Siku racing looks fantastic and beautiful… I’d want to play with a set like that all day! I mean who wouldn’t? Just look at this Siku Racing track on youtube.
Looks great, does it not? Now check out the prices for Siku racing sets. The following photo contains all the Siku racing pieces we’re going to be getting in the near future 😀
Final thoughts
Lastly, I love the brand ever since I was a kid and admire it now even more because they have kept their quality control in check, even though they have a slip here and there with their 1:60 scale toys. All of their cars are beautiful and worth the money BUT please do not buy the 1:60 models for very small children (under the age of 4-5) because most of them have rubber tires and they will take the rubber tires of. Get the slightly larger 1:50 – 1:55 models and enjoy…. and please share your experience down bellow in the comment section :).
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