In 1955, the first dedicated line of vehicles, the V-Series (V for "Verkehrsmodelle" or "Traffic Models"), was produced. It consisted of plastic replicas of actual vehicles in a uniform 1:60 scale. Colors were often dull and rather pastel. Vehicles were well-proportioned and detailed, like the Magirus fire truck with a whole series of ladders, a very detailed electric street car, or some figures like the drivers in the Mercedes 190, Porsche 550 Spyder, or Karmann Ghia convertibles. One particularly sharply detailed model was V228, an all-plastic Willys Jeep with trailer, which featured a detailed driver and folding windshield.
Most vehicles did not have interiors, with the exception of convertibles or the double-decker bus. Some of the Mercedes-Benzes even had hood ornaments.
Several American cars were also offered, including a 1956 Buick Century, a 1957 Mercury Voyager station wagon, and a 1960 Chrysler New Yorker.
In 1963, 12 new V-Series models produced in zinc alloy and spray-painted by hand were introduced. Between 1963 and 1969, new releases were made in both plastic and metal, but there was a gradual shift to metal models with fewer plastic ones. The last plastic model was issued in 1969, and since then, all new models have been die-cast zamac. Similarly to Corgi or Dinky vehicles, Siku vehicles also used rhinestones for headlights, which were attractive but not very realistic.
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Most V-series vehicles came packaged in cardboard boxes bearing the words "Siku-Flitzer" ("Siku Speedster"), with vehicles illustrated on opposite panels. Different colors were also shown on the opposite panels; some boxes were blue and red, some green and yellow, and others orange and cream. The style was somewhat reminiscent of early Solido boxes. This packaging was used until rather late and seemed rustic compared to other companies' use of modern clear blister packs, which had become dominant by this time (even being used by Matchbox). For some time, the illustrations of the vehicles on the boxes were bathed in a yellow light from the round sun-like Siku logo.
One notable example was a Ford F-500 flatbed "dually" truck made in the mid-1960s. Proportions were realistic and colors were authentic-looking. The grille was also authentically detailed with jeweled headlights. The wheels were done in a utilitarian black, detailed, but with no chrome. One model offered a dark green body, brown interior, and a red metal chassis.
In 1973, the letter V was removed from the numbering system.
The V Series came to an end in 1975 when the Super Series was introduced.
Aircraft
Sieper-Werke first built 20 aeroplane models in scale 1:250 in 1959. Despite good sales, production ended in 1964 due to the lack of a sufficient workforce. In the early 1990s, aeroplane models of this size reappeared. They were boxed and were in the price range 19.de.
HO scale models
Through the 1980s, HO (1:87) scale manufacturers like Herpa, Busch, Trident, and Roco became more important in the European hobby market. In 1984, Sieper-Werke moved to strengthen itself in this market with the purchase of Wiking-Modelbau, based in West Berlin and famous for HO scale plastic models.
With the scale of the models becoming variable in the Super Series, Siku released the M87 series in 2003. All M87 models are faithfully reproduced in 1:87, though this line is independent of the Wiking line. The range of models is limited but consists of semi-trailers, cranes, farm tractors, and cars. The trucks, cranes, and farm tractors are very similar to those made in smaller size in the Super Series (i.e., those that have their roots in the Club Series). The difference is that the M87 series vehicles are more detailed and are packaged in small window boxes instead of blister packs.
International markets
With its respected V-Series, Siku battled with Majorette and Efsi for the European market, but became the diecast leaders in Germany. Starting in the early 1970s, Siku entered international markets with increasing success, and the company abandoned most other diecast products, focusing more on vehicles.
While Siku became well known across Europe, the brand never became widely popular in the United States, only sometimes being found at specialty hobby shops. Appearances at large department stores like Walmart, Hills, or Target were rare. The American scarcity was despite offering American cars like the Buick Wildcat, Oldsmobile Toronado, Pontiac Bonneville convertible, Cadillac limousine, Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet Corvette, Lincoln Continental Mark III, Ford Mustang, and Ford trucks. As of 2010, Siku does not export toys to the United States due to conflicts with the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). However, in Canada, Siku vehicles are sold by Mastermind Toys.
