Stahlberg Models

Stahlberg was a Finnish company producing promotional plastic model cars mainly of Swedish Saab and Volvo automobiles usually in scales between 1:18 and 1:25. Stahlberg made models from the 1960s to about 1992, though its modern counterpart, Emek continues to make truck models (Klockau 2012).

Other Finnish companies producing similar sized plastic models were Aren, Emek Muovi, Ju Ju, Hot Toys, KMS Myynti, Muovo, Nyrhinen Ky, and Plasto.

Stahlberg vehicles were pre-assembled promotional models and not plastic model kits. Available mainly through car dealerships in Europe and the U.S., models were produced from about 1965 to about 1990. Usually Stahlbergs were packaged in a clear plastic bag (poly-bagged), though later models did come in blue and white boxes. One writer reminisces that when at the Volvo dealer with his father as a child, he remembers the models often would be "hanging on the pegboard behind the service desk" (Klockau 2012).

Some standard Swedish models produced by Stahlberg were the Volvo 120-122 series (Amazon), 142 series, 164 series, 200 series, 700 series, and 66 / 300 series (DAFs). Saabs produced were Saab 99, 900 series, and 9000 series. Models were produced in 2-door, 4-door, and station wagon versions. Some models from earlier years are now getting rather hard to find, like the 244 sedan from the late 1960s which featured a bit better detail than later models and 'knobbier' tread tires. These early Volvos like the 164 had lovely two piece wheels with unpainted rims and the silver hubs. Later wheels were accurate single cast copies of the actual designs.

Older Stahlbergs from the 1970s were cast in a solid color plastic while later ones had a metallic effect along with swirls and streaks in the plastic.

The most common scale of models was 1:22 (about 9 inches long), however 1:32 (about 5 inches long), 1:25, 1:18, and a larger 1:12 scale (about 18 inches long) were also produced.

Though Volvo and Saab were the most common Stahlberg clients, a perusal of eBay and other websites shows a few other vehicles were also contracted and appear to have been promotional in nature (Fintoys, no date). One example was the 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300 Touring (station wagon). Others were a rather rare Volkswagen Golf sedan, Saab 600, Lancia Delta in rally and non-rally form, and a 1978 DAF Volvo 66 (DAF was a Dutch truck and car maker purchased by Volvo). Reportedly, there was also a Saab Sonett, a few other Golfs, and some Toyotas, like the Corolla DX. The Saab 99 and 900 were also produced in police ("polis") versions and some of the Volvo wagons were made in ambulance/medical assistance versions with red crosses on their sides and hoods.

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Wikipedia