Tekno
Encyclopedia
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, that began manufacturing construction toys in the 1923 and model autos immediately after World War II, selling 1 million a year during its peak. While started as a toy company, the focus later shifted to adult collectibles and promotional models.
The company is not to be confused with Tekno, the 'robotic' dog and pony.
History
The only Scandinavian company to become an accomplished diecast metal toy producer, Tekno was similar to Schuco Modell, MarklinMärklin
Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH or Märklin is a German toy company. The company was founded in 1859 and is based at Göppingen in Baden-Wurttemberg. Although it originally specialised in doll house accessories, today it is best known for model railways and technical toys...
, or Gama Toys
Gama Toys
Gama is a German maker of toys, usually cars and trucks, dating from before World War I. The company is headquartered in Furth, Bavaria, near Nurnberg, a traditional German toymaking center.-History:...
, being one of the oldest toy and model producing firms of Europe. The founder was a plumber from Copenhagen, one A. Siegumfeldt who began producing diecast models in 1945, thus becoming a main competitor to Dinky (Rixon 2005, p. 34).
The company regally celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1953. By this time a wide variety of trucks, tractors and cars were being produced along with toy miniature pots, pans and other kitchenware (Tekno Dansk 1953). Wooden houses, cranes, trucks and other toys, sometimes in association with the Swedish company Brio were also produced in the 1950s.
More than any other diecast maker, Tekno was known for its variety of liveries and model variations which could seem almost infinite. For example veteran collector Cecil Gibson wrote as early as 1970 how Tekno in the 1960s made its Volkswagen transporter panel truck and Ford Taunus vans in many many liveries, often for Scandinavian products such as Amstel Beer and the Politiken Newspaper (Gibson 1970, pages 28-29). In fact, Tekno may have been the earliest diecast company to focus on promotional products, perhaps even earlier than Winross Models
Winross Models
Winross is a diecast model truck producer based in Churchville, New York, just west of Rochester. The company was started in 1963 to make models of White trucks and pioneered 1/64 scale promotional model semi-tractor-trailer trucks . The trucks were known for their wide variety of logos and...
' diecast trucks of Rochester, New York in the United States.
Normally producing in 1:43 scale, Tekno's principal rivals were Corgi and Dinky who were formidable competition. Models produced often mimicked their offerings, like the Commer estate or the later Oldsmobile Toronado. Still, Tekno always had a personality all its own, offering unique vehicles (especially Swedish Saabs and Volvos). One example was the 1970 Volvo 144 Police sedan or the Saab 99. Another was the Corvair Monza concept vehicle, produced in several colors - later reproduced by Auto Pilen
Auto Pilen
Auto Pilen was a diecast line of models made in Ibi, Alicante, in southeastern Spain by Pilen S.A.. Models were produced from the 1970s through the mid-1990s mostly in 1:43 scale. In the late 1980s, Pilen was apparently bought by AHC of the Netherlands...
.
In contrast with most other diecast car producers, Tekno appears to have never given in to the temptation to make low friction, flashy wheels on their vehicles. Conservatism seems to have won out - which was not good for sales. Gradually, the smaller cars and trucks gave way to the marketing strategy of larger diecast trucks - often still for promotional purposes. At least the company survived in this way, though more in the mode of Conrad or NZG.