Herpa

Herpa Miniaturmodelle GMBH (or simply Herpa, an acronym for "Hergenröther und Patente”, the original name of the firm), is a German manufacturing company that produces die-cast scale model aircraft (under the "Herpa Wings" trademark) and plastic model cars and trucks under the "Herpa Cars & Trucks" trademark. The mainstay of the Herpa Wings range is in the 1/500 scale, although models have also been produced in the 1/400, 1/200, and 1/1000 scales as well.

The Herpa Cars & Trucks range is mainly produced in the 1:87 scale, although 1:120 and 1:160 scales are also offered.

Herpa also produces magazines for car & truck enthusiasts and model aircraft enthusiasts, known as Der Maßstab and WingsWorld respectively.

History

The company was founded in Nuremberg by inventor and patent holder Wilhelm Hergenröther to produce accessories for model railways. In 1978, model cars made in 1:87 scale were presented at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg. Herpa continued to extend this product line. Every following car model was put on the market using snap-fit construction (without any necessary gluing).

In 1980, Herpa presented the first model trucks. Following that, in 1981, Herpa's truck models sport tipping cabins revealing an exact reproduction of an engine within.

Products

Herpa Wings

Herpa Wings produces model aircraft in scales of 1/200, 1/400, 1/500, 1/600 and 1/1000. Approximately 4,000 different versions of 300 airlines in 19 different aircraft types have been released since its founding in 1992. Many airlines such as Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines stock Wings models as part of their on-board duty-free catalogues. These exclusive models are sold by the airlines onboard and aren't available in the regular collection.

Herpa Cars & Trucks

Herpa Cars & Trucks releases model cars and trucks in the 1/87 H0 scale, but also in the 1/160 and 1/220 scales. Since 1978, 37 different types in 200 liveries have been produced, with many used by industrial customers.

Minitanks

On October 1, 2007, Herpa took on the worldwide distribution of the Minitanks product line from Austrian manufacturer, Roco (Modelleisenbahn GmbH). This military series has been in production since 1960 and produces vehicles from a variety of eras in both N and H0 scale.

Scenix

Although the first Scenix Mercedes-Benz Actros "Black Edition" model was already available in December 2005, the SCENIX series was officially launched in 2006. The series is made up of models presented in a PC box that personifies truck models with light and sound.

Also, Scenix comprises Herpa Wings accessories. Entire airport dioramas can be assembled, with many airport accessories also available to supplement these dioramas. Features such as runway lights have also been added in recent times. Airport buildings and accessories are mainly available in the 1/500 scale, with a few exceptions in the 1/400 scale.

Publications

Der Maßstab and WingsWorld are the two magazines produced by Herpa for car and truck enthusiasts and model aircraft enthusiasts. Initiated in 1986 and 1997, respectively, these magazines were only made available to Herpa Cars Club and Herpa Wings Club members. However, these magazines are now available via subscription to non-members, with Club members still receiving these magazines as part of their membership.

Herpa also releases annual catalogues for the Herpa Wings and Herpa Cars & Trucks collection, which highlight the various products for the year. New-release brochures are also available to Club members.

type	Private
foundation	1949 as "Hergenröther und Patente"
founder	Wilhelm Hergenröther
location	Dietenhofen, Germany
key people	Claus & Dieter Wagener (General Managers) Klaus Schindler (General Marketing and Sales) Walter Wehr (General Production)
products	Die-cast scale model aircraft; plastic model cars, trucks
brands	Herpa Cars & Trucks Herpa Wings Der Maßstab WingsWorld
homepage	herpa.de