S.G. Gunthermann
88 years in operation (1877–1965)
About S.G. Gunthermann
Gunthermann produced high-quality clockwork tin toys for nearly a century, becoming one of Nuremberg's most distinguished toy houses. Known for detailed horse-drawn vehicles, early automobiles, and wonderful comic character toys.
Founding
Siegfried Günthermann, who founded the Nuremberg works in 1877; after his death the business was continued by his widow and her second husband, Adolf Weigel, whose initials appear in some marks.
History of S.G. Gunthermann
Günthermann was one of the great Nuremberg tinplate houses, and its speciality was the automobile. It began with horseless carriages in the 1890s — some of the earliest tinplate representations of the motor car — and continued through open tourers, limousines, racing cars and aeroplanes, with hand-painted and later lithographed finishes of high quality.
The lady-driver cars of the 1900s are among the most charming toys of the period: a tinplate motor car with a female figure at the wheel, complete with hat and veil, at a time when a woman driving was itself a novelty worth depicting. Günthermann also made comic-character toys, and its record-breaking-car models followed the land-speed attempts of the interwar years.
The firm survived both wars and continued into the 1960s, latterly making tinplate vehicles against the same competition that finished the rest of the German trade. It was absorbed by Siemens in 1965.
Timeline
- 1877Siegfried Günthermann founds the works in Nuremberg
- 1895Tinplate horseless carriages are among the earliest toy motor cars
- 1905Hand-painted tinplate tourers, limousines and lady-driver cars define the range
- 1930Record-breaking cars and comic-character toys are produced
- 1965The business is absorbed by Siemens
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Gunthermann horseless carriage
- Gunthermann lady driver automobile
- Gunthermann tin biplane
- Gunthermann comic character toys
- Gunthermann race cars
Identifying & Dating S.G. Gunthermann Toys
- Look for an "S G" monogram, sometimes with a crossed device, or "A.W." for Adolf Weigel on later production, stamped or lithographed on the base with "Germany" or "Bavaria".
- The change from the Günthermann monogram to marks including Weigel's initials helps bracket production.
- Postwar pieces carry "US-Zone Germany" or "Made in Western Germany".
Collector's Notes
- Early hand-painted cars and the lady-driver models are the top of the market and are frequently restored. Original hand-painted finish shows brushwork; a uniformly smooth surface on an 1905 tinplate car should raise questions.
- Applied fittings — lamps, horns, figures, tyres — are what complete these toys and are all reproduced.
- Later lithographed vehicles are much more affordable and are a good way into German tinplate; they are judged on lithography condition and mechanism.
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Categories
Frequently Asked Questions
When was S.G. Gunthermann founded?
S.G. Gunthermann was founded in 1877, based in Nuremberg, Germany.
Is S.G. Gunthermann still in business?
No. S.G. Gunthermann ceased operations in 1965, after 88 years in business.
What is S.G. Gunthermann best known for?
S.G. Gunthermann is best known for Gunthermann horseless carriage, Gunthermann lady driver automobile, Gunthermann tin biplane, among other toys.
Where was S.G. Gunthermann located?
S.G. Gunthermann was based in Nuremberg, Germany.
What kinds of toys did S.G. Gunthermann make?
S.G. Gunthermann is categorized under tin toys, clockwork, vehicles, comic characters.
Who founded S.G. Gunthermann?
Siegfried Günthermann, who founded the Nuremberg works in 1877; after his death the business was continued by his widow and her second husband, Adolf Weigel, whose initials appear in some marks.
How can you identify genuine S.G. Gunthermann toys?
Look for an "S G" monogram, sometimes with a crossed device, or "A.W." for Adolf Weigel on later production, stamped or lithographed on the base with "Germany" or "Bavaria". The change from the Günthermann monogram to marks including Weigel's initials helps bracket production. Postwar pieces carry "US-Zone Germany" or "Made in Western Germany".
Are S.G. Gunthermann toys valuable?
Early hand-painted cars and the lady-driver models are the top of the market and are frequently restored. Original hand-painted finish shows brushwork; a uniformly smooth surface on an 1905 tinplate car should raise questions. Applied fittings — lamps, horns, figures, tyres — are what complete these toys and are all reproduced. Later lithographed vehicles are much more affordable and are a good way into German tinplate; they are judged on lithography condition and mechanism.