In 1881 the GAMA company was founded by Georg Adam Mangold in Fürth, Germany. GAMA was one of the first companies after the war to be allowed to produce toys again. They set up production in an old military barracks.
Tin plate body with some or all the windows painted silver. Silver painted air louvers, headlights and taillights. Tin plate chassis with key wound clockwerk motor, rubber or steel wheels in rear, metal wheels front, front steering and tin bumpers. Chassis stamped “GAMA - MADE IN US ZONE GERMANY.” GAMA obtained the metal dies and left over materials from the manufacturing company associated with KÖRA and started producing this VW under the GAMA name. GAMA initially sold this seldom found VW in a modified KÖRA box (of the KdF Wagen era) and silver painted over the KdF Wagen and KÖRA printing on the box and stamped 4333 on the box. Although the body remained the same, GAMA produced a different chassis that was stamped GAMA. Just to note, some of these GAMA VWs have “4333” printed on the front and rear bumpers.
The GAMA company bought clockwerk motors, wheels, etc. for their toys from the company Paul Weiss Laufwerk Fabrik, also located in Nürnberg, Germany. Paul Weiss Laufwerk Fabrik existed from 1919 until 1969 and produced parts for tin toys as well as clockwork motors for many manufacturers. The Paul Weiss company logo was a multi-pointed star with P.W. in the star center as can be seen on the GAMA clockwerk motor.
Just to note, The KÖRA and GAMA tin VWs look very much alike and the KÖRA VW is often called a GAMA VW. If the chassis is not stamped GAMA, then it is a KÖRA VW. Check out the KÖRA & GAMA Split VW Article on this site for additional information.
