TRADITION IN EVERY DETAIL
From Heavy Machinery to Iconic Cars
NZG has a longstanding tradition of creating detailed models of construction machinery, trucks, and passenger cars. By closely collaborating with leading manufacturers, we strive to produce models that capture the essence of their real-world counterparts, maintaining high standards of accuracy and craftsmanship. Our diverse range, spanning from industrial vehicles to automobiles, reflects our commitment to meeting the interests of collectors and industry professionals alike. Through precision and innovation, we bring miniature replicas to life, celebrating both contemporary and historical models across these key vehicle categories.
TIMELINE
1968
Founding NZG
On October 1st, 1968, Betty Hauer and Gerhard Schmid founded the NZG-Nürnberger Zinkdruckguss Modelle GmbH (NZG) in Nuremberg, Germany. Since then, high-quality model miniatures have been produced in close cooperation with a wide range of industrial partners and customers. In the beginning, the company mostly produced 1:50 scale models of construction machinery. In the course of time, however, the product portfolio expanded to include different scales as well as product groups.
1969
First toy fair
NZG took part in the Nuremberg Toy Fair for the first time in 1969. Since then, the Nuremberg Toy Fair has been an important annual event and an essential meeting place for our customers and partners.
1969
First Caterpillar model
In close cooperation with the Zeppelin company, the first Caterpillar model was produced in 1969. The expansion of the Caterpillar series was an important cornerstone for the rapid rise of NZG.
1972
Own tooling shop
Since the development of the molds was still outsourced at the beginning, it was only natural for Gerhard Schmid, as a trained master toolmaker, to bring the mold construction for the model molds under his own roof as quickly as possible. For this reason, Formenbau Schmid-Hauer was founded in 1972.
1976
New headquarters
As the company was quickly bursting at the seams, a new location had to be found. With the move to the company's own premises in Sigmundstraße in Nuremberg, all parts of the business were brought together for the first time.
1983
First 1:43 model
In cooperation with Porsche, the 1:43 scale was added to the NZG product portfolio in 1983, laying another important building block in the success story of NZG.
1985
Upscaling
Since the success and growth of NZG continued, the existing business premises slowly reached their limits. In order to meet the demand for models, the company doubled its floor space by building an extension to the existing production site. The company also invested heavily in new production techniques and set up a dust-free paint shop.
1986
Second generation
In 1986, the next generation is ready to continue the family business. Inge Ludwig, daughter of Gerhard Schmid, and Hannelore Hauer, daughter of Betty Hauer, join the management team.
1994
First Liebherr model
In addition to the close cooperation with Caterpillar, another global player was acquired as a customer in 1994. Liebherr commissioned the first model from NZG and established itself as a long-standing customer and partner to this day.
1994
First model „Made in China”
As cost pressure in Germany continues to rise, a series of historical construction machines, the Kaelble KDV22/E8, is produced in China in 1994 as a first attempt at a possible relocation of production capacity to the Far East.
2000
Moving production to China
In order to meet the company's own demands and the demands of its customers for high-quality yet affordable scale models, the groundbreaking strategic decision was made in 2000 to relocate production entirely to China. The headquarters with management, technical model development as well as sales and shipping remained in Germany and are still there today.
2013
One partner for the future
Based on the experience gained in China, it was decided in 2013 to focus the collaboration on a single supplier and to build this up with the corresponding expertise. This established a strong bond between the two partners, which continues to this day.
2016
Large scales
In the spirit of “NZG goes big”, another and now significantly larger scale than previously in the portfolio was developed in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz and launched in 2016. With the Actros in scale 1:18, NZG entered into new territory, which quickly proved to be a great success.
2021
Even bigger scales
In 2021, it got even bigger and NZG launched the first 1:12 scale model, the Mercedes-AMG G 63 4x4²
2021
Third generation
After Inge and Michael Ludwig had successfully managed the NZG business for over 20 years, their son Mark Ludwig joined the company in 2021, bringing the third generation into the business.