Kellermann (CKO)

Georg Kellermann established his own tin-toy business in Nuremberg in 1910, after working for the local makers Karl Bub and Johann Distler. Its early products were inexpensive printed-sheet-metal penny toys, often distributed as advertising. The business moved to larger premises in 1914. In 1920 it introduced the CKO mark, and its range included locomotives, cars and moving figures. In 1926 Kellermann moved to a larger factory in Hessestraße. By the mid-1920s the firm was making toys powered by clockwork or spring mechanisms, including moving figures, cars and military vehicles. From 1936 to 1939 it focused on military toys.

Georg’s son Wilhelm joined the firm in 1929. After Georg’s death in 1931, Wilhelm took over its management and became sole owner in 1935. Toy production continued until 1942, when the factory shifted to wartime production. The facilities were damaged during the war, and toy manufacturing resumed gradually afterward, at first using some prewar tools and designs. The toys later received painted finishes. Wilhelm’s son Helmut joined the business in 1958, and from 1960 Kellermann specialized in model cars, including the 1:35-scale Rollo series. The firm faced financial difficulties in the 1970s and stopped production in 1979. KOVAP later acquired tools from its final vehicle series and continued producing some models.