Prameta (Germany) toys and models

The Prameta company was founded in 1945 as a maker and distributor of hinges, operating in the British Zone in Germany. From from c.1947 through 1958 they produced a series of clockwork wind-up autos under the 'Kölner Automodelle' brand. The series included four different models: a Mercedes, Opel, Jaguar, and Buick. The toys were made of die cast metal, built solid, and exceedingly well engineered. Prameta also produced a limited number of display cut-away versions of their models. These were identical in size, shape, and function to the complete toy. Amost half of the entire exterior body was removed which allowed collectors to see the complex internal mechanism of the toy. The company ceased toy car production in 1958 but is still in business distributing hinges.