Conrad Models: Brand, Numbering System & Ranges in 1:50

Conrad Models is the German heritage brand for collector's models of construction machinery, cranes and commercial vehicles in 1:50 scale. Anyone who collects Conrad is not collecting toys but factory models: the maker develops a large part of its range on behalf of machinery manufacturers and haulage firms. This guide explains where the brand comes from, how the article number system works and what to watch out for when you buy.

The brand behind Conrad

The story begins in 1923 in Nürnberg with Gescha, a maker of tin toys. Diecast models are built there from 1956 on. The name Conrad runs alongside as a second brand at first and is the leading name by around 1980. Since 1987 Gunther Conrad has run the company together with his family, and the seat of the firm is Kalchreuth near Nürnberg.

What is remarkable is what Conrad did not do: production stayed in Germany while a large part of the industry moved to Asia. For collectors that is more than folklore — it explains the small series, the high number of customer versions and the willingness to make a model for a single haulage firm.

What Conrad covers in its range

The focus is on what works on building sites and heavy haulage routes. In the shop (as of October 2026) the Conrad models are spread across mobile cranes, excavators, tippers, concrete mixer trucks, heavy haulage, wheel loaders, drilling rigs, crawler cranes, telehandlers, bulldozers, rollers and pavers, plus mobile construction cranes, loader crane trucks, track loaders, one concrete pump and one tower crane — and also vans and accessories such as containers, traffic cones and transport crates.

Among the prototype brands Liebherr is clearly dominant, followed by MAN and Mercedes-Benz. Behind them come body builders and specialists: Meiller, Demag, Schwarzmüller, Grove, Kobelco, Caterpillar, Terex, Goldhofer, Stetter, Doll, Bucher, Bauer, MACK, Sennebogen, Schmitz Cargobull. A brand like Meiller shows one peculiarity of the range: Conrad does not build vehicles alone, but chassis plus body — and both makers are named on the model.

You will find every Conrad model in the shop in the Conrad overview, sorted by category into crane models, construction machinery and truck models.

Understanding the Conrad numbering system

Conrad article numbers are not random numbers. What can be backed up from the range:

• 2xxx — cranes and construction machinery. The largest block: 104 models in the shop, of which 49 are cranes, 53 construction machines and only two road vehicles. Within this block, telescopic and mobile cranes mostly sit in the 21xx numbers, excavators in the 22xx numbers.
• 7xxxx and 8xxxx — trucks, split by chassis. The 78xxx numbers carry Mercedes-Benz chassis, the 80xxx and 81xxx MAN — 15 to 19 models each in the shop. The three MACK models run under 83xxx and 86xxx; three pieces are too few to make a rule out of. The same body therefore appears under two numbers when it is offered on two chassis — the MEILLER Trigenius, for example, as 81255/07 on a MAN TGS and as 78255/0 on a Mercedes Arocs.
• 1xxx — vans and conventional cab classics. The smallest of the big blocks; this is where the MAN TGE and the round-nose vintage trucks sit.
• 9xxxx — accessories. Containers, traffic cones, transport crates, outrigger pads.
• L prefix — Liebherr licensed products. A few models run under an L number, such as the concrete mixer truck L-72119/15.
• There are exceptions. A few old numbers and the multi-part set items fall outside this scheme.

What matters is the digit after the slash: it marks the version. The Liebherr LTM 1070-4.1 carries the number 2100/0 as the factory livery; the customer models are 2100/20 "KNAACK", 2100/27 "WILDEN" and 2100/45 "H.N. Krane" — same vehicle, different livery, different availability, different price. Conrad writes the number with a slash; a search for "78001-11" instead of "78001/11" finds nothing.

Factory livery or customer livery?

About three fifths of the Conrad models in the shop carry a customer or haulier livery in the title. That is the real appeal of the brand — and the reason why Conrad models are often not built again once they have sold out: the production run is made for a company, not for the trade. So if you are after a particular haulier model, it is better to search by number and livery name.

Scale and prices

Across the range Conrad works almost exclusively in 1:50 — apart from one single exception in 1:87. Prices run from just under €40 for accessory items up to over €1,000 for a complete heavy haulage set; the average model price is around €140.

Conrad, NZG or WSI — where is the difference?

The three brands overlap in 1:50 scale, but not in character:

• Conrad — construction machinery and cranes built in Germany, a very large number of customer versions, a very broad commercial vehicle range. See this page.
• NZG — also from Nürnberg, founded in 1968, strong on promotional models for machinery manufacturers; in the shop a small, high-quality range with a focus on mining.
• WSI Models — a Dutch specialist with a focus on road vehicles, heavy haulage combinations and haulier models; plus a 1:87 line of its own.

Common questions about Conrad models

What scale does Conrad build in?

Almost exclusively 1:50. The range holds exactly one model in 1:87.

Where are Conrad models made?

At the company seat in Kalchreuth near Nürnberg. Conrad is one of the few European diecast makers that have not moved their production to Asia.

Why does the same model exist under several article numbers?

Because the digit after the slash marks the version. The factory livery and the customer liveries each carry their own number.

Why are many Conrad models sold out and never come back?

Customer versions are built as a production run for one company. Once that run has sold out, it is as a rule not built again.

Are Conrad models suitable for children?

No. They are collector's models with fine attachment parts, not suitable for children under 14.

All company, brand and model names mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for description and identification.