A Sweet Ride: The 1929 Praga Piccolo Hašlerky

Every now and then, a model catches my eye simply because I've never seen anything quite like it. That's exactly what happened when I came across this unusual scale model offered at auction by a seller in Spain.

The listing was short on details. There was no explanation of the vehicle's origins, no history of the full-sized automobile it represented, and not even an identification of the modelmaker. All I had was a photograph of a curious blue-and-white miniature that looked more like an oversized soda can than an automobile.

I decided to take a chance. I wasn't sure whether I was buying a professionally produced collectible or perhaps someone's imaginative one-off creation. Sometimes that's part of the fun of collecting, although it can occasionally be an expensive way to satisfy one's curiosity.

Fortunately, once the model arrived, a little detective work began to pay off. What initially appeared to be an obscure novelty turned out to be a reproduction of a genuine 1929 Czechoslovakian promotional car, built on a Praga Piccolo chassis to advertise a popular brand of herbal candy called Hašlerky. I also managed to identify the Czech modelmaker responsible for bringing this unusual piece of automotive history to life in 1:43 scale.

It turns out there was considerably more to this little blue automobile than first met the eye.

An Automobile Built to Sell Candy

The story begins in 1929 with František Lhotský, a Czech confectionery entrepreneur looking for an imaginative way to promote his Hašlerky candies. These distinctive, anise-flavored herbal drops had become popular in Czechoslovakia, and Lhotský wanted something that would make his product stand out.

His solution was to put the candy on wheels.

He commissioned Prague coachbuilder Oldřich Uhlík to transform a Praga Piccolo chassis into a rolling advertisement. Rather than simply painting the product name on a conventional automobile, Uhlík designed an entirely new body resembling a giant roll of wrapped hard candies. Complete with rounded ends, blue-and-white stripes and oversized Hašlerky lettering, the result was unmistakable.

Underneath the whimsical bodywork was a Praga Piccolo, one of Czechoslovakia's popular small family automobiles of the interwar years. Introduced in 1924, the Piccolo was known for its practical design and dependable engineering. The contrast between its conventional mechanical foundation and Uhlík's imaginative creation makes this particular automobile all the more interesting.

It wasn't an experimental automobile or a sporting special. It was a purpose-built advertising vehicle designed to make people stop, look and, hopefully, buy some candy.

Remarkably, the original vehicle has survived. A restored example is preserved at the Depo Moto Art Museum in Pilsen, Czech Republic, where visitors can appreciate this unusual combination of automotive craftsmanship and commercial imagination.

Nearly a century later, it's still a memorable advertisement. Today, we might call it experiential marketing. In 1929, it was simply a clever way to get people talking about a box of candy.

A Sweet Addition to the 1/43 Collection

My research eventually led me to the modelmaker: Knopp Models, a Czech specialist in handcrafted 1/43 and 1/18 scale automobiles. The model carries catalog number C43-210 and is made from a combination of resin and metal components.

Knopp Models specializes in unusual Czechoslovakian automotive subjects, including vehicles that rarely find their way into the catalogs of larger manufacturers. The Hašlerky Praga Piccolo is a particularly good example of that approach.

There's plenty to appreciate in this little model. The distinctive cylindrical body, blue-and-white stripes, open cockpit, tiny windshield and prominent Hašlerky script capture the character of the original remarkably well.

It's also a reminder of why I enjoy collecting scale models. Some of the most interesting pieces aren't necessarily the Ferraris, Bugattis, or other familiar marques that dominate the hobby. Sometimes an obscure commercial vehicle or unusual prototype offers a far more interesting story.

I'm glad I took a chance on this one. What began as a somewhat mysterious auction listing from a seller in Spain turned into a rewarding little research project and the discovery of a modelmaker I might otherwise have overlooked.

And that's a pretty sweet addition to any collection.