Diecast models type

Though most car models are static display items, individual model builders have sometimes powered their vehicles in various ways, including rubber bands, springs, inertia mechanisms, electric motors, internal combustion engines, air engines and steam engines. In order to make them less fragile, powered models are often somewhat simplified and not as detailed as the best static models. For this reason, some modelers dismiss nearly all powered miniature cars as toys; however many individual efforts and commercial products are sufficiently well-scaled and detailed that they deserve to be called models. The main types of commercially-produced powered car models include:

Uncontrolled powered models, which were developed in the 1930s and were common until the 1960s. Often guided by a rail between the wheels, or by a tether staked to the center of a circular course, most of these cars used small internal combustion glow plug engines and were known as tether cars.

Electrically powered slot cars which draw power from the track. They became extremely popular in the 1960s, and are still widely available today.

Spring-powered or "clockwork" car models, that are wound with a key or by a friction mechanism. These were common until slot cars largely replaced them in the 1960s. In fact, the first commercially successful slot cars, the Scalextric 1/32 line (originally 1:30) which debuted in 1957, were simply motorized versions of the earlier Scalex clockwork racers.

Radio-controlled cars, which can be bought assembled or built from kits. These are usually powered by electric motors or glow plug engines. Drivers can control the speed and steering of these cars remotely by a radio signal.

Brand Diecast Car List

Italics indicate defunct brand or no longer in the market

• Abrex - Czech firm, Škoda models
• Academy Plastic Model - Korean plastic model maker.
• Airfix
• AMT
• Aoshima - Japanese plastic model manufacturer
• Arcade - Very early and primitive producer of cast vehicles
• Arii
• AUTOart - a popular high quality die-cast manufacturer form Hong Kong
• Aurora Plastics Corporation
• Bang - Italian manufacturer, specialising in 1:43
• Bandai - now produces model cars if they relate to anime merchandising
• Banthrico Early '50s die cast car banks in 1:25th scale
• Base Toys
• BBR Models - Italian 1:43 and 1:18 scale model manufacturer.
• Bburago
• Benbros
• Biante - Australian 1:18, 1:43 and 1:64 scale model manufacturer.
• Bing German manufacturer of tin-plate models
• Brekina - German manufacturer for highly detailed plastic models of the 1940s - 1970s in 1:87 scale (H0)
• Britbus - highly detailed bus models in 1:76 scale
• Britains
• Brooklin - handbuilt 1:43 white metal cars (incl. related brands Lansdowne, RobEddie, U.S. Model Mint, International Police, Buick Collection '34-'39)
• Bruce Arnold Models (a.k.a BAM) - handbuilt 1:43 white metal / resin post-war American cars. Officially licensed by General Motors.
• Bub - German toymakers since 1851
• Busch - German manufacturer for plastic models in 1:87 and 1:160
• C.C.C. - handbuilt 1:43 cars, mostly made of resin
• Classic Carlectables - manufacturers of Australian Touring Cars and V8 Supercars
• CMNL Creative Master Northcord Ltd - highly detailed die-cast bus models in 1:76 scale
• Corgi Toys
• Conquest- handbuilt 1:43 white metal cars (incl. related brand Madison)
• Cox Model Cars - Manufactured by L.M. Cox Manufacturing Co, Inc.
• Crown Premiums - manufacturers of mint die-cast collectibles
• Danbury Mint - Intricate 1/24th scale die casts
• Dinky Toys - the first brand of toy car to be collected widely
• Doyusha
• Durham Classics - handbuilt 1:43 white metal cars
• EFE Exclusive First Editions (Gilbow) - model manufacturer, specializing in buses and trucks
• Ertl Company
• Fairfield Mint
• Franklin Mint - Intricate 1/24th scale die casts
• Fujimi Model - Japanese plastic model manufacturer
• Great American Dream Machines - handbuilt 1:43 white metal models of mid-20th century Detroit showcars
• Guisval - Spanish manufacturer of models in 1:64 and 1:43 scales.
• Gunze Sangyo - Japanese plastic model manufacturer
• Hasegawa - Japanese plastic model manufacturer.
• Heco - handbuilt 1:43 resin cars (incl. various related brands such as Challenge), specializing in French cars of the classic streamlined era
• Herpa - for railway modelling, primarily 1:87 plastic
• High Speed - a Hong Kong based diecast vehicle maker.
• Hongwell a.k.a. Cararama
• Hot Wheels and Hot Wheels Elite - an upgraded version of 1:18 Hot Wheels, mostly replicas of Ferrari.
• Italeri
• Imai
• IMC (Industro-Motive Corporation) - US manufacturer of competition and show car models, notably Ford products. This company was bought out by Hawk Models in the early seventies, which was then purchased by Testors, and later merged with Lindberg Models, owned by parent company RPM. RPM seems to have sold off the molds along with everything else previously owned by Lindberg or Hawk to the new Lindberg Models.
• Ixo - part of a conglomerate of brands from the Far East, with Altaya, Atlas, del Prado, Yat Ming
• Jada Toys
• Jo-Han
• Kaden - Czech firm, Škoda models
• Kyosho
• Lindberg Models
• Lledo (Days Gone, Vanguards) - product line now absorbed into Corgi
• Lone Star Toys
• LS, bankrupted in 1992
• Maclovell Huon Pine Racing Cars - Tasmanian hand carved wood models
• Märklin - German manufacturer in various scales
• Maisto
• Marks - German manufacturer in 1:87 and 1:160
• Marqueart - suppliers of high quality hand built 1:43 scale model cars
• Matchbox
• Minex - British, 1:76 plastic car models
• Mebetoys - Italian
• Minichamps - German manufacturer of highly detailed models, primarily 1:43
• Miniatures du Mont-blanc - French manufacturer 1:43 (Berliet, Chevrolet, Saviem, Renault, Citroën, Jeep...)
• Minimarque 43- handbuilt 1:43 white metal cars
• Model Factory Hiro - Japanese resin kit manufacturer
• MPC
• Monogram models
• Morestone-Budgie
• Motor City USA - handbuilt 1:43 white metal cars (incl. related brands Design Studio, American Models, USA Models)
• New-Ray
• Norev - French manufacturer of models in 1:64, 1:43, 1:18 and 1:87 scales
• One43 - collectible limited edition fine scale model cars in 1:43 scale
• Otaki Model Toy Company - defunct Japanese plastic model manufacturer
• Oxford Diecast - Swansea based UK company coming to prominence in early 3rd millennium.
• PMC - Product Miniature Corporation
• Protar, mostly specialise in Italian racing cars, absorbed into Italeri
• Pocher Model Cars - Italian manufacturer, famous for its large sized (1:8) and highly detailed cars
• Polistil - Italian
• Provence Moulage - handbuilt 1:43 cars, most often made of resin
• Revell
• Rietze - German manufacturer of highly detailed plastic models mainly in 1:87 scale
• Roco - Austrian manufacturer of model railways, model car brand went to Herpa
• Roskopf - German manufacturer in 1:87 that was sold to Wiking
• Rosso Corporation - Short lived high end plastic scale model manufacturer from Japan
• Schabak - Made Ford and other German model cars in the 1990s mainly in 1:43 scale
• Schuco - German
• Siku - German model manufacturer
• Solido - French manufacturer of good quality 1:43 and 1:18 scale models
• Studio 27 - high end scale model and accessory manufacturer from Japan
• Tameo - Italian 1:43 scale model manufacturer
• Stahlberg Models - Finnish promos of Swedish Saabs and Volvos
• Tamiya - high quality die-cast manufacturer, more famous for plastic models and RC cars
• Testor Corporation
• Tokyo Marui - Japanese manufacturer who made briefly plastic model car
• Tomica - Japanese model manufacturer
• Tootsie toys - American manufacturer of die-cast vehicles, produced their first model car in 1911
• Trofeu - Portuguese manufacturer specialize in 1/43 scale rally cars
• Trumpeter - Nicely detailed kits and models
• UT Models - Retired brand name of AUTOart
• V & V Model - From Czech Republic
• Victory Models - handbuilt 1:43 resin cars (incl. related brand La Familia)
• Vitesse Models - From Portugal
• Wave Corporation - Japanese resin model manufacturer, notable for F1 models, no longer produce car kits
• Welly - Chinese manufacturer exporting widely
• Western - handbuilt 1:43 white metal cars (incl. related brand Small Wheels)
• Wiking - primarily 1:87 plastic models
• Gerald Wingrove

Die cast model cars

Fully built scale model cars made of die cast metal are very popular among collectors. These models are manufactured in various scales like 1:18, 1:24, 1:48, and 1:43, among others.

Larger-scale premium models today are generally made with attention to details which replicate a real model, such as a working steering which steers the wheels in larger models, doors, trunk/boot, and hood/bonnet that open (the latter showing a detailed engine complete with things such as an exhaust system and/or other items contained in a typical car engine), and tyres mounted on a workable suspension system. In smaller scales some of the details are often eliminated. So, e.g. in 1:32, 1:48, or 1:43 scale cars, the steering and wheels generally do not work. Likewise, only the front doors and hood might be functional, with non-opening rear doors and trunk. (There are exceptions to this, of course.)

However, the concept of these models generally began with far simpler toys in smaller scales, such as Dinky Toys (often 1:43), production of which began in 1934, and Matchbox cars (often approx. 1:64), introduced in the mid-'50s. Early die-cast toys featured no opening parts whatsoever. Affected by market forces and by improvements in production technology, companies began to improve the quality of the toys over time. The "best" improvements were often copied by the competition within 1–2 years of their appearance on the market. Examples of these would be plastic windows, interiors, separate wheel/tire assemblies, working suspensions, opening/moving parts, headlights, mask-spraying or tampo-printing, and low-friction wheel/suspension aggregates.

Organized collecting of toy car models developed quickly, particularly in the UK and the USA. At first, collectors seeking models and their variations (in a manner similar to stamp or coin collecting) began cataloguing the models, driving the value for rare items up. This led to a reaction by the market as well, as in the late 1970s at the latest, in a movement started by Matchbox, the wishes and perceived desires of collectors were intentionally catered to in an attempt to capture a higher-price market segment. This movement eventually gave rise to the premium segment of the market as we know it today.

The collectors market also led to licensing aspects not known until the '80s. Typically, companies that make die-cast model cars will have a licensing arrangement with real car manufacturers to make replicas of their cars, whether they be concepts, in current production, or of models no longer produced. Companies whose logos are printed onto the models also enter similar licensing agreements.

Examples die-cast model car brands and manufacturers include Maisto, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Corgi and Yat Ming. Those making premium models include the Franklin Mint, the Danbury Mint, and Fairfield Mint.

Model cars from kits

Model car most frequently refers to scale miniatures of real production vehicles, designed as kits for the enthusiast to construct. They can be created in plastic, die-cast metal, resin, even wood. The best kits have incredible levels of detail, even in parts unseen when the finished model is on display. Major manufacturers are AMT,Revell, Monogram, and Tamiya but many smaller companies abound.