Model car
A model car, or toy car, is a miniature representation of an automobile. Other miniature motor vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and ATVs, etc. are often included in this general category.
The model car kit building hobby became popular through the 1950s, while the collecting of miniatures by adults started to gain momentum around 1970. Precision-detailed miniatures made specifically for adults have been a significant part of the market since the mid-1980s.
The scope of the vehicles involved in the hobby, according to Louis Heilbroner Hertz author of The Complete Book of Building and Collecting Model Automobiles, encompasses "ordinary or stock automobiles, racing cars, buses, trucks, specialized service vehicles, military vehicles, including such equipment as self-propelled gun carriers and mobile rocket launchers; construction equipment, including bulldozers and road rollers, tractors and related farm equipment; mobile showmen's engines, customized automobiles, hot rods, dragsters, the recently popular so-called 'funny cars', early self-propelled road carriages, and so on."
History
Miniature models of automobiles first appeared in Europe around the time real automobiles did. Then, shortly after, they appeared in the United States. These were toys and replicas often made of lead and brass. Later models made in the early 20th century were either slush cast plaster or iron. Tin and pressed steel cars, trucks, and military vehicles, like those made by Bing of Germany, were introduced from the 1920s through the 1940s, but period models rarely copied actual vehicles, likely because of the crudeness of early casting and metal shaping techniques. Casting vehicles in alloys such as zinc-aluminum-magnesium-copper became popular in the late 1930s and remained prominent after World War II.In-house model usage
Many early model cars were not intended either as toys or for collecting. By the 1920s, the manufacturers of real automobiles would design and construct scale as well as full-sized models for design or promotion. Citroën of France, for example, began making its own models for promotional purposes as early as 1923. Sometimes, styling or concept models were made of wood or clay, often in 3/8 scale. From 1930 until 1968, General Motors sponsored the Fisher Body Craftsman's Guild Competition where hundreds of modelers competed for scholarship money.. The emphasis was on earning recognition for creativity, which could lead to possible employment as an industry stylist.In-house models could also be precise replicas made from materials similar to the real vehicles. For example, Hudson Motor Car Company made twelve precisely crafted 1/4 scale replicas of its 1932 vehicles for promotion at the 1932 New York Auto Show. About the same time, but in a different vein, Studebaker made a wooden model of a cabriolet over twice the size of the real car. The vehicle was stationary on the company grounds and large enough to hold a whole band that played mostly for photo shoots. As time went by, companies in the United States, Europe and Asia made, provided, or sold toys or precision promotional models to attract succeeding generations to their products. More models also displayed advertising on their bodies for non-automotive promotions.
File:Austin Toy Cars, Pengam, Bargoed.jpg|thumb|left|Austin toy pedal cars being manufactured at the Longbridge plant.
Scale sizes
The scales of toy and model cars vary according to historical precedent, market demand and the need for detail. Professional modelers make many 'in house' models of real car companies in full size, or at very large scales like 1:4, 1:5, 3:8, or 1:10 to portray adequate features and proportions. For toys, many European pre-war cars and trucks were made to display with railroad layouts, making 1:87 or 1:43 common scales. Other companies made vehicles in variations around 1:40 to 1:50 scales. Some companies went smaller to appeal to younger children, which improved profit margins by packaging more items per carton and increasing profit per vehicle sold. Others moved to larger scales from 1:43 toward 1:40, 1:38 or 1:35. Later, popular scales went even larger. In the United States, 1:25 became the staple size for plastic promotional models, while European manufacturers adopted 1:24 or 1:18. The larger 1:12 scale was occasionally seen and, more rarely, 1:10 or 1:8. At the other extreme, some very tiny toys since the 1980s were fairly accurate down to about 1:120.Materials and markets
Toys in the United States were almost always simpler castings of zinc alloy, pressed steel, or plastic, and often castings of only seven parts – while more complex plastic and zamak models in Europe often had precision detail and more working features. This provides instruction on different regions of the world and their varied cultures, markets, labor and economies.Europe quickly developed niche marketing after World War II. The greater availability of labor there generally allowed the development of relatively complex toys to serve different markets in different countries. In the United States, limited labor availability prevented the production of complex toys with opening doors, hoods, and fully detailed interior, so they were often single castings with few parts. Sophistication in America did come in the form of detailed promotional models for automotive dealerships, which preceded the appearance of automotive kits for assembly.
European die casting
Among more collectible vehicles in Europe after World War II and during the 1950s, smaller scales, like 1:43 and 1:64, were generally popular first. Since the 1980s, many factory assembled scale model cars made of diecast metal have become increasingly adult collectible oriented and less and less toy-like. Besides the smaller scales, these models are manufactured in various scales such as 1:12, 1:18, and 1:24.Early European diecast
Northern Europe and the British Isles were the homes of the most successful European producers in the 1950s and 1960s in the post-war revitalized economies across the continent. Quite popular were models produced in the altered railroad modeling scale of 1:43.Examples of well-known companies are Corgi Toys, Dinky Toys, Matchbox, and Spot-On Models of the United Kingdom; Solido, Norev, and Majorette of France; Schuco Modell, Gama, and Siku of Germany; Tekno of Denmark, and Mercury, Polistil and Mebetoys of Italy. Immediately post-war, Belgium made Septoy and Gasquy. Even Israel got into the act quite successfully with Gamda Koor Sabra, which made its own tooling for several unique models. Non-market system communist countries also had some successful factories, like Kaden models and Igra of Czechoslovakia, Espewe of East Germany, and Estetyka of Poland. State factories of the Soviet Union produced many carefully crafted diecast models, mostly in 1:43 scale. These were known for their intricate detail, numerous parts, and delicate construction.
Larger die-cast sizes grew out of offerings from European companies like Polistil, Schuco Modell, and Martoys, which later became Bburago. 1:24 and 1:18 scales did not become really popular until the late 1980s, when other brands like Yatming and Maisto were produced in Hong Kong or China by either American or Asian companies. 1:87 scale plastic vehicles, whether related to railroad modeling or not, continue to be popular in Europe. Despite the continued presence of the European companies, today, China is the center of diecast production.
Post-war European diecast models were produced in fairly simple form, such as Dinky Toys. Dinky production began in 1934, while Matchbox cars were introduced in the mid-1950s. These early die-cast toys featured no opening parts whatsoever. Affected by market forces and by improvements in production technology, companies began to improve the toy quality over time. The "best" improvements were often copied by the competition within 1–2 years of their market debut. Examples of these would include plastic windows, interiors, separate wheel/tire assemblies, working suspensions, opening/moving parts, jeweled headlights, mask-spraying or tampo-printing, and low-friction 'fast' wheels.
Into the 1970s, model makers began to feel the squeeze of rising costs. Often, press tooling for a new model might cost more than 30,000 pounds. Companies began to offer fewer new issues and the models became simpler with fewer opening parts.
Trends in toy detail
Larger 1:24 and 1:18 scale premium models became extremely popular at toy and hobby centers during the 1990s, but are less popular circa 2010. This size is generally made with close attention to the details of the real vehicles, such as working steering, and opening doors, trunk/boot, and hood/bonnet. Detailed interiors, instrument panels, trunks/boots with spare tires, and engine compartments are common. Chassis often show intricacies of exhaust systems and suspensions. A working suspension system is often included. In smaller scales, some of the details are often eliminated, so in 1:43, 1:64, or 1:87 scale cars, working steering is not common. Likewise, only the front doors and hood might open, with non-opening rear doors and trunk.Over time, market pressures have led to further changes in how models are designed and manufactured. In the 1960s, many European models had opening parts and working components, but today, few of the smaller scale toys do. More working parts mean more production expense, and Hot Wheels and Matchbox vehicles now rarely have such features. Today, the number of moving parts has been reduced even in large-scale models. For example, premium model maker AUTOart introduced a line of race and sports cars in 1:18 scale with no opening parts.
Die cast seconds
Also notable is the diffusion of model dies to companies in other countries which could not afford tooling expenses for their own new lines. Traditionally, when European companies have finished marketing their models, newer dies are developed and introduced, and older dies are sold off to other companies, often in less developed countries.As early as about 1970, Dinky tooling became 'Nicky' Toys in India, just as older Matchbox models became 'Miltons' or Corgi dies became 'Maxwell'. Many dies previously made by Corgi, Efsi, Tekno, Sablon or Solido trekked southward in Europe to Spanish or Portuguese companies like MetOsul, Nacoral or Auto Pilen. Politoys became MacGregor in Mexico and also showed up in plastic in the Soviet Union. Earlier, Solido and Schuco died and made their way to Brazil. Even some of Mattel's earlier Hot Wheels tooling showed up in Argentina as Muky. Tomicas became Yat Mings, Tomicas and Yat Mings became Playarts, and Matchbox tooling reappeared in other forms in many places.
The trend is nearly always a diffusion from more industrialized to somewhat lesser industrialized countries and often the result is poorer paint, faulty zamac alloys, and imprecise assembly. One example was the copies of Italian Ediltoys made by Meboto in Turkey. The Argentine Mukys featured paint that was flat and dull, unlike the bright colors of the original Hot Wheels. At the other extreme, Auto Pilen of Spain was an exception and copied models beautifully. These were as good as, or sometimes better, than the original Dinkys or Solidos in quality and paint.