Diecast Model Cars - a Brief History

There is quite a long history of craftsmen building detailed miniature replicas of transport vehicles and machinery, but it was not until nineteen thirty four that die cast model cars and trucks arrived on the scene in any great numbers.

At that time replica cars and trucks were not looked on as collectible in their own right - they were produced to lend extra realism to model railways.

Since the early 1920s Hornby had been making increasingly complex train sets. One of the sets, Meccano Set No 21, was embellished with six die cast models, consisting of a motor truck, a sports coupe, a delivery van, a sports car, a farm tractor, and an Army tank. These were the first Dinky models, issued under the “Meccano Modelled Miniatures” label, as Set No. 22.

These early diecast models were pretty crude by modern standards, seeing as they were cast from an alloy with high lead content which didn’t lend itself to a high level of detail. Also they did not intend to depict real cars, although the sports car looked somewhat similar to the S.S.1, a popular make of the period and a forerunner of the Jaguar.

In terms of scale, they weren’t very well suited to the train sets which they were intended to complement.

It soon became clear, however, that there was a healthy market for such models, and it wasn’t long before individual die-cast models based on real cars and trucks were produced and sold separately. Dinky Set 30 was modeled on the famous Rolls-Royce, Set 36A on the Armstrong Siddely, 36B a Bentley, and 36F was a Salmon sports car.

With the passing of time the quality of detail and reproduction greatly improved. The Dinky sets had diecast alloy bodies and tinplate radiators and rubber tyres. The later replicas also had passengers and drivers. The Armstrong Siddely had a footman and chauffeur. Just before the Second World War some excellent military models were produced, including tanks with rotating turrets and catterpillar tracks.

Few models from that period have survived in acceptable condition, and models in good condition are extremely collectible - pre war Dinkies can command prices up to $1000 at auction.

In the 1950s, new production methods heralded a new era in the history of die-cast replica cars. Lesney, famous for their splendid Coronation Coach, and Corgi, (”the ones with the windows”), entered the market to provide competition to Dinky.

This new generation of diecast vehicles, with better detail, better running gear, and better color finish, leads up to the present day, where millions of precision die-cast replica models are produced, at quite affordable prices for collectors. For example, just take a look at this beautiful model of the original 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost. Or this chevy diecast 1946 suburban ambulance. The die cast model car industry has come a long way since the nineteen thirties.

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