A Brief History of Diecast Model Cars

There is quite a long history of craftsmen building detailed miniature models of transport vehicles and machinery, but it wasn’t until nineteen thirty four that die-cast model cars and trucks appeared on the market in any great numbers.

At that time replica cars and trucks were not regarded as collectable in their own right – they were produced to lend extra realism to model train sets.

Ever since the early 1920s Hornby had been making ever more complicated model railways. One of the sets, Meccano Set No 21, came complete with six diecast 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 die-cast models were fairly crude by modern standards, because they were cast from an alloy containing 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 bore a resemblance to the SS1, a popular make at that time and a fore-runner of the Jaguar.

In terms of scale, they were not 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 lorries were produced and sold on their own. Dinky Set 30 was based on the famous Rolls-Royce, Set 36A on the Armstrong Siddely, 36B a Bentley, and 36F was a Salmon sports car.

With the passage of time the quality of detail and reproduction greatly improved. The Dinky sets had die-cast alloy bodies and tin-plate radiators and rubber tires. The later models also came with passengers and drivers. The Armstrong Siddely had a footman and chauffeur. Just before World War II some superb military models were produced, including tanks with catterpillar tracks and rotating turrets.

Few replicas from that era have survived in good condition, and items in good condition are extremely collectable – pre war Dinky models can fetch prices up to one thousand dollars in auction.

In the 1950s, new production techniques introduced 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”), joined the market to provide competition to Dinky.

This new generation of diecast vehicles, with better detail, better running gear, and better color finish, brings us to the present day, where millions of exquisitely detailed die-cast replica models are produced, at quite reasonable prices for the collector. 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 diecast model car industry has come a long way since the 1930s.

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