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History of Diecast Models

Die-cast models were first produced around the beginning of the 20th century by manufacturers such as Dinky Toys in the United Kingdom and Toosietoys in the United States. The first models on the market were basic consisting of a small car or van without plastic windows.

The popularity of die-cast models only began to really grow from the 1950s, as quality vastly increased. The 1950s also saw people collecting the toys, as opposed to simply opening the box and playing with the toy. As a consequence of this, more companies started to produce die-cast vehicles, namely the Corgi brand. Matchbox also began in the 1950s and quickly became so popular that in some parts of the world all die-cast cars came to be known as "Matchbox cars", regardless of manufacturer.

In 1968, Hot Wheels was introduced in the United State to counteract the complaint that they had no line of toys for boys to match up with their line of Barbie dolls. Hot Wheels eventually gained an important niche in the die-cast model car market, becoming one of the world's top sellers by the 2000s.

During the 1960s and 1970s, major companies began to advertise in large numbers with these model makers when the idea that children can play a large part in a family's decision as far as what product to use came into wide circulation. Companies paid the model manufaturers large amounts of money to have vehicles reproduced and sold with their names and logos.

Die-cast aviation and military models were produced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Primary among these companies was Dyna Flites. Dyna Flites went bankrupt during the 1990s, but their market share was quickly taken up by a variety of companies, including Schabak, Herpa and Dragon Wings.

In 1994, Mattel bought Matchbox, essentially making Hot Wheels and Matchbox sister brands. The two brands continue to sell under their own names. During this time, Nascar began to produce a massive number of die-cast racing cars and trucks, painted in the colours of the various racing teams. Racing Champions was contracted by the sports organization, and NASCAR die-cast model cars and trucks became popular among collectors.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Die-cast Toy.

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