My Mirror Stop

There is quite a long history of craftsmen building detailed miniature models of transport vehicles and machinery, but it was not until nineteen thirty-four that diecast model cars and lorries arrived on the market in any great numbers.

In those days model cars and trucks were not regarded as collectible in their own right - they were produced to lend extra realism to model railways.

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

These early diecast models were pretty simplistic by modern standards, being cast from an alloy with high lead content which didn't lend itself to a high level of detail. Also they did not try to depict real automobiles, although the sports car looked somewhat similar to the S.S.1, a popular make at the time and a forerunner of the Jaguar.

In terms of size, they were not very well suited to the trainsets which they were intended to adorn.

It soon became apparent, however, that there was a healthy market for models like this, 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 passage of time the quality of reproduction and detail hugely improved. The Dinky sets came with die-cast alloy bodies and tin-plate radiators and rubber tires. The later replicas also had passengers and drivers. The Armstrong Siddely had a footman and chauffeur. Just prior to World War Two some superb military models were produced, including tanks with rotating turrets and catterpillar tracks.

Few models from that era have survived in good condition, and items in good condition are extremely collectable - pre war Dinkies can fetch prices up to $1000 at auction.

In the nineteen fifties, new production techniques introduced a new era in the history of diecast model cars. Lesney, renowned for their splendid Coronation Coach, and Corgi, ("the ones with the windows"), joined the market to compete with Dinky.

This new generation of die cast vehicles, with better detail, better running gear, and better colour finish, leads up to the present day, where millions of finely-detailed diecast replica models are produced, at quite affordable prices for the collector. For example, just take a look at these movie diecast cars. The die-cast model car industry has come a long way since the 1930s.

And, let's not forget, eBay can be a terrific source for those rare, hard to find die-cast replicas: classic diecast auctions.

For detailed, precision-built die cast motor car replicas, visit classic diecast.