History of Diecast

Die cast (or die cast, or die-cast) toys were first produced early in the 20th century by manufacturers such as Meccano (Dinky Toys) in the United Kingdom and Dowst Brothers (Tootsietoys) in the United States. The first models on the market were basic, consisting of a small car or van body with no interior. In the early days, it was common for impurities in the Zamak alloy to cause metal fatigue; the casting would crack or decompose for no apparent reason. As a result, die cast toys made before World War II are difficult to find in good condition.

Lesney began making die cast toys in 1947. Their popular Matchbox 1-75 series was so named because there were always 75 different vehicles in the line, each packaged in a small box designed to look like those used for matches. These toys became so popular that "Matchbox" was widely used as a generic term for any die cast toy car, regardless of who the actual manufacturer was.

The popularity of die cast toys as collectibles developed in the 1950s as their detail and quality improved. Consequently, more companies entered the field, including the Corgi brand, produced by Mettoy, which appeared in 1956 pioneering the addition of interiors and clear plastic windows in their models.

In 1968, Hot Wheels were introduced in the United States by Mattel to address the complaint that they had no line of toys for boys to balance their line of Barbie dolls for girls. Not only did they look like they would travel fast, but did move quickly because they were equipped with a low-friction wheel/axle assembly. Hot Wheels quickly gained an important niche in the die cast toy market becoming one of the world's top sellers and challenging the Matchbox 1-75 series in popularity.

During the 1960s various companies began to use die cast vehicles as promotional items for advertising. The idea that children can play a large part in a family's decision as to what products to buy began to influence the market. In addition, by the 1980s it was apparent that many die cast vehicles were being purchased by adults as collectibles, not just toys for children. Companies such as McDonald's, Sears Roebuck, Kodak, and Texaco commissioned toymakers to produce promotional models featuring their names and logos, or licensing their use. One early example was an American Airlines London bus produced by Matchbox, an idea other some airlines quickly copied.

Beginning in the mid '70s, trucks and other commercial vehicles took a lion's share of the die cast market. Matchbox started the trend when they re-launched their Models of Yesteryear range. They made a score of different versions of their Y-12 Ford Model T van, along with other trucks in colorful liveries, such as, Coca-Cola, Colman's Mustard, and Cerebos Salt. They also made promotional versions for Smith's Crisps (potato chips) and Harrod's department store. Some models were made exclusively for certain markets and immediately became quite expensive elsewhere. Arnott's Biscuits (Australia) and Sunlight Seife (soap, Germany) are examples.