
Dinky Toys, die-cast car toys.

A die-cast toy refers to any toy or collectible model produced by using the die casting method. The toys are made of metal, with plastic, rubber or glass details. Wholly plastic toys are made by a similar process of injection moulding, but the two are rarely confused. The metal used is either a lead alloy (in the first toys), or more commonly Zamak (or Mazak in the UK), an alloy of zinc with small quantities of aluminium and copper. Lead, as previously so widely used for cast metal toys, or iron are impurities that must be carefully avoided in this alloy, as they give rise to zinc pest. These alloys are also referred to casually as white metal or pot metal, although these terms are also confused with the lead toy alloys. The most common die-cast toys are scale models of automobiles, aircraft, construction equipment and trains, although almost anything can be produced by this method.

Model Scales

Die-cast toys and models come in various scales, the most popular ones being:

1:12 scale - Very large models usually about 14 or 15 inches long often targeted at adults who are more into serious collecting and high detail. These models are generally much more expensive than the 1:18 models.
1:18 scale - Large models usually about 7 or 8 inches long, often targeted at adults
1:24 scale - Similar to G scale Nascar Cars,which are 1:22.5 scale, extremely popular in America
1:32 scale - Intermediate size most common for vintage cars and model tractors.
1:36 scale - Also made from Maisto, Kinsmart and Welly
1:43 scale - made popular by Dinky and Corgi, the most popular scale with model car collectors internationally -
1:48 scale - aircraft sold in this scale to match plastic model kits
1:50 scale - trucks, buses, construction equipment, promotional models, military vehicles
1:55 scale - used by Siku and the Disney-Pixar Cars Die-Cast Line by Mattel
1:60 scale - the scale of the immensely popular pre-war and post-war military vehicles series by Dinky Toys (including military Dinky Supertoys)
1:64 scale - popular for farm models and American model trucks. Matchbox, Hot Wheels and model Nascar cars are nominally this size.
1:72 scale - A growing scale for military die-cast AFVs
1:76 scale - highly detailed mainly British buses and lorries such as those by EFE and Corgi OOC, and Trax Models in Australia - same as OO scale model trains
1:87 scale - One of the smallest in scale products widely available in the markets. - same as H0 scale model trains