A model car is a miniature representation, or scale model, of an automobile or similar powered vehicle, generally reproducing the shapes of actually-produced vehicles. Other miniature ground-running vehicles, such as trucks, buses, etc. (but not railroad trains or tracked military vehicles) are usually included in the general category of model cars. The line between model and toy cars is not well-defined; some toys can be scaled and detailed well enough to be considered models also. Miniature cars which are poorly proportioned or lack significant detail are usually considered to be pure toys rather than models.

Model cars from kits

History

Banthrico started producing die cast promotional model car banks in the late '40s for the banking industry. These banks were available as a gift to people that started a new account and had a slot in the bottom to put their spare change. Usually the banks name and address was painted on the roof of the car. These primitive promotional cars included Buicks, Cadillacs, Lincolns, Packards, Desotos, Chryslers, Dodges and of course the more common (relatable) Chevrolets and Fords. In mint condition, today these cars are exceptionally sought after.

About the same time, another company, Product Miniature Corporation was introducing promotional models made from plastic to the public, many of which were also in the form of banks. Many Chevrolet bank models had the inscription on the bottom "To help save for a rainy day, or to buy a new Chevrolet" The almost mandated scale for these cars was 1:25th, however a few Chevrolets and Plymouths were produced in a larger 1:20th scale.

The model car "kit" hobby began in the post World War II era with Ace and Berkeley wooden model cars. Revell pioneered the plastic model car with their famous Maxwell kit derived from a toy. Derk Brand, from England, pioneered the first real plastic kit, a 1932 Ford Roadster for Revell. He was also famous for developing a line of 1/32 scale model car kits in England for the Gowland brothers. These kits were later introduced by Revell in the U.S.

AMT, and AMT's sister company SMP, began producing assembled 1/25 friction and coaster models in the early fifties. These were an outgrowth of promotional models manufactured for automobile dealers. Youngsters would be given the scale models to play with while the parents and the salesman haggled. Collecting and trading these "promos" soon became a popular hobby.

During the 1950s to 1960s, interest in the hobby peaked, and AMT introduced the model car kit in 1958. Jo-Han, Revell and Monogram started producing model car kits about this same time, and it was considered a "golden age" for model car building from these new innovative customizing kits. Most of these kits were known as "annual" kits, which was the unassembled kit version of the promos that represented the new cars that were introduced at the beginning of each model year.