Diecast Manufacturer Guide
I'm making this as a guide for anyone new to the diecast hobby, or those who are not as knowledgeable. I've permission from bondy_1625 to use his work from a previous post, so any
bold text is all credit to him. Normal unbolded text is from my perspective.
For the purpose of this guide, I shall separate the best known makers into three groups/tiers based on their normal retail costs. Tier 1 will be the cheaper, tier 2 the collector standard that are more expensive and tier 3 will be the super detailed and most expensive ones.
Tier 1 - £0-£30
Revell: I have just 1 (69 corvette stingray, see gallery in sig), fairly decent interior, exterior, well proportioned, good for the money, sealed boot, but opening doors and bonnet, some models have wheel problems (glue or something i'll try get a pic tomorrow of some i know of).
Maisto: Good value for money, good proportions, newer models are getting better and better, they mass produce a hell of a lot of models, worth checking out thier range, haven't had many problems with maisto. I myself have several Maisto's (Jaguar XK180, Mercedes CLK DTM 2000 racer, and Audi R8 LM) and I'm very proud of them. One of the best of the cheaper diecast makers in my opinion.
Bburago: Now bankrupt and are owned by maisto, but will continue to create new models under the same name as a seperate division. Slightly less detailed than maisto, but good still pretty good for the money. Older models lacking in detail.
Ricko: Ive seen a few and tempted to buy, but they just dont make the models i want! Not bad in terms of detail about on par with Bburago or inbetween that and Maisto. Havent seen many of these about.
Hot Wheels: Older models from Hot Wheels are along the same par with Bburago and Maisto, however newer models are starting to look better on the whole. Hot Wheels hold an official Ferrari license to make diecasts, so these days if you want a Ferrari model for a lower price, Hot Wheels is the way to go. HW have also recently started an 'Elite' series which are said to feature more detail for a higher price, however some models do not seem to be worth the asking price.
Solido: Considered by some to be equal or higher in quality to the Maisto models, Solido ranges are quite good quality for the money that you are paying.
UT Models: Indecision as to if UT Models should be put in tier 1 or 2. The company went bankrupt in 2001 and was turned into AUTOart, however UT Models are still extremely collectible. While some models you can expect to pay a normal price, there are some UT's that due to the company going bust can cost big money. Examples of the rare, expensive UT's are the Porsche 993 GT2 (White), Ferrari F355 and McLaren F1 LM.
Other manufacturers who make models at this level include Ertl, Yat ming, Welly and Motormax. Tier 1 models are usually aimed at those who aren't majorly into the hobby but are partial to a model car or two, hence the lessened detail.
Tier 2 - £30-£60
AUTOart: To hobbyists AUTOart is one of the more well known brands in the diecast universe, and produce great quality models. However this quality comes at a price as AUTOart's can reach some quite high prices. For example, the Subaru Impreza 22B, no longer in production can go for prices over £100. AUTOart's come in two categories, sealed and unsealed models. People tend to prefer unsealed so that they can open engine bay/boot/doors and see the detail inside. In some cases the interior floors are carpeted and seats are padded. The picture below shows the carpeted interior of my AUTOart Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type R
Minichamps: Another well known manufacturer based in Germany. Minichamps were originally called Pauls Model Art until a name change and produce all sorts of models, bikes, cars, trucks, buses and military models. Minichamps vary a lot in price depending on what the model is and what the production run is. They are very strong at producing F1 models, of which I have two and am very pleased with the way they look. (Jos Verstappen Bennetton and Ayrton Senna Williams) Minichamps are a strong competitor to AUTOart in some cases both companies producing the same model which comes down to preference, which one a person prefers, although Minichamps tend to be cheaper than AUTOart.
Kyosho: Based out of Japan, Kyosho are, in my opinion one of the top manufacturers for your money. I have three Kyosho models, all BMWs. One is the V12 LMR racer and the other two are M3 CSL and M3 GTR and the roadcars are two of my favourite models. They are built solidly, heavy to handle and feature some nice detail. The pictures below of my Kyosho M3 CSL show the car from the back with additional luggage bag and also a top view showing the carbon fibre effect roof. Much like AUTOart, Kyoshos also have carpeted interior and padded seats.
I recommend Kyosho to anyone who likes collecting models and does not know about these guys.
Biante/Classic Carlectables: These two are Australian companies and are the best makers of Australian cars such as Holdens and Ford Falcons, but also have a great range of V8 Supercars and other Australian racecars. Well built and marvellously detailed, these models can cost quite a fair bit, and depending on where you live, shipping charges can be a killer.
Other manufacturers who make models at this level include Ertl Authentics range, Hot Wheels Elite series and Highway 61.
Tier 3 - £50-£300
Exoto: Exoto are one of the best well known manufacturers of top quality models, but expect to pay a price for them. The majority of the Exoto range focuses on racing cars of various eras from the Ford 999 to the Sauber Mercedes C9. These models are wonderfully detailed, heavy to the touch and some come with tools which allow you to remove the wheels and see the brake detail. Expect to pay some high prices in stores for Exoto models, as depending on the model they can get quite expensive. I myself have four Exoto models, and I love them but luckily I got mine for bargain prices as I used eBay. Just to show the detailing on the Exoto models, below are two pictures of my Sauber C9.
BBR: BBR for the most part used to specialise in 1/43 scale models, however in recent years have turned to making 1/18 scale models, and produced the much acclaimed Ferrari Enzo model. BBR models are quite expensive, but feature some wonderful detailing. Their next model, the 54 Le Mans winning Ferrari 375 Plus looks to feature a fully detailed cockpit, photo etched parts on the grill and radiator as well as some other nice touches.
CMC: CMC models (along with BBR) can be considered to be the cream of the crop in the modelling world. If we take the CMC McLaren SLR model as an example, there is nothing lost on the model as compared to the real car. The hood opens exactly the same way as the 1:1 car (slide out, then up) and to punctuate the detailing of the model, the interior is covered with REAL leather on the seats and dash.
Other manufacturers who make models at this level include Lane and GMP
Final Opinions
bondy - In my opinion the best ones are UT, Highway 61 and GMP in terms of value for money.
As for my opinion, if you want a quality replica but dont want to pay the top tier prices, then Kyosho, Minichamps and AUTOart are for you. However, I do fully recommend Exoto models if you can find one for a good price on websites such as eBay.
Hope this guide helps to clarify the better known diecast manufacturers. Anything else, just post in the topic.
