Toy cars

Models of cars first appeared around the time real ones did. These original models were often made of lead and brass. 

Many early model cars were not intended either as toys or for collecting. By the 1920's, the manufacturers of real cars would design and construct scale models for design or promotion.

Toy cars were simpler castings of zinc alloy, pressed steel or plastic and often had castings of only seven parts (a car body, four plastic wheels and two axles). These early die-cast toys featured no opening parts. 

Smaller toy cars became popular after World War II and during the 1950s. Since the 1980s, many factory assembled scale model cars made of diecast metal have become more adult collectible oriented and less toy-like.

Today, China is now the centre of diecast toy car manufacture. Affected by market forces and by improvements in production technology, companies began to improve the quality of the toys over time. Plastic windows, interiors, separate wheel/tyre assemblies, working suspensions, opening/moving parts, jewelled headlights, mask-spraying and low-friction 'fast' wheels have become more commonplace.