Learn About the Types & Sizes of Model Cars

Series Summary

A model car is a miniature representation, or scale model, of an automobile or similar vehicle, generally reproducing the shapes of actually-produced vehicles. The line between model and toy cars is poorly defined, but 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 toys rather than models. "Model car" most frequently refers to scale miniatures of real vehicles, designed as kits for the enthusiast to construct. They can be created in plastic, die-cast metal, and wood, among others. The best kits have incredible levels of detail, even in parts you can't see when the finished model is on display.

Those interested in making model cars for a new hobby, for collectibles, or out of general curiosity will find help in this free video series. You don't have to be a model car enthusiast to learn the types and sizes of model cars, what supplies you need, how to paint model cars, and how to maintain them. Watch and learn a new hobby in this video series!

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Greg B. from Expert Village. Today we're going to talk about model cars. First we're going to talk about the type of model cars that are out on the market. There are your styrene plastic model cars. They're usually injected molding styrene to make up the car. Then there's resin models, usually a guy with a basement business and he carves himself out a model and he molds it in rubber and then pours an AB epoxy into that rubber mold and he comes up with a type of car you desire. Its a process. Then there's your die-cast metal cars. Most of them are copies of what the manufacturers here in the United States have made. They copy it in China and they make a metal car, or hot metal or lead or whatever they make it out of. We're going to talk about the several different sizes of model cars. The most popular are your 1/24th, 1/25th. Now they do have some 1/23s out there and some 1/8ths. But, most model car builders, they prefer the 1/24th, 1/25th because of the cottage they call it a cottage industry where people make small parts out of resin and you can really customize or change appearance of the car or possibly use that model that you bought to build a car that was never offered by a manufacturer. Now, right here we have several cars that are more popular. This is your 1/24th, 1/25th by Revell. This is a plastic kit built straight from the box, painted, roof's been scuffed, been lowered a little more than what it came in the kit. But basically this is what everybody would build out of the box. Most of your kids. This is a die-cast metal collectible. It does have a few plastic parts on here, but this is basically what you buy with the open doors, the hood, revealing its Chevy engine, the trunk opens and the wheels if you touch the steering wheel, they steer. This is just a collectible, this is a shelf display. This I found at a local supermarket is your 1/43 and it fits in the palm of your hand, that?s a die-cast model collectible. This and this are made in China. This was made in the States and they took this model and they made a copy of it like they do everything."