As well as photographing real cars I have a increasing number of 1/60, 1/43, 1/32. 1/24, 1/18 and the stuff in between scale model cars. I've been collecting on and off since I was child and the ones that I didn't smash up have ended up here. Its not a definitve collection, as I simply don't have the time or funds to acquire every model, but just to show a small selection of what is out there. I'm currently catagarising what models I have, so the list will be updated regularly. They generally date from the late sixties to date.

If you note any errors or missing numbers, please feel free to contact me.

Majorette models originate from France, and the choice of models they made represent this. They were fairly common in the seventies and eighties andare readily available on secondhand markets. The earliest models dating from the mid sixties are very collectable and many of them feature opening doors and bonnets, but as production costs for mass markets increased the models became simplified and more toy like. Most models featured a unique 'bar' spring suspension which allowed very realistic absorbtion but didn't travel very well on the playroom floors. However sales were boyant, due to price undercutting and a realistic range of reasonably well proportioned models, only marred by large tampos and unrealistic paint schemes. Majorettes availability today is somewhat reduced in the UK, but can still be found in some model shops and the new generation of models are more realistic than ever.

Majorette Renault models

Majorette Citroen, Peugeot, Simca and Chrysler models

Majorette Datsun/Nissan, Honda and Toyota models

Majorette BMW, Mercedes and VW models

Majorette Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini and Lancia models models

Majorette Chevrolet, Jaguar, Jeep, Plymouth, Saab and Volvo models

Norev Minijet Models are a comparitively recent addition to UK model shops, like Majorette they exclusively made road vehicles. They were popular in European markets, but asides from the decent realism and proportions very few had opening features. Minijet models were discontinued in the late eighties, but a resurgence in the collectors market meant that Norev revived the Minijet name for a series of excellent scale models. The UK availability is limited mostly to car dealers and a select number of model shops. The detailing and quality in each model is reflected in the price, but represents the pinnacle of small scale road cars.

Norev minijet models

Siku models are made in Germany, and are rare in the fact that most models (including commercials) kept to the same scale, but this meant a different pricing policy depending on the size of the model. As typical for a German Toy company, the choice in models are largely German. They were generally more expensive than their counterparts and again, not as common as Matchbox or Corgi models, but sell well enough to maintain a reasonable UK presence. Siku's tend to be well preportioned and generally well detailed models and offer the collector a realisitic range of road cars.

Siku models

Chances are even if you owned a toy car as a child, it would have been a matchbox. There's no need to cover the history of the marque here, as it has been well documented. My personal collection stems from the sixties onwards. Matchbox toys due to their popularity and collectability are probabily the easiest to find of all toy manufacturers. I have particular preference to the England and Macau 80's models as the level of detail and subject matter is fairly good. Matchbox toys have had an uncertain period over the last 10 years or so - the quality and choice of toys suffered, but the latest series on 1-75 models show great promise.

1980's Matchbox models

The Spanish Guisval Models are almost unknown in the UK, the few that have made it have been as a result of holidays in Spain or internet trading. Like many European toy manufactures, Guisval concentrated on road cars. What makes up for the relative crudity and occasional lack of realistic proportion, (and the occasional inappropriate body tampos) are the type of cars, which tend to be unique to Guisval. Interestingly most models offer opening side doors, and detailed rear lamps -but these features are spoiled by an occasional lack of detail at the front of the model.

Guisval models

Corgi small scale models need no introduction. They were born out of the Husky series of models, which produced realistic road going vehicles in the late sixties. However when Hot Wheels fever hit the UK, they increased the scale of the cars and lost some of the realism, but generally kept their ranges sensible with a good mix of cars and commercials, instead filling the range with Matchboxesque dragsters. The range continued into the seventies, but invarably the quality suffered. However some models were faithfully reproduced, and actually released many models at around the same time as the real car. Corgi continued into the nineties, but by then the quality was shadow of the former models. Mattel took over the company and any subsequate Corgis were released as Hot Wheels. The Corgi brand appears on boxes for Realtoy models, but as such, not strictly Corgi.

Corgi models

Konami 1/64 model cars are probabily the best small scale models of Japanese cars to date, these models are not generally available in UK shops. The catch with these models is that it is often a 'lottery' to know which model you recieve, as each series has identical packaging, despite the 12 different available models released each season. However this shouldn't be an issue as they are truly excellent models and rate as my favourites.

Konami models

Realtoy models have had a huge increase in sales since the addition of these models in UK supermarkets. The reason for their success is very clear - they are well detailed, proportionally correct and extremely cheap to buy. The only drawback appears to be the lack of opening features, which compared to their contemporary Hot Wheels and Matchbox counterparts is not an issue. Realtoy have a broad range of models with a huge scope of different scales and types of transportation. Many of the casts have long lives, but the new range of cars have been the best and realistic yet.

Realtoy models

I have included a selection of 1/43 style models in this area, mostly of Japanese cars. These are mostly made by Tomica and Diapet. I intend to add my vast collection of 70's and 80's Solido, Norev, Corgi etc models in the near future.

1/43 Japanese models

Solido specialised in die cast 1/43 scale racing and road car models for many years, the 50's and 60's models are comparable to Dinky cars in both price and collectability, so the bulk of my collection is from the 70's onwards. In the early eighties, some models lost their opening features, detailed wheels and gained out of context decals at an attempt to sell the models as toys, some of these new models were quite poor in quality and production of these cars stopped in 1987. Luckily subsequent models were better detailed and less toy-like and helped by the fact Solido re-issued many of the original casts under the verem brand and more recently for the series of subscription only 'Cars of the century'. Availability of new 1/43 solido's in the UK remain patchy but worth seeking out as a cheaper alternative to Norevs current series of faultless 1/43 models.

Solido models