A little about diecast insustry and manufacturers: (Part 1)
Diecast (or die cast, or die-cast) model cars/toys were first produced early in the 20th century by manufacturers such as Meccano (Dinky Toys) in the United Kingdom, Dowst Brothers (TootsieToys) in the United States and Fonderie de précision de Nanterre (Solido DIecast Model Cars manufacturer) in France. The first diecast model cars on the market were basic, consisting of a small car or van body with no interior. In the early days it was common for impurities in the alloy to result in zinc pest; the casting would distort or crack for no apparent reason. As a result, diecast model cars/toys made before World War II are difficult to find in good condition. The later high-purity Zamak alloy avoided this problem.
Lesney began making diecast model cars/toys in 1947. Their popular Matchbox diecast model cars 1-75 series was so named because there were always 75 different diecast model cars in the line, each packaged in a small box designed to look like those used for matches. These die-cast model cars/toys became so popular that "Matchbox" was widely used as a generic term for any diecast model toy car, regardless of who the actual manufacturer was.
The popularity of diecast model cars/toys as collectibles developed in the 1950s, as their detail and quality increased. Consequently, more companies entered the field, including the Corgi diecast model cars brand, produced by Mettoy, which appeared in 1956 and pioneered the use of interiors in their diecast car models.
In 1968, Hot Wheels Diecast Model Cars were introduced in the United States by Mattel, to address the complaint that they had no line of diecast model cars/toys for boys to balance their line of Barbie dolls for girls. Because they looked fast and were fast (they were equipped with a low-friction wheel/axle assembly), Hot Wheels diecast model cars quickly gained an important niche in the collectible diecast model cars toy market, becoming one of the world's top sellers and challenging the Matchbox 1-75 series in popularity.
