1:43 scale
1:43 scale is an extremely popular size of die-cast model for adult collectors in Europe, Asia and the US. It has its origins in the British / European O scale for model trains and the rise of certain accessories made for that scale which became popular in their own right.
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[edit] The customary European scale
There are many manufacturers in 1:43 producing everything from customized and accurate race cars to emergency vehicles, family sedans and SUVs. Trucks and tractor trailers can also be found in this scale, but they are comparatively larger and 1:50 or 1:64 scales are more common for these types of vehicles.
Related train scales are 1:42, 1:48 scale (American O scale), and also 1:45 scale (NEM European 0 scale). It is only slightly larger than 1:50 scale, a relatively common die-cast scale, particularly for trucks, as stated. Items in all these scales are sufficiently similar in size that they are commonly used together in O layouts.
[edit] History
The first model car made exactly to 1:43 scale seems to be French Dinky Toys 24 R Peugeot 203, released in 1951 (Schellekens 2009), but many diecast iron or plaster toys in the 1920s and 1930s were also made about the same size, though not as precise 'blueprint' reproductions.
From the 1950s through the 1980s, 1:43 was primarily used in European toy offerings such as Corgi Toys, Dinky Toys, Schuco, Tekno, Solido, Polistil, and Mebetoys and many others produced from Spain all the way through the former Soviet Union.
1:43 scale electric slot cars are also on the market, though these are a relatively recent development compared with the established slot car scales of 1:24, 1:32, and traditional HO or 'Matchbox' sizes (1:87 and 1:64). 1:43 scale has little organized racing competition of the kind that is common in the larger scales, and currently 1:43 is largely used for toy or starter sets.
This scale is still popular, with many models now being made in China, but as time has passed, many new scales for diecast cars, both smaller (1:87, 1:64, and somewhere around 1:55), and larger (1:24, 1:18, and 1:12) have also competed in the toy and diecast market. As more and more adults entered the collector market, starting perhaps in the late 1970s, but coming on strong since, say, 1990, more specialized and expensive limited edition handbuilt collectibles made in white metal or resin produced in more limited numbers have become available.
[edit] See also
- Diecast toy
- Model commercial vehicle
- Model car
- Scale model
- Model railroading
- O scale
- Slot car
- Rail transport modelling scales
- Model railway scales
[edit] References
- Jona Schellekens (2009),“The history behind 1:43,” Model Collector 24 (12): 54-55.
