Die-cast Model Cars – The Collection of Stratton Hicky

By Jan Manos

Stratton Hicky has collected cars his entire life. As a child he was drawn to toy cars such as a jeep that he received for Christmas when he was still a small boy. One observer has written that, "It's the passion for auto that drives someone to start admiring and collecting diecast models." For Stratton, I think it began before that age and certainly his passion to collect extended beyond.

The creation of die-cast model cars dates back to the end of the 19th century, at almost the same time as the invention of the car. Just as children loved to play with model trains in the nineteenth century, the demand for miniature copies of the latest adult technological innovations was quickly recognized by toy manufacturers.

We have all seen early toys for children from the late 1800s. In Europe, early metal toys were made of lead and brass. By the early 1900s toys were made of iron and tin and pressed steel like those made by Bing in Germany. Toys were rarely copied of actual vehicles because of the crudeness of early casting and metal shaping. By the 1930s and 40s alloys such as zinc-aluminum-magnesium-copper became prominent after World War II making greater details for toys possible.

Early toys in the United States were mostly simple castings of zinc alloy, pressed steel or plastic and often castings of only seven parts - a car body, four plastic wheels and two axles – while more complex plastic and zinc alloy models in Europe often had precision detail with more working features.

When the automobile business picked up in America after World War II, so did the die-cast model car business. A die-cast collectible model was produced by using the die-casting method of putting molten lead, zinc alloy or plastic in a mold to produce a particular shape. Such toys were made of metal, with plastic, rubber, glass, or other machined metal parts. As global economies recovered from the impact of World War II, consumerism boomed in many countries, and children benefited from a rapidly developing toy market. Manufacturers of model cars began to produce miniature models of superior quality with moving parts and interior details.

Stratton's collection includes over 100 die-cast model cars in several scales -- 1/18, 1/24 and 1/32. A model car is a miniature representation of an automobile. The word 'model' implies it is a rendering of an actual vehicle

at smaller scale. These precision-detailed miniatures were initially made for adult collectors. They were for display and not for play. Die-cast models accurately showed the mechanical and historical innovations of the original vehicles. Because they were made of metal, die-cast models had a higher level of detail than plastic, which also gave them greater longevity – a major positive for avid collectors. So, when and why did boys begin buying model cars? In 1968, Hot Wheels cars were introduced in the United States by Mattel to address the complaint that they had no line of toys for boys to balance their line of Barbie dolls for girls. Because Hot Wheels looked fast and were fast (they were equipped with a low-friction wheels/axles), Hot Wheels quickly became the most popular die-cast cars in the toy market, challenging the popularity of Matchbox cars that were first made in Britain in 1953. Hot Wheels cars were created by actual car designers with wonderful moving parts and bright colors that attracted the attention of children everywhere. These cars were collected but also sturdy and children of all ages enjoyed owning and playing with them.

Stratton Hicky began collecting what he was drawn to as a child -- speed, design, and color. He first collected toy cars, then die-cast models and as an adult he collects the real things - sportscars. No matter what the size, Stratton collects cars that are beautiful glimpses of American cars from a bygone era. You are invited to come to the Cultural Center and view this wonderful collection which will be on display January, February and March. The Cultural Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 5.