Diecast with a vengeance

A diecast model isn't just for Christmas. We pick our lifelong favourites

- 

The continuing popularity of Hot Wheels, Matchbox and other model cars proves that even in this era of smartphone doomscrolling, there's still room for tactile pleasure when it comes to children's toys. Although, if we're being honest, the current crop of diecast cars is too cool just for kids and many of us at Autocar still have a soft spot for them. So we asked our writers to rummage through their old (or indeed current) toy boxes and pick out their favourite model cars.

Got something in your collection you'd like to share? Let us know by emailing [e-mail].

2002 Dodge Intrepid 1:24

I've got a soft spot for Nascar, which manifests in a small collection of diecast stock cars - and the more random and obscure the livery the better. Which is why I particularly prize my model of a 2002 Dodge Intrepid, as driven by Jeremy Mayfield in that year's Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland. For that race, Nascar weirdly celebrated 25 years of The Muppets, so several cars featured the characters. Mayfield's car represented Dr Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker. I'm still looking for a model of Bill Elliott's Swedish Chef Dodge to go with it.

JAMES ATTWOOD