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Nissan Skyline - 1:36,BMW - 1:32,Renault - 1:30,Beetle - 1:32,Ford Focus - 1:34,Porsche - 1:38....

ok mostly 1/32's then. Well im trying to collect 1/18 more details and good value for money...

Kinsmart Cars which I have : Scale ranging from 1:28 to 1:36
Ford Ka, Mitsubishi Lancer evo 7, Lancer Evo8, Renault Clio Sport, Audi TT, Audi A2, Mini cooper, Dodge Ram, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Mazda RX-8, Ford F150 Crewzer. Don't remember if I have more. I said it and I say it again. Kinsmart has Great Detailing at a very small price.

The salesgirl at a hobby store told me that Bburago quality has really gone down in the past few years and no store carries them anymore...I guess iv been out of touch with scale models for too long..

Just as the world of perfumes has quality and price based classes, for example:
1. grocery/medical store eau-de-toilettes,
2. speciality clothing store eau-de-toilettes and
3. perfume store/designer eau-de-toilettes,
...so also in the world of scale model cars, there are:
1. toy shop models (Hot-wheels, Mattel, Corgi, Maisto, Bburago(now owned by Maisto), Road-Champs),
2. hobby store models (Schabak, Wiking, Herpa, Revell, AMT, Monogram, Jo-han, MPC, Tamiya, Fujimi, Hasegawa) and then there are
3. specialty collector store scale-models(e.g. Franklin Mint-USA, Schuco-Germany, Box-Italy). Alsohand-built limited edition models made of white metal or resin and one-of-a-kind auction models where you bid and buy.

Kits where you have to construct, detail and paint the model yourself, rule the roost.
There are both plastic kits and die-cast aluminium kits. Typical scales are:
1:43, 1:24 and 1:16 scales. Companies here are like: Monogram, MPC, Tamiya and Hasegawa,

Highest up the food chain, are the resin and white-metal models.
These you have to cut, trim, file, sand, spray-paint and detail by yourself.
The best kits have incredible levels of detail, body-scripts, emblems and gauges.
These details extend even to parts not immediately seen when the finished model is on display.
For example: suspension components, exhaust headers, ...,.
Contemporary technology allows use of details never seen in older scale models. For example: Photo-etched brass, wiring for engines, vinyl convertible tops, wheels with separate independent suspension, leather upholstery, adhesive chrome foil for chrome trim and aluminum-billeted parts. A single car can be hand-assembled from upto 1,200 individual parts.

You can take a basic model kit and add details (winding windows, working lights and flashers) making it closer to a real car.
I've even seen a remote control that causes the model to squawk and blink its lights, like the real car does when it has been unlocked.

Europe has a whole hobby community and specialist hobby shops for serious scale model builders and collectors who build cars, almost from scratch.

autoart by a huge margin for me!!their attention to detail is simply too good!!

ya but they are pretty expensive...........no!!!

There are some other die cast scale model car makers who are worthy of mention:

Corgi
Lesney Products (the fore-runner of Matchbox)
Dinky Toys
Vanguards

All these are also beautiful!

I think man important brands are left out. The top quality manufacturers such as Exxoto, IXo,CMC, Franklin Mint etc arenot mentioned. Further different brands excel in different scales. One may find that in scale 1:12 there are many brands. !;18 is led by Exxoto and CMC while 1:24 is Franklin Mints forte. Minichamps can be outstanding in some cases. Its anyway the leader in 1:43. Overall I think no one can match Exxoto for detail, finish and fit.

First. It is Exoto, not Exxoto (misspelled thrice).

Second. Exoto mostly make racing cars. How can they lead 1:18?

Third. The highest detail is achieved when you build the cars yourself. That's when you can have all wires and rubber hoses and correctly modeled suspension. That's when you can have correct stickers and paint.

1:24 Monograms have properly modeled engines, suspension, powertrain. Can one say the same about Franklin Mint?

I have 1:43 scale cars from an Italian company called "Box Model s.r.l." of Pesaro, Italy. e.g. #8411 AC Shelby Cobra. Spoked wheels, quarterlight glass, California number plate and even the 2 mm dia. logo is photo accurate!

Agreed that Exoto does not have a large variety of models but nevetheless they have the best quality and detail. As regards the various issues raised by you, I would not like to get involved in a lenghty argument. Instead I shall shortly substantiate what I was saying by the pictures of the models on which I base my conclusion.

:deadhorseCheers

Pl. see the franklin mint pictures posted on the main scale model thread. Thanks

Me voted for Franklin Mint.

Saw a few scale models of theirs and was blown away.

I would vote for ERTL, TAMIYA, HPI RACING, FRANKLIN MINT. Its precise detailing, scale realism and quality that makes these brnads amongst my favourites. Not to mention that they are not common to all as they are a bit expensive. Hence their royalty of ownership.

Yah I did cast my vote in favour of AA.
But,Bburago definately is a good choice,particularly if you are a vintage model collector like me and tight on budget.