Like in other East Asian countries, inexpensive toy cars were manufactured in Taiwan in the 1970s and 1980s. In most cases, these products were friction-powered, battery operated or remote controlled tin or plastic models in rather big scales, which were often released without any indication of the manufacturer's name, or with frequently changing brand names. Producers of such models were, among others, Al-Es, Cien Ge, Illco, Fu Shin, Nanyung, Son Ai, Chei Ai and Chuan Shin. Diecast models in smaller scales were also made in Taiwan, e.g. by Yot. This company manufactured models of cars and vans in about 1/64th scale in the 1970s. At least a part of these were copies of Japanese Tomica models. Western model car manufacturers such as Ertl und Mattel (Hot Wheels) temporarily operated factories in Taiwan, too. In the early 1990s, the British company Rocol International let produce several well detailed and authentically decorated 1/43rd scale models of cars running in European touring car championships in Taiwan under the name of Racing Replicas, but this range was rather short-lived. More recently, the Japanese toy company Takara Tomy manufactured a part of the plastic models from the Choro-Q series in Taiwan. These models are small-scale caricatures of contemporary and classic cars, whose squeezed proportions make them looking "cute". Regarding models of original cars from Taiwan, the Chinese manufacturer Mondsee has released several 1/18th and 1/43rd scale promotional models of Luxgen cars, whose prototypes have been designed and built by the Taiwanese Yulon company since 2009.
Taiwan