Since the end of the Cold War Russian model cars have more and more appeared in Western Europe. The first Russian tinplate cars were made in the 1930s, and the first diecast models were released in the 1950s, both copying domestic cars. But mass-production of diecast models only started in the early 1970s. Since that time several manufacturers have made a wide range of models of Russian cars (current and classic), vans, buses and trucks in various liveries in 1/43rd scale. The largest Russian company producing model cars was the Tantal association in Saratov and Marx, whose models were known under various brand names, e.g. "Saratov" or "Radon". The model car production of this association was continued by two independent companies, Litan and Agat, in the 1990s, and taken over by the Incotex company in 2007. Among the other Russian manufacturers there were many companies that were not specialized in model cars and only offered a small number of different model types (e.g. LOMO in St. Petersburg who isn't only the maker of the famous cheap cameras, but also made some truck models). Most Russian models have got opening parts and remind of the Dinky Toys models from the 1960s. Apart from diecast models of Russian original vehicles, re-editions of Italian and French 1/43rd-scale models from the 1960s were crafted in Russia, and small factories produce handbuilt models of classic Russian and German cars. Although 1/43rd scale is predominating, there are some Russian models in other scales, especially in 1/87th scale.
Russia