In the 1920s and 1930s, Tootsietoy, Hubley and other American manufacturers were pioneers in the history of diecast metal model cars. After World War II, these companies mostly concentrated on making cheap toy cars. Already before 1940, various companies manufactured toy cars made of other materials such as pressed steel (e.g. Buddy L) or rubber (e.g. Auburn Rubber and Sun Rubber), and after World War II, plastic toy cars became available from Hubley, Marx, Renwal, Lionel, Aurora ("Cigarbox" series) and others. Today, the traditional 1/43rd scale is not so common for diecast model cars made by American companies, with the exception of several ranges of racing and police car models. Although most American manufacturers rather concentrate on 1/18th, 1/24th or 1/25th, and 1/64th scale models (usually made in China today), 1/43rd scale models are collected in the USA as well, and companies from all over the world offer models of American cars in this scale. Diecast models in smaller scales with colourful printings, as made by Matchbox and Mattel (Hot Wheels), are also very popular. Since the 1950s, plastic model kits by Revell, Ertl, AMT, Lindberg, Monogram and other companies have remained a very important part of the American toy industry. Model kits of cars are often made in 1/25th scale because from the late 1940s until the 1990s, the American automobile industry offered ready-made plastic promotional models in the same size made by manufacturers such as AMT, MPC and Jo-Han, and later by Ertl and Brookfield Collectors Guild. Diecast metal promotional models were also produced until the early 1950s by companies such as Banthrico. Today, two companies still manufacture 1/64th scale diecast truck models in the USA, Winross and Penjoy.
USA