Six of the best: Majorette’s Collection series arrives in full force

(Find the Majorette Collection series on Ebay here)

There are a number of moments in the 1:64/3-inch world that have brought about a paradigm shift in the hobby: Tomica’s first TLV product back in 2004, the release of the Hot Wheels Datsun Bluebird 510 in 2009, and the arrival of Tarmac Works in 2014 to name just a few. All of them created ripples that are still spreading, changing collecting habits, setting trends and spurring on the creation of rival brands. Majorette’s arrival in to the world of true 1/64 may just become another one of those moments.

When news broke of the “Collection Series” at January’s Nuremberg Toy Fair, it created quite a stir. This is the brand’s first foray into true 1/64 scale, with a line that will become the flagship of the Majorette catalogue. And just as the first cars are apparently hitting Target stores in the US, I’ve managed to get my hands on the first wave of six models.

The team at Majorette HQ have decided to pick a significant car from each decade of the 20th and 21st centuries to replicate, and for the Collection releases in 2025 each vehicle will have production years ending in “XXX5”. This is a feature of the range that will continue chronologically; In 2026, the Collection waves will comprise of cars made in years ending in “XXX6” and so on and so forth. Three “waves” of six models will arrive each year, made up of a mix of both recolours and new castings.

The first batch of models comprises a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, a 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350, the 1985 Chevrolet Camaro, 1985 Porsche 911 (930) Turbo, 2005 Corvette C6.R and the 2005 Honda NSX-R GT.

In an exponentially growing market, Majorette needed this line to make a strong statement, yet early indications were slightly troubling. A Porsche 930 special created for the Las Vegas Diecast SuperCon in February was pulled by Majorette sibling Jada due to quality issues, and eagle eyed viewers watching the Instagram reveal videos noted discrepancies between the card art on the NSX model and the model enclosed in the packaging. But despite these initial concerns (and he fact there is still one very unfortunate error with the packaging on the NSX – more on that later), now I have cars in my possession, I can firmly reassure readers that Majorette have done a superb job.

All models in the range come very neatly packaged, resplendent in a smart blister pack and each sitting screwed to plastic bases with Perspex protection. And all models have screw-on metal baseplates, a feature that not only increases the desirability but will no doubt appeal to customisers too. There’s also another feature that the Collection models share: functioning suspension. Majorette have managed to retain their trademark suspension clip, still visible through two holes on the baseplate. And on all the cars here it functions perfectly.

The quality and finish remind me a little of 2010s era Kyosho, which is very much a compliment. Head and tail lights are fashioned in clear plastic, accurately replicated wheels are shod with treaded rubber tyres, decals are sharp and correctly placed (no fuzzy decals like certain Hot Wheels lines) and the paint is great. There’s a pleasant amount interior of detail visible through the windows also: the C32B V6 of the NSX, the rollcage and spare wheel of the Shelby GT350, and the fully race-prepped innards of the Corvette C6.R. These are very neat diecasts indeed, fully deserving of the premium label.

It’s hard to pick a favourite, but for me Corvette C6.R just edges it. I’m a fan of sportscar racing and was lucky enough to see the C6.R in action during the heyday of the FIA GT Championship. Infact I still blame some of my poor hearing on the Exim Bank China and PK Carsport Corvette C6s which deafened me several times stood on the exit of Luffield corner at Silverstone back in 2010. Despite the tinnitus, I was utterly besotted with the noise and the look of the car, and I always rooted for the Corvette teams each year at Le Mans. So it’s perhaps no surprise its scale counterpart is my pick of the lot.

And it’s a very strong lot, with something for every collector: from the California custom look of the Bel-Air and Camaro, the quintessential muscle car GT350, the bahn-storming 80s poster boy 930 Turbo, the Gran Turismo generation supercar NSX R-GT to the Le Mans contender C6.R, most streams of car culture are covered well.

There are a few things I believe Majorette must address before the next waves hit, however. Despite the quality of the finish, the paint on the Camaro is dull and not helped at all by a flat finish on the wheels. For a debut model, Majorette could have dived into a 1980s GM colour chart for inspiration: the rare Purple Haze Metallic or the yellow of the IROC-Z models would have been fabulous for example. As it is the satin blue lets an otherwise great casting down a little, as does a slightly poor roof deco. And then there’s the display base of the Honda. The NSX -R GT was released in 2005, yet the Collection car sits on a base which proudly proclaims it to be a 1995 model, a mistake that has also made it on to the card back. A typo maybe, but for a range based on accuracy this sort of mistake shouldn’t be happening. Thankfully, Majorette have reassured me that in following waves the mistake will be corrected. A keen eye may also notice that the wheels on the Mustang and NSX don’t match the card art, but because of how cool the diecast in the card is, I can overlook a small discrepancy like this.

Overall this is an incredible start in 1/64 from Majorette. The Collection cars far exceed similarly priced Hot Wheels Premium offerings in terms of accuracy and quality in my opinion.

As mentioned earlier, the first cars have apparently already hit a few Target stores in the US, though Mainland European collectors will have to wait until September to get their hands on them, the same month when German buyers will also be able to purchase the cars via the Majorette online store. Majorette’s UK distributor has tipped a September/October roll out here, with a retail price of around £9. Wherever you are in the world though, these are worth getting hold of.

And with Majorette’s European roots, I’m excited to see what vehicles they’ll bring to the range. Only time will tell if this turns out to be a Concorde moment in diecast, but one thing is for certain: Mattel no longer have the monopoly on premium “off the peg” diecast. Given that the Majorette Collection range will hang in the same aisle space as Hot Wheels Boulevard and Car Culture lines, it’s clear they’re going to have a real fight on their hands.

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