Normally when I begin to write these end of year lists, I have real trouble sorting through potential contenders and new arrivals. I jot down shortlists for weeks before, chopping and changing before I write, and then cheating anyway and cramming stuff into an “also ran” paragraph.
But this year has been a bit of a different. Back in March I moved house, a monumental task in itself made just that bit harder by the sheer size of my diecast collection. A lot had been languishing in the attic since I left home almost ten years ago, to the point where I had totally forgotten some items.
It became clear that I needed to cut back. New arrivals and impulse buys halted, and with it my Lamley content slowed as I took stock. With a new house to furnish and a holiday to fund, I began to find new homes for chunks of my diecast.
Thanks to the diecast community (in particular the amazing MMS Retro Toys & Collectables) the process of letting go was eased a great deal. Whilst the hard work is far from over, having a bit of a pause has provided me with a new perspective. Any new arrivals really had to earn a place in my collection, and anything I’d already hoarded had to give me a reason to save it from the cut. So this had been a lot easier than usual! Let’s take a look at what made it, and like the jumble of boxes I’m still wading through, these are in no order whatsoever.
Hot Wheels RLC Chevrolet Nova
There’s no way I was going to pass this up. Despite all my love for the weird and wonderful, I still have a lot of love for old school muscle cars. And I love everything about this, from the purple Spectraflame paint to those gorgeous drag wheels. The removable front is neat but entirely surplus; this is pure eye candy and a seriously cool diecast.
(Find the Hot Wheels RLC Chevrolet Nova on Ebay)
Trax Ford Cortina GT (Bob Jane/Harry Firth, Armstrong 500, Bathurst 1963)
Australian brand Trax have done some fabulous things in diecast, and in 2025 entered the 1/64 world with a car never before seen in this scale: the Ford Cortina. Yes there’s now a Hot Wheels Lotus Cortina, but the Trax car beat the Mattel version to stores and is in a different league of detail entirely. Both race and road versions are available, but this Bathurst winning Cortina GT from 1963 is my pick.
(Find the Trax Ford Cortina at the Trax store)
Majorette Collection 1985 Porsche 930 Turbo
It’s proved a tough task to pick a standout car from Majorette’s incredible Collection series. The brand had the biggest “glow-up” this year with the arrival of a detailed, true 1/64 line and a total brand refresh. The Collection line is full of hits, but the Porsche 930 Turbo is probably my favourite by a hair’s breadth. My other favourite being….
(Find the Majorette Collection Porsche 930 Turbo on Ebay)
Majorette Collection 2005 Corvette C6R
Sportscar racing was an early obsession of mine and remains my favourite form of motorsport. Corvette’s C6R is one of the legends of the long departed GT1 category, and anyone who’s been up close and personal with one will never forget the noise. I was fortunate enough to spend a couple of FIA GT events at Silverstone before these things disappeared, and my hearing still hasn’t recovered. When I saw the Majorette version I was right back at the edge of Luffield corner as a teenager.
(Find the Majorette Collection Corvette C6R on Ebay)
Coffaro Wheels Auto Union 1000S
Come on, you didn’t think you’d get through one of my posts without something completely left field appearing did you?There’s been one of Dario Coffaro’s creations somewhere on my best of for the last couple of years and this year is no different. The Argentine model maker creates extraordinary miniatures through a unique blend of modern tech and skilled model making, and the Auto Union is one of his best yet. Given that Dario is constantly building and creating new castings, you can safely say there’ll be another glorious Argentine oddity gracing the Lamley pages in 2026. And while we’re in the area of hand built models…
(Find Dario and Coffaro Wheels at the official site)
Oto64 Tofaş Kartal
Like Dario Coffaro and brands like Amescale, Oto64 have embraced 3D printing to fill niches that no large scale manufacturer would touch. Oto64 originate from Turkey, and secured licensing from domestic brand Tofaş to replicate their vehicles in small scale, often copying the unique style of Turkish vehicle modifications with them! Their modified Şahin made my 2024 honours list, and their Istanbul taxi and Police liveried versions could have very easily made this year’s list. However their new Kartal wagon earns a space here for being a totally unique and brilliantly crafted miniature.
(Find Oto64 at their official site)
Mini GT Nissan Silvia S15, Top Secret D1 GP
If you’ve read either my Mini GT Skyline epic from November 2024 or can recall my look at the Hot Wheels Nissan Z from 2021, you’ll know why I’m a fan of all things Top Secret. My teenage years were covered with Top Secret posters, Option videos and low-res YouTube clips of high speed runs, and I became fixated with Japanese tuning culture, with D1 cars being among my favourites. So many brands did Skylines and Supras in the iconic gold in 2025 and any of them could very easily have been on this list, and indeed MMS Retro had most of them in stock when I picked this up! But the Silvia was the one that came home with me.
(Find the Mini GT Top Secret S15 on Ebay)
Hot Wheels Elite 64 McLaren M6 GT
Yes Hot Wheels may have secured the Ferrari license this year and the Elite 64 330 P4 has recently exploded on to the scene, but to me this is perfection; a mix of an obscure (but no less important) subject never before seen in 1/64, and a beautifully put together miniature to boot. Elite 64 has had some winning castings but this is exactly what ticks my boxes.
(Find the Elite 64 McLaren M6 GT on Ebay here)
Perka 1987 FSO Polonez MR
Chinese company Perka filled the gap left by the long departed Grell this year by replicating Soviet cars in 1/64, and collectors like me couldn’t be happier. The iconic FSO Polonez is their first non-USSR vehicle and is simply fabulous. Here’s hoping for more former communist bloc vehicles from Perka appearing in 2026.
(Find the Perka Polonez on Ebay here)
Lionel Racing NASCAR Authentics Ford Mustang Dark Horse, #12 Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
A somewhat erroneous inclusion, you’re probably thinking. And you’d be right. In amidst the Polonez, an old Ford and a two-stroke Auto Union, the NASCAR is entirely out of place. But in 2025 I was blessed enough to visit Las Vegas Speedway for the South Point 400, and I fell in love. I’d never paid much attention to NASCAR in the past but before my trip I swatted up a little by watching NASCAR: Full Speed on Netflix and became hooked. Being at the Vegas race was an incredible experience, and I came away with some of Lionel Racing’s batch of 2025 cars from the team shops, my favourite being the Penske Mustang of Ryan Blaney. My collection has since grown with more NASCAR Authentics, but for being the ultimate souvenir this tops them all right now. That is until Lionel release their 1/64 of Denny Hamlin’s Vegas winning car…
(Find the Lionel Racing Ryan Blaney Mustang on Ebay)
Also ran….
Outside of the top 10 there are a few models that just missed the mark but really do deserve a mention, and the first of those is the Kyosho MOTN Nismo 400R that I looked at back in February. I had initially dismissed the MOTN system as a gimmick, and an expensive one at that. But I was quickly convinced otherwise. Aimed at riding the growing wave of diorama builders, the MOTN cars bring a welcome new dimension to the 1/64 world.
Liberty64’s Mercedes-Benz 500K and GFCC’s Dodge Viper GTS, as well as GCD’s Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro proved that incredible detail doesn’t have to be bank breaking, and that the raft of new brands springing up from China are capable of amazing things.
Mini Laudo returned with a bang with the stunning Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, and Tarmac Works did brilliant things with the Saab 900 Turbo.
Majorette’s Collection Range also provided a fabulous Porsche 550 Spyder and Shelby GT350 with a perfect GT-H Hertz “rent-a-racer” livery that I instantly fell for.
2025 may have been a slow year for me but it provided me with some incredible diecast nonetheless. With news of Tomica Limited Vintage Diablos on the horizon and more new Collection teases from Majorette, 2026 is already shaping up to be a busy year. At least now I’ll hopefully have room to store things!
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