Here are the Model Car Hall of Fames Diecast, Kit, and Slot Car of the Year for 2021

The Model Car Hall of Fame is proud to announce the 2021 class of model vehicles for several categories. Each model represents the finest achievements in detail, innovation, and character for various scales.

1/10 Scale Model of the Year – Schuco Zündapp KS 50

Once known primarily for their basic but nice windup car models, Schuco has had a renaissance in recent years, and their large-scale motorcycles are a big part of it. No longer toys, but works of art, their craftsmanship has shifted them to a whole new market. With so many of the functioning parts visible on this model, Schuco had a chance to really show off their stuff. The details like the folding foot pegs, flexible brake lines, and amber and red taillights make this model feel real. The wheels and spokes are a work of art, especially compared to most model motorcycles.

1/18 Model of the Year – Auto World 1971 Road Runner

1971 marked the beginning of the end of the original muscle car era with cultural, legal, and political challenges to such automobiles looming on the horizon. One of the last new designs to sneak in under the wire was the the1971 Plymouth Road Runner, With a noticeably different style from before. In recent years, Auto World has offered 1/64 scale models of this car, but their fantastic new 1/18 model is a sight to behold. Auto World captures all that crazy in a lovely golden brown Engine and trunk detail deliver more than expected. You can almost feel the rumble and the classic rock from the 8-track as you look at it!

1/24-1/25 Scale Model of the Year – Ixo Opel Blitz Flatbed

Ixo Models Opel Blitz flatbed light truck captures the feel of this light European truck perfectly. If it looks sort of familiar, that’s because it shares the cab and a lot of body panels with the Chevrolet and GMC Advance Design light trucks. There’s a satisfying heft to this model. You just don’t see larger-scale truck models as they are, well, kind of huge. The model captures the utilitarian nature of the real truck perfectly. The slate blue and reddish-orange color scheme livery feels like a working man’s Gulf livery. It includes several delicate chrome parts that would seem to run counter to the truck’s rugged heritage, but it all looks and feels right.

1/43 Scale Model of the Year – Esval Models 1939 Delage D6-70 Cabriolet

The Delage D6 was in production from 1930 through 1956 with a pause in production during World War II. If these Delage cars have very different looks from each other, it was because they started as a blank chassis for coachbuilders to create a masterpiece on. The Esval model recreates one from Letourneur & Marchand and captures the elegant lines of the original.

1/64 Scale Model of the Year – Hot Wheels ’64 Impala

This Hot Wheels Red Line Club 64 Impala does a great job of combining these features in an amazingly detailed model, making it the Model Car Hall of Fame 1/64 Model of the Year for 2021. The rose graphics on this car are incredibly crisp and detailed. The triple taillights on each side, red/white/red, have a silver trim around them, something almost unheard of at this scale. Even the complicated hood and trunk badges are painted in loving detail. Diecast painting has come a long way. The axles can be raised, lowered, or tilted for multiple poses to show off the chassis detail.

Model kit of the year – Revell 1/24 ’70 Dodge Challenger

Revell has always made nicely detailed models in 1/24 and 1/25, but their later offerings really ramp it up without gouging collectors on the price. One look at this 1970 Challenger model will make you, well, question if it’s a photo of the actual car. The detail in the headlights and under the hood is leaps and bounds from most mainline model kits of the past. With a little skill, anyone can make this plastic kit perform the same magic trick.

Slot Car of the Year – BRM A112 Abarth Jagermeister #54

It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow. That’s the mantra behind the sheer enjoyment of cars like the Mini Cooper and Mazda Miata. Also, it’s fun to add performance parts to see if those slow cars can be a bit faster. This model of the A112 Abarth firmly grasps that formula in slot car form. The bright orange livery, gold BBS wheels, and driver in place make this model look ready to tear up the plastic track. That looks like an absolute hoot to drive even if you’re just squeezing the trigger to make it go ‘round.