| The pickup truck has been a fixture of American | | | | area for collectors is replicas of racing trucks. As |
| roadways since the 1920's since the Model T | | | | collectors flock to replicas of NASCAR stock cars, |
| Runabout was manufactured by the Ford Motor | | | | similar interest has been generated in the |
| Company. Pickup trucks have been used by | | | | NASCAR Craftsman truck series of racing, and |
| contractors and farmers to haul materials, by | | | | collectors purchase replicas of the trucks of their |
| families to tow campers, souped up for track | | | | favorite drivers. |
| racing, and tricked out to catch attention. The | | | | Full-sized pickup trucks have also become |
| pickup truck has become a symbol of strength in | | | | attractive to drivers who like to trick out or |
| the United States for its versatility and power. | | | | customize their vehicles. Customization is no |
| Pickup Truck Replica History | | | | longer limited to street cars! This interest has also |
| The earliest known pickup truck replicas were | | | | expanded to the die-cast pickup truck industry. |
| created by Tonka in the mid-1950s. However, | | | | Collectors enjoy modifying stock pickup truck |
| these trucks were not technically die-cast. Tonka | | | | replicas with new paint schemes, chrome parts, |
| trucks were created from several pressed or | | | | and even built in lighting to really grab attention. |
| stamped metal parts that were riveted together | | | | But collectors are not limited to the 1/18 scale of |
| to form a complete assembly. While Tonka was | | | | vehicles. Matchbox and Hotwheels have been |
| most well known for their industrial and | | | | producing 1/64 scale pickup trucks for decades. |
| construction equipment replicas, they also had a | | | | While these smaller vehicles may not have the |
| line of pickup trucks. The early Tonka pickup | | | | collector value as their larger cousins, these |
| truck models were based on the Ford F150 line of | | | | vehicles are easier to find and less expensive to |
| pickup trucks, and although the designs diverted | | | | purchase, allowing the collector to add a wider |
| from the exact Ford design in the 1960s, the | | | | range of vehicle models to his collection. |
| design did still resemble the existing Ford pickup | | | | Finally, collectors also have the option to purchase |
| truck designs. In the late 1960s, the design | | | | pickup truck replicas that have been branded with |
| changed to more closely resemble Dodge pickup | | | | their favorite sports team, products, or |
| trucks of the era. While many of the early Tonka | | | | companies. For collectors who focus on vehicles |
| replicas were not labeled with a scale, the | | | | that sport a specific product brand, such as |
| majority of the replicas were 1/18. | | | | Coca-Cola, this option allows for a wide variety of |
| Today's Die Cast Pickup Truck Replicas | | | | die-cast vehicles with common branding. |
| Today a far wider range of die-cast pickup truck | | | | Die-cast pickup truck replicas represent just one |
| replicas are available, representing most if not all | | | | of the many niches of the die-cast vehicle |
| of the lines of full-size pickup trucks. One popular | | | | spectrum. |