1/24 Scale Model Cars: Size Guide, Best Brands & Buying Tips

If you have ever picked up a model car and wondered why it feels so much more substantial than a pocket-sized 1:64, the answer is almost always 1/24 scale. At 1:24, a real car is shrunk to one twenty-fourth of its size — big enough for opening doors, a readable dashboard and a proper engine bay, yet small enough that a dozen models still fit on a single bookshelf.

This guide explains exactly how big 1:24 scale cars are, how the scale compares with 1:18, 1:43 and 1:64, which diecast and model kit brands lead at 1:24, and how to display a collection without it taking over the room.

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How Big Is 1/24 Scale?

Divide the length of the real car by 24 and you have the length of the model. A typical 4.5-metre sports car becomes a model of about 18.8 cm (7.4 inches). Most 1:24 scale cars land between 16 and 25 cm long depending on the subject — compact hatchbacks at the short end, full-size pickups and limousines at the long end.

Real vehicle	Real length	1:24 model length
Compact hatchback	4.0 m	16.7 cm (6.6 in)
Sports coupe	4.5 m	18.8 cm (7.4 in)
Mid-size sedan	4.8 m	20.0 cm (7.9 in)
Full-size SUV	5.2 m	21.7 cm (8.5 in)
Crew-cab pickup truck	5.9 m	24.6 cm (9.7 in)

Width and height shrink by the same factor, so a 1:24 car is usually 7–9 cm wide and 5–7 cm tall. That matters when you plan shelves and display cases, which we cover further down. Want to check a specific car? Use the calculator below — enter the real length and it shows the model size at every common scale.

1:24 vs 1:18, 1:43 and 1:64

Each scale suits a different kind of collector. Here is the same 4.5-metre car at the four scales you will see most often:

Scale	Model length	Typical detail	Best for
1:18	25 cm	Full interiors, working steering, carpeted floors	One or two hero cars
1:24	18.8 cm	Opening doors and hood, detailed cabin	Detail without a whole cabinet
1:43	10.5 cm	Sealed body, fine exterior detail	Large themed collections, racing history
1:64	7 cm	Exterior detail, rubber tyres on premium brands	Collecting many cars in little space

The practical difference is space. Three 1:24 cars take up roughly the shelf footprint of one 1:18 model, while one 1:24 car takes the space of five or six 1:64 cars. If you are torn between scales, our 1:64 vs 1:43 vs 1:18 scale guide goes deeper into the trade-offs.

1:24 or 1:25? The Model Kit Question

If you shop for plastic model kits you will also meet 1:25 scale. It is the traditional scale of American kit makers, while Japanese and European kit brands — and most diecast — use 1:24. The two are close enough (a 1:25 model is about 4% smaller) that they sit together happily on a shelf, but side by side the difference is visible, so collectors usually stick to one.

Diecast or Model Kit?

1:24 is the one scale where ready-made diecast and build-it-yourself kits are equally popular, so it is worth deciding which route suits you before buying.

• Diecast (ready-made) — metal body, pre-painted, ready to display straight from the box. Opening doors and hoods are common. Ideal if you want the finished car.
• Plastic model kits — you assemble, paint and decal the model yourself. Kits reward patience with the most accurate shapes and full engine detail, and the building is half the hobby.
• Diecast assembly kits — a middle ground: pre-painted metal parts that screw together. A good first step towards kit building.

Best 1:24 Scale Diecast Brands

The 1:24 diecast market is led by a handful of brands, each with a clear personality. All of these are widely stocked in the US, which makes 1:24 one of the easiest scales to start collecting.

Maisto

Maisto is the name most collectors meet first. Its Maisto 1:24 Special Edition line covers modern supercars, American muscle and classic sports cars with opening doors and hoods. Maisto also makes Assembly Line diecast kits if you want to build your own.

Jada Toys

Jada specialises in pop-culture and tuner cars. The Jada 1:24 Fast & Furious series is the best-known range, alongside JDM tuners and big-wheel muscle cars. Our catalogue includes the Jada Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 in 1:24, a perfect bridge for JDM collectors moving up from 1:64.

Welly

Welly offers a broad, accessible range of European and Japanese road cars at 1:24, including its NEX models line. See the Welly Porsche 911 GT3 RS for a good example of the brand’s proportions.

Bburago

The Italian brand is known for official Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche licences. Its 1:24 range includes modern models such as the Bburago Porsche Macan Turbo Electric.

Motormax

Motormax focuses on American classics and trucks, from 1950s cruisers to modern pickups, making it a strong choice for anyone building a US-themed 1:24 shelf.

NASCAR at 1:24

For stock car fans, 1:24 is the collector scale. Licensed 1:24 NASCAR diecast replicas reproduce individual drivers, sponsors and seasons, and many collectors build their entire shelf around a single team or driver.

Best 1:24 Model Kit Brands

If building appeals to you, Japanese kit makers set the standard at 1:24. Tamiya’s 1/24 sports car series is famous for parts that fit precisely and clear instructions, which makes it the usual recommendation for a first kit. Aoshima, Fujimi and Hasegawa add deep coverage of Japanese tuner and classic cars, while Revell offers a large mix of European and American subjects.

What You Need for a First Kit

• Sprue cutters and a hobby knife
• Plastic cement (thin, capillary-style glue is easiest)
• A few spray or acrylic paints matched to the kit
• Fine sanding sticks
• Tweezers for small parts and decals
• Patience — expect a first kit to take several evenings

How to Choose a 1:24 Model Car

• Decide on a theme — one brand of car, one country, one era or one film franchise. A focused collection looks deliberate on the shelf.
• Check the opening parts — doors, hood and trunk that open are the main reason to choose 1:24 over smaller scales.
• Look at the wheels and tyres — rubber tyres and realistic wheel detail make the biggest visual difference.
• Examine the interior — at this size you can see the dashboard and seats clearly, so a flat, featureless cabin stands out.
• Consider the packaging — window boxes double as dust covers if you plan to keep models boxed.

Displaying a 1:24 Collection

Because 1:24 models are large enough to show real detail, dust is more noticeable than it is on small cars. The two most common display approaches are:

• Individual acrylic cases — look for an inner space of roughly 25 × 12 × 10 cm for most cars, and longer for pickups and limousines. Browse our diecast display cases or a 1:24 acrylic display case.
• Glass-fronted cabinets — a standard bookcase shelf around 28 cm deep holds a row of 1:24 cars comfortably. Add a mirror back to show the rear of each model.
• Themed dioramas — parking-garage style boxes like our 1:24 acrylic parking lot display turn a group of cars into a scene.

Keep models out of direct sunlight, which fades paint and yellows clear plastic, and dust with a soft makeup brush rather than a cloth that can snag mirrors and aerials.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 1/24 scale mean?

It means every dimension of the model is one twenty-fourth of the real vehicle. One centimetre on the model represents 24 centimetres on the real car.

How long is a 1:24 scale car in inches?

Most 1:24 scale cars are between about 6.5 and 10 inches long. A typical sports car is roughly 7.4 inches.

Is 1:24 bigger than 1:18?

No. The larger the second number, the smaller the model. A 1:18 car is about a third longer than the same car at 1:24.

Is 1:24 a good scale for beginners?

Yes. 1:24 models are detailed enough to be satisfying, sturdy enough to handle, and available in a huge range of subjects — and it is the easiest scale to find in both diecast and kit form.

Are 1:24 and 1:25 scale the same?

They are close but not identical: a 1:25 model is about 4% smaller than a 1:24 model of the same car. 1:25 is common for American plastic kits; 1:24 is used by most diecast and Japanese kits.

Start Your 1:24 Collection

1:24 offers the best balance of detail and shelf space in the hobby. Browse our 1:24 scale model cars collection, step up to 1:18 scale diecast cars for a centrepiece, or explore 1:43 and 1:64 scale diecast cars if space is tight.