As compared to the real car

Diecast cars are available in many different sizes. In diecast model terms, size is indicated by scale. Scale is a fractional representation of the model in comparison with the real life-size car. For example, a 1:18 scale diecast model will be 1/18th the size of the real car. In other words, every 18 inches of the real car will be represented in 1 inch of the scale model.

To easier visualize this further, consider the following example. Let’s compare a 1:18 scale model of a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe to the measurements of the real car. The overall length of the real 1965 Corvette is 175.3 inches, and the width is 69.6 inches. We can calculate the size of the scale diecast replica by dividing these measurements by 18.

1:18 scale
175.3 inches ÷ 18 = 9.7 inches long
69.6 inches ÷ 18 = 3.9 inches wide

The actual measurements of a diecast model may vary from the exact calculation we’ve made above, and should be considered an estimation. Accuracy of the model’s final measurements depend heavily on how precisely the diecast manufacturer has modeled the real car, and how exact their tooling is made.