Pixar Cars Wiki:Diecast Project
The Diecast Project is our attempt at offering complete, unparalleled coverage of the Mattel Disney Pixar Cars brand of licensed vehicle toys, from the core 1:55 die-casts to the Mini Racers and everything between. Established in 2023, this project has grown to become perhaps even the hallmark of our site – as of 2025, we've effectively built a "wiki within the wiki" to extensively document every Cars model ever produced, navigable through the central Vehicle Database (a custom interface built off the Cargo extension).
Overview
Each and every Cars vehicle has their own dedicated wiki page, cataloguing every distinct release the model has ever gotten in a series. Absolutely any toy vehicle produced and sold by Mattel is fair game, from the "basic" 1:55-scale models to sub-lines like the Mini Racers, and even standalone products. We sort them using a community-crafted classification system.
For every model, you'll see a marker like the one above. The first (leftmost) color represents the series type:
| Classification | Scale | Die-cast? | Definition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainline | 1:55 |  |
The signature lineup of basic 1:55 die-cast vehicles, available on either single or double blister cards at any retailer licensed to carry Cars. The wiki defines the mainline as the yearly assortment featured on the official poster or checklist. | |
| Side series | "Themed" series marketed adjacent to the mainline; this rank was created for the early Lenticular Eyes and Cars Toon collections, which received greater-than-average promotion (i.e. appearing on or having their own poster/collector guide section). | |||
| Secondary format | Generic assortments intended as a supplement or alternative to the mainline. They generally share the current style series design and aren't specific to one retailer. Categories include truncated "out-of-aisle" mainline selections (i.e. for checklane or clipstrip display) or come-and-go formats like launchers, in addition to perhaps most notably, multipacks and playsets. Simply put, these product groups are "themed" less for the Cars they contain and more their role on store shelves. | |||
| Collection | By contrast, a collection typically stands out from other series, most often through its own style series package design or some other distinct theming. Many are retailer-exclusive and only available for 1-3 years. | |||
| Special series | Vehicle selections with the scale and design of basic vehicles, but are either partially or completely made of plastic (not die-cast), and feature a "special" play element like Color Changers or Lights & Sounds. | |||
| Exclusive | |
Models offered under highly exclusive circumstances, beyond just store chains - these include mail-in promotions and limited editions as well as collector-geared convention specials or Red Line Club opportunities, or truly one-of-a-kind productions not even available to the general public. | ||
| Premium | 1:24 1:48 | |||
|
Mini Racers | 1:110 | |
The long-running Mini Racers series (2017–present) has entirely its own category, its longevity and scope far exceeding any other sub-line in Cars history, and deserving of appropriate coverage. |
| Other scales | Other | All other non-1:55 Cars vehicles. These can include plastic "deluxe" toys along with even Fisher-Price lines like GeoTrax or Shake 'n' Go. | ||
The second is the packaging design, whether unique or following the current main franchise style – examples of the latter would be the Drifting Series or the current "red desert" background.
Lastly, the main part of the box is the Mattel series - that's the primary collection of items that release is available with, specific to the toyline itself.
Every release entered on a Vehicle page goes straight into the Vehicle Database. This stores absolutely everything we have on record, across every year, vehicle and series – giving us not only an instant search engine, but also the ability to output respective data across page to page. Any time you edit a row, every list or series page including it will automatically refresh!
Documentation
| Diecast Project documentation | |
|---|---|
| Overview Vehicles (Releases) · Series · Cases |
Goals
The endgame of this project is to build an unrivaled library of Mattel Disney Pixar Cars information here on the wiki. Besides indexing every vehicle and product ever produced, we also intend to cohesively document the line's wider history through original written content – considering every stage of production, from the design studio all the way to store shelves. From official download archives to hi-res stock images, we're doing it all!
Monthly goals:
- Add here
Resources
Key terms:
- Segment – a smaller sub-collection within an existing series
- Toy/Asst. # – The 5-digit Mattel item code(s) printed on the box or card. These serve as references and sort of ID stamps to help identify what they are, etc.
- Cast number – The 5-digit code printed on the bottom of the vehicle itself.
Useful links:
- Collector's Link, a network of hardcore Cars collectors and content creators, bringing you original reviews and analysis on everything Mattel Cars.
- List of weblinks and research tips
- Mainline – The core die-cast line, what’s on the poster or collector guide
- Chase – "Chase cars are any special car that people "chase" after. They are usually limited in quantity and have desirable features."[1]
- CollectHW.com and the Hot Wheels Wiki, similar projects for our close sister Hot Wheels and massive inspirations for our site
How to help
Add new vehicle: