The members of the Dutch General Miniature Auto Club (NAMAC) have chosen the DAF 44 from Matrix Scale Models as 'Miniature Car of the Year 2016'. The NAMAC – Europe's largest association of collectors of miniature cars – organizes the 'Miniature Car of the Year' election every year.
Almost half of the voters chose the DAF 44 model as the winner in the 1:43 passenger car category. With this, the Dutch manufacturer Matrix Scale Models can call itself the maker of the Miniature Car of the Year 2016. It is not for nothing that the voters chose the 43 times reduced Dutch heritage. It is a successful scale model in many aspects, although we can say in a personal capacity that it is also a fabulous one Alfa Romeo 2900 8C Le Mans had a good chance of winning the title in advance. Visitors of the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese have seen the 1:1 version and the resemblance between the beautiful scale model and the original is really striking.
4.800 votes
This year the members of the NAMAC cast more than 4.800 votes. That is even more than in last year's election. That large number of votes does indicate that the title 'Miniature Car of the Year' is a very important distinction in the miniature car world.
Eight categories
NAMAC members could choose from eight models within eight categories. They were selected by the editors of the magazine Auto in Miniature and the NAMAC board.
Overview winners per category
A winner has also been designated for each category. It yielded the following list of achievements with beautiful scale models:
- In the passenger car scale 1: 43 won the DAF 44 from manufacturer Matrix Scale Models
- In the commercial vehicle scale 1: 87 won the DAF YA328 from manufacturer Artitec
- In the category “Large Scale Race & Rally” the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Special Touring LM
from manufacturer CMC - In the commercial vehicle scale 1: 43 / 1: 50 won the DAF / YA314 with hood from manufacturer Golden Oldies
- In the Race & Rally 1:43 scale, the Healey Tickford Rally from manufacturer Oxford Diecast was the winner
- In the 3-inch category, the BMC Mobile Unit from manufacturer Oxford Diecast won
- In the category "large scales Civil" won the Opel Rekord C Caravan from manufacturer Best of Show Models
- In the "passenger car scale 1: 87" category, the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser from manufacturer Oxford Diecast was the best
The official winner is awarded in Nuremberg
During the upcoming Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg (27 January - 1 February 2016) a delegation from the editors of Auto in Miniature and the NAMAC board will hand out the certificate that belongs to the title 'Miniature Car of the Year' to the management of Matrix Scale Models . The manufacturers of the winners of the other seven categories also receive a certificate during the Spielwarenmesse.