The Majorette Story: How a French Model-Railway Maker Became a Diecast Brand

Most people picture Hot Wheels or Matchbox when they think of pocket-sized diecast cars. But one of the longest-running small-scale brands never started with cars at all. Majorette began in 1961 in Lyon, France, as a company that made model railways. Its toy cars arrived a few years later and eventually outgrew the trains that launched the business.

This is a look at where Majorette came from, how it changed hands, and what that history means if you collect its cars today.

Quick Facts: Majorette at a Glance

• Founded: 1961, in Lyon, France, as Rail-Route Jouets
• Founder: Émile Véron (born 26 March 1925, died 20 November 2013, both in Lyon)
• First cars under the Majorette name: 1964
• Rail-Route name dropped: 1967, leaving Majorette as the sole brand
• Typical size: roughly 3-inch (about 7 cm) models, in scales between about 1:55 and 1:76
• Acquired Solido: 1980
• Owner today: Simba Dickie Group (since 2010), with headquarters in Fürth, Germany

From Model Railways to Toy Cars (1961-1967)

Rail-Route Jouets

Émile Véron founded Rail-Route Jouets in Lyon in 1961. The early catalogue centred on model railways and related accessories. Véron belonged to the same family that created the French model-car maker Norev, whose name is the family name “Véron” spelled backwards.

The first Majorette cars

By 1964 the first cars reached the market carrying the Majorette name alongside Rail-Route. In 1967 the Rail-Route name was retired and Majorette became the single brand. The product that would define it was a small, die-cast metal car of about 3 inches, sized to compete in the same pocket-money space that Matchbox had pioneered. If you want that background, our Matchbox story covers how the format began in Britain, and our Tomica story shows how Japan answered it.

Growth, Solido, and Moving Production (1980s-1990s)

In 1980, Majorette acquired Solido, a well-known French maker of collector-oriented scale models. This gave the group two different identities: Majorette for affordable small cars and Solido for more detailed larger models.

Majorette's production was traditionally centred around Lyon. Sources describe the move of manufacturing to Thailand as happening in the late 1980s to the 1990s; one source gives 1987, while others say simply “the 1990s”, so we will not pin it to a single year. What is consistent is that the brand shifted from French factory production to Asian manufacturing during this period, a pattern many European toy makers followed.

New Owners: Smoby and Simba Dickie (2000s-2010)

Majorette was acquired by the French toy group Smoby in 2003. In 2010 it became part of Simba Dickie Group, a German toy company, and the brand is today run from Fürth, Germany. The cars you find now are therefore the product of several decades of changing ownership, which is part of why older and newer Majorettes can feel very different in casting style and finish.

What Majorette Cars Are Known For

Pocket-size, play-friendly metal cars

The core appeal is simple: a small metal body, rolling wheels, and often a working feature such as opening doors or a spring suspension. They are priced for play rather than display, which makes them one of the easier entry points into the hobby.

Giftpacks and themed sets

Modern Majorette is widely sold in themed multi-car sets, such as Italian supercar sets, Porsche sets, police sets and Volkswagen sets. For a new collector, a themed pack is a low-risk way to sample the brand.

Vehicles beyond cars

Majorette also makes trucks, emergency vehicles and aircraft, so a collection does not have to stay with passenger cars.

Collector Perspective

Majorette sits in an interesting spot. It does not have the chase-car culture of Hot Wheels (see our explainer on chase cars and Treasure Hunts), and it is not positioned as a premium-detail brand like Mini GT or Bburago. Its appeal is closer to the original idea of diecast: a durable, affordable, collectible little car.

Three things tend to matter to collectors:

• Era. Pre-Thailand French-made models, and early castings generally, are the ones vintage collectors seek. Modern releases are mostly collected for casting variety and sets.
• Condition and packaging. As with other brands, whether a car is loose or still on its card affects how it is valued; our guide to loose vs. carded models explains the trade-offs.
• Casting subject. Licensed real-car castings (Porsche, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo and so on) tend to attract more interest than generic ones.

We are not aware of a reliable public price guide for Majorette that holds across eras, so treat any specific “this one is worth X” claim cautiously and compare recent completed sales before buying or selling.

Practical Takeaway

• Start with one theme (for example Italian cars or police vehicles) rather than buying at random.
• Decide early whether you will keep cars carded or open them; mixing the two makes a collection harder to display consistently.
• Check the scale, since Majorette's small cars run roughly 1:55 to 1:76 and will not match 1:64 Hot Wheels exactly. Our scale guide explains how to read these numbers.
• If you want to browse what is available, the store has a Majorette collection, a set of Majorette gift packs, and the wider Official Die Cast collection. One example of a themed set is the Majorette Dream Cars Italy giftpack.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Majorette founded?

Majorette's parent company, Rail-Route Jouets, was founded in 1961 in Lyon, France, by Émile Véron. The first cars under the Majorette name appeared in 1964.

Where is Majorette from?

France. The company began in Lyon. It is now owned by the German Simba Dickie Group and managed from Fürth, Germany.

What scale are Majorette cars?

Most are small models about 3 inches long, in scales that range from roughly 1:55 to 1:76, so they are close to, but not always identical to, 1:64.

Who owns Majorette now?

Simba Dickie Group, which acquired the brand in 2010. Smoby had acquired it in 2003.

Did Majorette also own Solido?

Yes. Majorette acquired Solido, the French collector-model maker, in 1980.

Is Majorette a good brand for beginners?

Yes. The cars are affordable and durable, and themed gift sets make it easy to build a small, focused collection before deciding what you want to specialise in.

Sources

• Majorette (toy manufacturer), Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majorette_(toy_manufacturer)
• Émile Véron, Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89mile_V%C3%A9ron
• Majorette brand entry, hobbyDB: hobbydb.com/marketplaces/hobbydb/subjects/majorette-brand
• Obituary of Émile Véron, La Libre Belgique (23 November 2013) and Lyon Mag

Note: dates were cross-checked across the sources above where possible; where sources differ (such as the year production moved to Thailand), this article says so.