If you’ve ever spent more than five minutes shopping around the internet for a diecast version of your favorite NASCAR driver’s car, then you’ve probably been a bit overwhelmed by all of the options. Especially if you were looking into pre-ordering one of your driver’s cars. You’re probably wondering, “What does ARC mean?” “What’s color chrome?” “Why are Elite cars priced higher?” It’s intimidating at first, but we’re going to do our best to break this down simply for you.
Your purchase choice should be informed by three simple questions:
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What scale do you want?
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What body type are you looking for?
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Do you want a standard car, or one with a special finish?
Keep these in mind as you read on.
TLDR: There are two main scales: 1:64 and 1:24. Within 1:24 scale, there are two body types: ARC and the more premium Elite. Each body type can be produced with special finishes that are visually appealing. Special edition race-win cars can be produced for any combination of the elements just outlined, and are produced with any damage, wear, or confetti seen on the car post-race. A more detailed explanation can be found below.
What is a NASCAR diecast?
NASCAR diecast are scale model replicas of the cars and trucks that race in NASCAR's three national series. The body is typically cast from zinc alloy (the "diecast" name refers to the manufacturing process), with details added through paint, decals, and assembled components. All new NASCAR diecast sold today are produced by Lionel Racing, the official diecast partner of NASCAR, but cars from years past have been produced by numerous companies.
Two factors drive how a diecast is classified: the scale at which it is produced, and the production tier within that scale. Both affect price, level of detail, and who the model is intended for.
Scales
NASCAR diecast are produced in two scales:
1:24 scale is the larger, premium format. A 1:24 Cup Series stock car measures roughly 8 inches long. At this scale, you can expect a higher level of detail such as opening hoods, detailed engine compartments, and highly accurate body contours. Due to their size and higher level of detail, 1:24 diecast are priced higher than 1:64, and intended primarily for adult collectors or serious fans. If you’ve seen pictures or videos of collections displayed on shelves or large acrylic display cases, there’s a good chance the cars were 1:24 scale.
1:64 scale is the smaller, more accessible format. A 1:64 Cup Series stock car measures roughly 3 inches long, the same size as a Hot Wheels car. 1:64 diecast are more affordable, easier to display in larger collections, and popular with younger fans and collectors building out a full grid of their favorite drivers. The smaller scale necessarily has less detail than 1:24, but recent production changes (covered below) have closed the gap meaningfully.
There’s no “correct” scale to collect; in fact, most diecast fans collect both. For example, maybe you really want a 1:24 race win car from a race you attended in person, since it has more sentimental value. While you also might want a 1:64 diecast of a driver whose car design you liked, but might not care for much otherwise. Our recommendation for new collectors on a budget is to buy 1:64 scale diecast when you’re feeling impulsive or just like the car(s), and buy 1:24 when a car(s) has more significant meaning to you.
Production tiers
Within each scale, Lionel Racing produces multiple tiers that differ in detail level and price.
Action Racing Collectables (ARC)
ARC is Lionel Racing's standard collector tier and is available in both 1:24 and 1:64 scales. The brand has been part of NASCAR collecting for over 25 years, originally split into multiple sub-brands (ARC Platinum, ARC Gold, and ARC Silver) before Lionel consolidated them under a single ARC label.
ARC diecast feature accurate paint schemes, sponsor decals, and team graphics matching what raced on track. 1:24 ARC models include features like opening hoods and engine compartment detail. ARC is the go-to tier for most collectors: detailed enough to display, priced for fans who buy multiple cars per season. Because of this, they also have the highest production quantities.
A note on 1:64 ARC chassis and wheels
In mid-2025, Lionel Racing announced that all future 1:64 ARC diecast would be produced with a diecast metal chassis and rubber wheels as the new standard, with no additional upcharge
Before that change, 1:64 ARC was sold in two configurations:
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A standard configuration with a plastic chassis and plastic wheels at the regular 1:64 ARC price.
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A premium configuration with a diecast metal chassis at a higher price point.
Both older configurations remain in circulation for paint schemes from prior seasons, so when shopping older 1:64 ARC stock you may see the same driver and paint scheme listed at two different prices, reflecting the older two-tier structure. Older diecast chassis 1:64 can be identified by their slightly higher price and the term “diecast chassis” in their title and/or descriptions.
If you are buying 1:64 diecast for a serious collection, the diecast-chassis-and-rubber-wheels version (whether new or older premium stock) sits closer to 1:24 quality. If you are buying for a child or for fun, either configuration works.
Elite
Elite is Lionel Racing's premium 1:24 tier. Compared to ARC at the same scale, Elite diecast feature more detailed engine compartments, opening rear-decklids (trunk), identical body contour and shape to the cars you see on track, and higher-quality finishes. Collectors often describe them as having a heavier, more serious feel in-hand compared to their ARC counterparts. Next-gen era Elites also have removable underbodies. Elite cars are produced in smaller quantities than ARC, which is part of what defines them as a higher-tier product.
ARC vs. Elite Diecast?
The practical difference between ARC and Elite comes down to how much detail you want and how much you are willing to spend per car. ARC is the right tier for collectors building a broad collection of drivers, paint schemes, and Race-Win commemoratives. Elite is the right tier for collectors who want the most detailed standard-production diecast available and don’t mind paying the higher premium. We recommend the same mental model as mentioned above for 1:64 vs 1:24: Go with ARC for cars you just like, and Elite for cars that mean more to you whether that’s because it’s your favorite driver’s car, a car from a race you attended, or whatever your reason(s) may be. Both tiers cover the same drivers and paint schemes; you are choosing between them based on detail level, not subject matter.
NASCAR Authentics
NASCAR Authentics is Lionel Racing's mass-retail line, produced in 1:64 scale and sold primarily through big-box retailers. These are not the same as 1:64 ARC: Authentics are produced for the mass market at lower cost, with less detail than the collector-tier ARC line. Most diecast sold at major retailers like Walmart and Target are NASCAR Authentics rather than ARC. NASCAR Authentics 1:64s are produced for a much narrower range of drivers than ARC 1:64s.
Race-Win diecast
Race-Win diecast are special editions commemorating an actual NASCAR Cup Series, O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, or Craftsman Truck Series race victory. They are produced after a driver wins a race and replicate the exact paint scheme, sponsor configuration, and any cosmetic details (confetti markings, damage, victory burnout effects, post-race graphics) that appeared on the winning car in Victory Lane.
Race-Win diecast are produced in both 1:24 and 1:64 scales and can be released as either ARC or Elite. They are typically produced in limited runs because each Race-Win edition commemorates a specific event. For collectors interested in cars that truly look raced and weathered, are tracking a driver's career milestones, or are tracking a season's most significant victories, Race-Win diecast are the format that matters most.
Special finishes
Some 1:24 diecast (in both ARC and Elite tiers) are produced with non-standard finishes. Most special finishes work the same way: one of the primary colors in the car's paint scheme, called the drop-out color, is replaced with a special treatment, while the rest of the design (sponsor decals, secondary colors, and graphics) remains as it appeared on track. The result is a recognizable variant of the original livery rather than a uniformly painted car. These finishes are produced in lower quantities than the standard release and are intended for collectors who want a distinctive variant of a paint scheme.
The special finishes you’ll generally see are:
Color Chrome: The drop-out color is replaced through a chrome-plating dipping process that produces a mirror finish in the original color tone. Color Chrome is one of Lionel Racing's most popular special finishes. Many collectors note that warm colors (red, blue, yellow) tend to produce especially vivid results.
Liquid Color: The car receives a paint treatment that produces an almost wet-looking sheen, as though the surface still has water on it. The color tone shifts slightly under the treatment, but the dominant visual effect is the wet-surface appearance. Some collectors prefer Liquid Color for darker schemes (particularly black, green, and yellow).
Flashcoat Color: The drop-out color is replaced with a paint additive that produces a rainbow color-shift effect. As the car is turned under different lighting, the color visibly shifts through different shades, and the finish includes metal flake that adds sparkle. Flashcoat is more dramatic than Galaxy Color in how much the appearance changes with viewing angle.
Raw: The drop-out color is replaced with the bare diecast body itself. The metal is treated and buffed to prevent oxidation, then sealed with a protective coating, but no paint or plating is applied to those sections of the livery. Raw produces a stripped-down, industrial appearance.
Galaxy Color: Galaxy works slightly differently from the other finishes. Rather than replacing the drop-out color entirely, Galaxy keeps the original color and adds heavy metal flake throughout the paint, producing tiny pinpricks of silver light visible across the body. The base color appears slightly lighter than the standard finish because of the silver flake mixed in. Earlier Galaxy releases used a uniform black galaxy treatment; more recent releases match the galaxy effect to the actual paint color, which most collectors prefer.
Gold: The drop-out color is replaced with a gold-plated finish, similar in concept to Color Chrome but rendered in gold tone rather than reflecting the original paint color.
Special finish editions are not replacements for standard finish editions. They are additional collector variants of the same paint scheme, produced alongside the standard release. Most collectors acquire them for paint schemes they particularly love or as accent pieces in a display, though some exclusively collect specific special finishes or even purchase special finishes in addition to the exact same standard finish car.
Prices
All these different body and finish types are confusing enough as is, but get even more confusing when you look at pricing side by side. All the elements broken down above result in varying price levels when combined.
Some key rules to keep in mind:
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1:24 will always cost more than 1:64 scale.
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Standard Elite will always cost more than Standard ARC.
From there, price increases based on the following factors and how much they are combined:
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Race-win
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Foil number (this is not a finish type or add-on option, foil number cars are produced only when the real-life car they are modeled after utilized a foil number in its design)
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Special finish type
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Autographed/dual-autographed
Choosing what to buy
Now that we’ve explained scale, body types, and special finishes, circle back to the three key questions we told you to keep in mind earlier:
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Do you have a better idea of what scale you want?
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If you’re considering 1:24, is there a specific body type you’d prefer between ARC and Elite?
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Are you interested in special finishes?
If you are new to NASCAR diecast, the simplest entry point is a 1:64 ARC of a current-season paint scheme (which now ships standard with a diecast chassis and rubber wheels) or a 1:24 ARC of your favorite driver. Both formats give you an accurate, detailed collector piece without committing to the highest tier.
If you are building a collection of significant moments rather than a roster of drivers, Race-Win diecast are a good place to start, with 1:24 Elite reserved for the wins that matter most to you personally.
If you collect across an entire field of drivers or want a full visual representation of a season, 1:64 ARC is the most practical scale because the smaller size makes display realistic for collections of 20, 40, or more cars.
Special finish editions are best understood as extras rather than core collection pieces. Most collectors acquire them for paint schemes they particularly love or as accent pieces in a display.
Something to Keep In Mind
Please note that not every single car gets offered or produced in every single special finish. So if, after reading this, you have a very specific car and very specific finish in mind, just be aware that it might not have been produced. This makes special finish cars that much more special. For more on this read our pre-order guide. Additionally, while this article covers most diecast and finish types, there are some we left out. For example, Elite Premier, a tier even higher than Elite, that is exclusive to RCCA Members only.