What Automodello does

Automodello, founded in 2009 by Jim Cowen and Raffi Minasian and headquartered in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, is a privately held manufacturer of hand-built, limited-edition resin scale model automobiles. The company produces three product lines — ONE12 (1:12 scale, premium $899.95–$1,499.95 racing models), ONE24 (1:24 scale, $249.95 Standard Editions covering classic American marques from Buick and Cadillac to Duesenberg and Pontiac), and ONE43 (1:24 scale's smaller sibling with a broad catalog of more than twenty marques including Bricklin, Dual-Ghia, Griffith, Intermeccanica, and Timbs). Production runs are deliberately constrained, typically between 5 and 599 units per model, with numbered editions (Enthusiasts, Homage, Tribute, Encomium, Platinum) frequently accompanied by hand-signed certificates of authenticity developed in collaboration with automotive legends and their families.

The company's business model rests on three revenue streams: one-time purchases of resin scale models at price points ranging from $19.95 (1:43 accessories) to $1,499.95 (1:12 premium racing subjects); ancillary services including $79.95 special-order color changes, $49.99 display covers, gift certificates, and branded merchandise such as $4.99 mugs; and a $19.95/year THE ONE24 membership (launched 2018) that grants exclusive pricing, early pre-order access, serial-number requests, and member-only announcements. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through Automodello.com with global FedEx shipping, supplemented by an authorized dealer network and Diecasm LLC — a related retail company founded by Jim Cowen in 2007 that serves as the principal post-release channel.

The customer base is concentrated in automotive collectors, heritage enthusiasts, and racing-history collectors who are underserved by mainstream diecast manufacturers that ignore esoteric marques. The competitive advantage derives from Minasian's 25-year industrial-design pedigree (Franklin Mint, Boeing, Mattel, Toyota) and the brand's access to original automotive figures — Dan Gurney served as advisor from 1997 until his death in 2018, alongside John Fitch and Jack Griffith. Operations are run by a 1–10 person core team including editorial lead Matt Boyd (former DieCast X Magazine co-founder) and photographer Rich Sufficool, with no external institutional funding.

Name

Automodello

Legal name

Automodello

Website

https://automodello.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Automodello is a privately held, Buffalo Grove-based manufacturer of hand-built, limited-edition resin scale model cars in 1:12, 1:24, and 1:43 scales, serving automotive collectors underserved by mainstream diecast producers through esoteric marques and racing-heritage subjects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Scale Model Sales: One-time purchase of hand-built resin collectible models at various scales. Standard editions priced from $249.95 (1:24), special editions at premium prices up to $1,499.95 (1:12)
2. THE ONE24 Membership: Annual membership subscription ($19.95/12 months) providing exclusive member-only pricing, early pre-order access, serial number requests, and exclusive announcements
3. Special Order Services: Custom color change services for existing models (e.g., $79.95 for convertible top color changes)
4. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including mugs ($4.99) and potentially gift certificates

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Automodello hand-builds limited edition, high-specification resin scale model automobiles in three scales (1:12 ONE12, 1:24 ONE24, 1:43 ONE43), focusing on rare, esoteric, and historically significant vehicles. Production runs are tightly limited (5–599 units), with serial numbering and hand-signed certificates of authenticity, sold direct-to-consumer via Automodello.com and through authorized dealers including Diecasm.

Product overview

Automodello produces hand-built, limited edition, high-specification resin model cars in three scales: ONE12 (1:12), ONE24 (1:24), and ONE43 (1:43). The company collaborates with automotive legends, racing figures, and historians to model rare and iconic vehicles including classic American cars, European sports cars, racing cars, and forgotten fiberglass vehicles. THE ONE24 membership program provides exclusive benefits to collectors. Products are sold directly through Automodello.com and through retail partners like Diecasm. Founded in 2009 by Jim Cowen and Raffi Minasian, the company honors automotive achievements through miniature masterpieces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ONE24: 1:24 scale hand-built resin model line introduced in 2018, available exclusively from Automodello.com and Diecasm channels
• ONE12
• ONE43
• THE ONE24 Membership
• Diecasm

Products and services

• ONE12 (1:12 Scale Models) Hand-built resin collectible model cars at 1:12 scale featuring premium automotive subjects including racing cars (Eagle Gurney-Weslake V-12, Lotus 49, Ford 3-Litre V8). Priced from $149.95 to $1,499.95 with hand-signed certificates on premium editions.
• ONE24 (1:24 Scale Models) Hand-built resin model cars at 1:24 scale representing classic American automobiles from marques including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Cord, Delage, Delahaye, Duesenberg, Ford, Graham, Iso, Kaiser, Lincoln, Phantom, and Pontiac. Standard Editions priced at $249.95, with special editions (Tribute, Homage, Encomium, Enthusiasts, Platinum) at premium prices.
• ONE43 (1:43 Scale Models) Hand-built resin model cars at 1:43 scale featuring diverse marques including All American Racers, Bricklin, Cadillac, Checker, Cunningham, Dual-Ghia, Duesenberg, Fitch, Ford, GMC, Griffith, Intermeccanica, Lincoln, Marcos, Noble, Packard, Studebaker, Sunbeam, Timbs, and TVR. Priced from $19.95 (accessory items) to $194.95 (special editions with hand-signed certificates).
• THE ONE24 Membership Exclusive annual membership program priced at $19.95 for 12 months, offering member-only pricing on ONE24 models, early access to pre-orders, serial number requests, exclusive announcements, and a THE ONE24 Member Mug.
• Gift Certificates

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Diecasm LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRelated company founded by Automodello founder Jim Cowen in 2007. Diecasm serves as a primary distribution channel for Automodello products and offers models on its website diecasm.com. It was established as an online model retail store with percentage of sales donated to charitable causes.
• Dalton Watson Fine BooksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublisher partnership for automotive history books. Automodello brand featured alongside Dalton Watson publications on the website. Cara Seekell serves as webmaster, social media manager and book designer for Dalton Watson titles including The Bahamas Speed Weeks and Cobra Pilote.
• Concorso ItalianominorGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomodello graphic designer Cara Seekell has worked as graphic designer for Concorso Italiano for 10 years, a major automotive event during Monterey Car Week in California.
• Collectors FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization dedicated to serving youth involved in the automotive community through scholarships, grants, and museum support. Raffi Minasian serves as Board of Director member.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spark Models: High-end scale racing and sports car model maker using resin and small-batch production; peer in limited-edition racing-subject models overlapping with Automodello's ONE12 line.
• Minichamps: Producer of high-quality scale model cars including racing subjects and premium editions across multiple scales; competes with Automodello in the collector-aimed scale-model market.
• CMC (Classic Model Cars): Hand-built, premium diecast classic car models produced in limited runs at 1:18 and 1:24; competes in the same high-end collector niche as Automodello with hand-built artisan manufacturing.
• Exoto: Manufacturer of premium scale racing and grand-touring car models with high detail and limited editions; closely comparable to Automodello's ONE12 racing-subject positioning.
• BBR Models: Italian maker of premium, hand-built limited edition scale models of exotic and racing cars; directly comparable to Automodello's high-end artisanal model positioning.
• AUTOart: Premium diecast scale-model manufacturer producing high-detail model cars at 1:12, 1:18, and 1:43; directly competes with Automodello across overlapping scale/price tiers and collector segments.
• WhiteBox: Producer of scale model cars in 1:24 and 1:43 focusing on detailed replicas of less-mainstream subjects; similar niche of niche-marque coverage to Automodello.
• Franklin Mint: Historic premium collectibles manufacturer known for precision diecast and resin scale models; Automodello co-founder Raffi Minasian was previously Director of Precision Models and Engineered Products at The Franklin Mint, making it a directly comparable lineage and product category peer.
• TSM Model (True Scale Miniatures): Premium hand-built diecast and resin scale models of exotic and historic cars; directly comparable in limited-edition, high-detail collector positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Mattel (Matchbox / Hot Wheels): Mass-market diecast toy-car incumbent whose Matchbox and Hot Wheels lines dominate scale-model volume; serves as the broad industry incumbent against which premium niche makers like Automodello differentiate on quality, exclusivity, and heritage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/automodello
• YouTubeeepurl.com/cTtSVr
• Facebookfacebook.com/automodellodreamsengaged

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Automodello