The company describes itself as a team of car and model-car enthusiasts based in Hong Kong, with its main focus on premium-quality 1:64 models.[1]

2014 — Foundation

Tarmac Works was established in 2014 in Hong Kong by Felix Kwong. According to Kwong, the company grew out of his long-standing passion for cars and collecting. Rather than simply selling models, the goal was to create a brand capable of telling stories through miniature cars and building a community around collecting.[1]

The company’s name and identity were consequently built around automotive culture, with fun, creativity and excitement deliberately incorporated into its branding and packaging.

2015 — First model

The first Tarmac Works model was a Honda Civic EG6, initially produced in 1:18 scale as a resin model. The choice of the EG6 was significant because Honda held particular importance to Kwong and became an early representation of the company’s enthusiast-oriented approach.[1]

2016 — Entry into 1:64

In 2016, Tarmac Works introduced its first HOBBY64 model, again based on the Honda Civic EG6.

This marked an important turning point. The company increasingly concentrated on 1:64, a scale traditionally associated with inexpensive toy cars, but approached it from a collector’s perspective—placing greater emphasis on proportions, ride height, wheels, decoration and presentation.[1]

2017 — GT Sport collaboration

In 2017, the Tarmac Works Honda Civic EG6 appeared in a collaboration involving Sony PlayStation’s Gran Turismo Sport, connecting the physical model-car hobby with virtual motorsport and gaming culture.[1]

2019 — Tarmac Works Owners Club

Tarmac Works launched its Owners Club in 2019. Its first membership-exclusive model was a RAUH-Welt Begriff (RWB) 930 “Southern Cross”, limited to 1,500 pieces.

According to Tarmac Works, the model sold out in approximately 15 minutes, demonstrating the growing demand for its limited-edition products.[1]

2021 — Ferrari

In 2021, Tarmac Works introduced its first 1:64 Ferrari model, produced through a collaboration with IXO Models. This expanded the company’s portfolio into another major area of international automotive culture.[1]

2022–2024 — Racing and broader collaborations

Tarmac Works increasingly expanded beyond simply reproducing cars and began connecting its brand directly with motorsport and popular culture.

In 2022, the company sponsored Uno Racing with a Tarmac Works × Hello Kitty livery at the Macau Grand Prix and began collaborating with automotive designer Jon Sibal.[1]

The Hello Kitty/Uno Racing relationship continued into 2023, when Tarmac Works again sponsored the team at the Macau GP.

In 2024, Uno Racing returned with a Tarmac Works × Kuromi livery. The company also announced Maaya Orido as a content partner and Hana Burton as its first brand ambassador and partner.[1]

Tarmac Works occupies a distinct position in the die-cast industry. Rather than treating 1:64 simply as a children’s toy scale, the company approaches many of its products as collector-grade miniature replicas. This is particularly evident in the HOBBY64 range, where accurate stance and presentation can take priority over play features such as freely rolling wheels.[1]

The brand’s models commonly focus on:

• Japanese performance cars
• Modified and tuner cars
• Motorsport and racing cars
• GT and touring cars
• European performance cars
• Automotive aftermarket culture
• Famous racing liveries
• Limited editions
• Designer and artist collaborations

This gives Tarmac Works a distinctive identity within the 1:64 market: motorsport and modified-car culture are just as important as mainstream road cars.

GLOBAL64

GLOBAL64 is designed as a more accessible 1:64 die-cast range. The models are highly detailed while retaining functional rolling wheels, making them suitable both for collectors and for play. Packaging generally consists of either a blister/clamshell package or a paper box.[1]

In broad terms, GLOBAL64 can be viewed as the more conventional 1:64 die-cast line from Tarmac Works.

HOBBY64

HOBBY64 is one of the signature ranges of Tarmac Works. It consists primarily of race cars and modified cars, with greater emphasis on collector-level appearance. Unlike conventional toy cars, the wheels do not necessarily need to roll freely because Tarmac Works prioritises the model’s authentic ride height and stance. Most HOBBY64 models are supplied in display cases.[1]

This distinction is central to understanding the brand. A HOBBY64 model is intended to look like a miniature display model rather than merely a toy car.

HOBBY64+

HOBBY64+ builds upon the HOBBY64 concept by incorporating opening parts. Depending on the model, the front or rear bonnet can open to reveal a detailed engine bay.[1]

This makes HOBBY64+ particularly attractive to collectors who want more mechanical detail without moving up to larger scales such as 1:18.

PARTS64

PARTS64 moves beyond the cars themselves. The range includes accessories designed to create miniature automotive environments, including:

• Garage equipment
• Tools
• Rooftop accessories
• Automotive props
• Pit-garage equipment
• Other scene-building accessories

The idea is to allow collectors to build small-scale automotive scenes around their Tarmac Works models.[1]

TRUCKS64

Tarmac Works introduced TRUCKS64 in 2023. The range began with a licensing partnership involving Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and consists of true 1:64-scale trucks designed to complement the company’s road and racing cars.[1]

The introduction of trucks was significant because it broadened the miniature automotive world of Tarmac Works beyond passenger and competition vehicles.

HOBBY43

HOBBY43 is the 1:43 offering from Tarmac Works. These are detailed die-cast models positioned as relatively accessible alternatives for collectors who prefer the larger 1:43 scale.[1]

One of the defining characteristics of Tarmac Works is its close relationship with automotive subcultures. The brand does not limit itself to factory-original vehicles. Its catalogue has substantial representation from:

• Japanese tuning
• Wide-body builds
• Drifting
• GT racing
• Touring-car racing
• Endurance racing
• Professional motorsport
• Custom cars
• Racing teams
• Automotive designers

Companies and personalities associated with modified-car culture have therefore become an important part of the identity of Tarmac Works. The company has also worked with numerous external brands and collaborators; its own website currently states figures of 200+ unique castings, 200+ collaborations and more than 1 million cars sold per year.[1]

Collaborations are arguably one of the most important strategies of Tarmac Works. Rather than producing only standard factory specifications, the company frequently creates special versions based on particular liveries, racing teams, tuners, designers or cultural properties.

Examples documented by the company include:

• PlayStation / Gran Turismo Sport
• Ferrari, through collaboration with IXO Models
• RWB
• Hello Kitty
• Kuromi
• Uno Racing
• Jon Sibal
• Maaya Orido
• Hana Burton
• Mitsubishi Fuso

These collaborations allow essentially the same vehicle casting to become multiple distinct collector releases.

Tarmac Works has developed a particularly visible relationship with motorsport. The company has not only reproduced race cars as miniature models but has also participated in real-world racing promotion.

Its involvement with Uno Racing at the Macau Grand Prix is a prime example. The Tarmac Works × Hello Kitty and later Tarmac Works × Kuromi liveries transformed the company’s branding into an actual racing-car presence rather than keeping the brand exclusively within the die-cast hobby.[1]

This creates a feedback loop: real racing leads to model cars, which influence collector culture, leading to collaborations that return to real racing. This approach is one of the reasons Tarmac Works has developed an identity beyond that of a conventional die-cast manufacturer.

Packaging is an important part of the Tarmac Works experience. The company explicitly says that fun, creativity and excitement are reflected in its branding and packaging.[1]

Different ranges therefore use different forms of presentation. GLOBAL64 models can use blister or paper packaging, while many HOBBY64 models come in display cases. For collectors, this matters because Tarmac Works models are frequently purchased as display pieces, rather than merely toys intended to be removed from packaging and played with.

The dominance of 1:64 is central to the Tarmac Works identity. At 1:64, a typical passenger car is only around 7 cm long. This creates a considerable engineering challenge: designers have to reproduce recognisable body proportions, wheels, graphics, lights, interiors and other features within a very small physical space.

The HOBBY ranges of Tarmac Works particularly emphasise:

• Accurate stance
• Wheel design
• Body modifications
• Racing liveries
• Exterior graphics
• Aerodynamic components
• Interior details
• Display presentation

HOBBY64+ goes further by adding opening body panels and engine-bay details.

Tarmac Works is primarily a brand and model developer, rather than simply a traditional die-cast factory. Its business model involves working with suppliers, manufacturers, licensors and other brands. The company describes collaboration with like-minded suppliers and brands as an important part of its operation.[1]

Official licensing is also important because reproducing a real vehicle, manufacturer logo, racing team or commercial livery generally requires appropriate intellectual-property agreements. This is particularly relevant for models based on major automotive manufacturers and racing organisations.

Tarmac Works has developed a strong following among collectors who specialise in 1:64 scale. Its appeal comes from several factors:

Small physical size

1:64 models require much less display space than 1:18 models, allowing collectors to build large collections.

Premium appearance

HOBBY64 models emphasise collector-oriented proportions, wheels, stance and decoration.

Limited releases

Many special editions are produced in relatively limited quantities, creating additional collector interest.

Variety

The catalogue covers everything from Japanese street cars to international motorsport.

Collaborations

Special liveries and collaborations provide versions that may not be available from conventional mass-market die-cast brands.

Diorama potential

PARTS64 and related accessories allow collectors to construct garages, paddocks and automotive scenes around their cars.

The Tarmac Works Owners Club is the company’s collector-oriented membership program. It is particularly notable for its exclusive models. The inaugural membership car, the RWB 930 Southern Cross, was limited to 1,500 units and reportedly sold out in only 15 minutes.[1]

The Owners Club therefore serves not only as a loyalty program but also as a way of creating highly desirable collector editions.

Tarmac Works operates in a highly competitive 1:64 market alongside brands such as MINI GT, Kaido House, INNO64, Pop Race, Para64, LCD Models, Time Micro, Ignition Model, Kyosho and Tomica.

Its positioning is somewhat distinctive. Hot Wheels and Tomica, for example, have huge toy-oriented ecosystems, while brands such as MINI GT emphasise detailed 1:64 collector models. Tarmac Works sits firmly toward the enthusiast and collector end of the market, particularly with its HOBBY ranges.

Its strongest niche is arguably the intersection of 1:64 scale, motorsport, Japanese car culture, modified cars, premium detailing and limited editions.

Tarmac Works later expanded into Tarmac Cards, a trading-card project centred on automotive culture. According to Felix Kwong, the concept came partly from his own interest in collecting basketball cards and the observation that cars had comparatively little equivalent trading-card culture.

This represents a broader evolution of the company: from making miniature cars to creating a wider automotive collectible ecosystem.

Felix Kwong is the founder of Tarmac Works and Tarmac Cards. His involvement is central to the brand’s identity. Tarmac Works describes the company as the realisation of a lifelong dream and a project created out of passion for cars and collecting.[1]

Kwong’s philosophy can be summarised around three ideas:

1. Passion for automobiles
2. Passion for collecting
3. Creating stories and experiences around the objects being collected

This philosophy is reflected in the company’s slogan: “Every Car Has A Story.”

Timeline based primarily on published history from Tarmac Works.[1]

Tarmac Works is significant within the modern die-cast hobby because it helped demonstrate that 1:64 could function as a serious collector scale, rather than being limited to inexpensive toy vehicles. Its importance comes from the combination of:

• A strong emphasis on automotive authenticity
• Collector-grade 1:64 models
• Extensive use of real racing liveries
• Connections to Japanese tuning culture
• Official automotive and entertainment collaborations
• Limited-edition releases
• Motorsport involvement
• Diorama and accessory products
• A dedicated collector community

The company itself reports having 200+ unique castings, 200+ collaborations and more than one million cars sold per year, illustrating the scale it has reached.[1]

If Hot Wheels represents the mass-market, highly accessible side of 1:64, Tarmac Works represents the enthusiast and display-model side. Its identity is particularly strong among collectors interested in JDM cars, modified cars, racing cars, GT cars, drift culture and automotive lifestyle.

The company’s evolution—from a Hong Kong enthusiast project founded in 2014, through the Honda Civic EG6, into HOBBY64, collaborations, licensed motorsport models, accessories, trucks and automotive collectibles—shows how it has attempted to turn a small die-cast car into a broader representation of car culture itself.[1]

1. About Tarmac Works