Gmp was started by Mickey Dias, an avid collector of model cars. He opened his first store in 1956 and quickly expanded his business to other locations. His business was doing so well that he soon decided to franchise his business. The first international location was opened in London in 1961. Gmp is now based in over 80 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland and Australia. The company began to expand internationally after the success of their 1/64th scale cars. Their 1/43rd scale cars are what really drove them to success. They are now one of the leading manufacturers of model cars in the world. The collectible models are usually made out of die-cast metal and plastic. The company also makes model aircraft, buses, boats and motorcycles.