The earliest and rarest model-car kits hit store shelves around 1930, just as
cars became a ubiquitous sight in most urban centers. These basic wooden models required a lot of initiative by the modeler, and were gradually replaced by more intricate plastic versions in the 1940s.
The heyday of model-car kits in the United States was probably the 1960s, when the burgeoning car culture of the previous decade exploded. Suddenly, every car-crazy kid who wanted to could build a model of a ’57
Chevy Bel-Air or ’66
Ford Mustang, even if they couldn’t talk their moms and dads into buying the real thing.
Even from the hobby’s earliest days, nostalgia factored into the manufacture of model-car kits, as many kits mimicked classic cars from a few decades earlier. Made by brands such as AMT, Entex,
Hubley, Jo-Han, Lindberg, MPC, Monogram, Pocher, and
Revell, model-car kits were for typically best for patient, detail-oriented kids (and adults) willing to put in a lot of effort over dozens of tiny parts and finishes to craft a snazzy looking vehicle.
Produced in a wide range of scales including 1:12, 1;24, 1:25, 1:32, and 1:48, the typical kit contained several sheets of plastic parts known as trees, which were injected molded. Each individual part used in the model was attached to the tree by one or more sprues, which needed to be carefully cut off and discarded by the model maker. Expert modelers even sanded the rough edges of their parts to heighten the realism.
Some of the larger kits, such as the 1:12 scale models made by Tamiya, came with hundreds of individual parts, creating highly-realistic miniature automobiles once assembled. A few kits came with multiple cars, like AMT’s three-in-one sets from the 1950s.
Kits also included instructions and decals, which can be applied to the model to add logos, racing stripes, or flames. Most modelers also paint their creations, some using small jars of Testor or other brands of paint, others going to great lengths by...
The earliest and rarest model-car kits hit store shelves around 1930, just as
cars became a ubiquitous sight in most urban centers. These basic wooden models required a lot of initiative by the modeler, and were gradually replaced by more intricate plastic versions in the 1940s.
The heyday of model-car kits in the United States was probably the 1960s, when the burgeoning car culture of the previous decade exploded. Suddenly, every car-crazy kid who wanted to could build a model of a ’57
Chevy Bel-Air or ’66
Ford Mustang, even if they couldn’t talk their moms and dads into buying the real thing.
Even from the hobby’s earliest days, nostalgia factored into the manufacture of model-car kits, as many kits mimicked classic cars from a few decades earlier. Made by brands such as AMT, Entex,
Hubley, Jo-Han, Lindberg, MPC, Monogram, Pocher, and
Revell, model-car kits were for typically best for patient, detail-oriented kids (and adults) willing to put in a lot of effort over dozens of tiny parts and finishes to craft a snazzy looking vehicle.
Produced in a wide range of scales including 1:12, 1;24, 1:25, 1:32, and 1:48, the typical kit contained several sheets of plastic parts known as trees, which were injected molded. Each individual part used in the model was attached to the tree by one or more sprues, which needed to be carefully cut off and discarded by the model maker. Expert modelers even sanded the rough edges of their parts to heighten the realism.
Some of the larger kits, such as the 1:12 scale models made by Tamiya, came with hundreds of individual parts, creating highly-realistic miniature automobiles once assembled. A few kits came with multiple cars, like AMT’s three-in-one sets from the 1950s.
Kits also included instructions and decals, which can be applied to the model to add logos, racing stripes, or flames. Most modelers also paint their creations, some using small jars of Testor or other brands of paint, others going to great lengths by airbrushing their models for added realism. Some
slot cars and
radio-control cars also came in kits to be assembled at home. While most model kits included plastic parts assembled with glue, some vintage model kits included metal parts that required bolting them together.
Metal kits, like the elaborate designs made by the Italian company Pocher, were typically much more costly and rare than plastic versions. Pocher’s dominance began with a commission by Fiat for 1:13 scale model to display at the Turin automobile show in 1961. The automaker had previously worked with Italian toymaker Rivarossi in the mid-1950s to create models of the Fiat 600 and 500, which were sold as “disassembly sets” along with instructions for taking the model apart.
Pocher released its first model kit in 1966—a Fiat 130 HP F2—and its products quickly became recognized as the apex of miniature-car kits. For example, the company’s 1:8 scale model of a Rolls-Royce Cabriolet Phantom II, a miniature version of the custom car designed for the Maharaja of Rajkot in 1934, included more than 2,000 individual parts made from steel, iron, copper, leather, and rubber. Such a complex kit was never aimed at the children’s market, as it required an extensive toolkit and finishing skills worthy of a true automobile.
Meanwhile, a more-affordable version of the model-building hobby was spreading across the globe. In 1963, the International Plastic Modelers' Society was founded in the U.K., and the following year, the first American branch launched. The hobby soon spread to hundreds of branches worldwide, which hosted monthly meetings to discuss the craft and show off new models as well as larger annual shows for model fans.
While there are as many subsets within model making as there are different types of cars, a few stand out. Some people like to collect models of certain types of vehicles, such as
NASCAR racing cars or
show rods, those over-the-top hot rods created for car shows in the 1960s and designed by masters such as Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, Mouse, George Barris, and Tom Daniel. Others look to find every kit for a specific make and model, like the ‘57
Chevrolet or the ‘64 Cadillac de Ville, or to acquire all the models made by a certain brand, like AMT or Revell.
Most people who collect vintage model-car kits made by these major companies are looking for old, unassembled kits still in their original boxes with as little wear and tear as possible. However, while some collectors would never open a kit that's still sealed in its original wrapper, others actually prefer to build them. Lastly, there’s a select group of collectors who is passionate about model cars that have already been constructed, though in general, fewer people collect finished model cars since the assembly itself is half the fun.
