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SMP 1911 Chevrolet


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  • 2 weeks later...

Actually there are some examples of the 1/25th scale 1911/12 chevrolet around.I have three in my collection.One original unbuilt molded in AMT black styrene with the original instruction sheet.I can't lay my hands on it at this moment but I know it's here somewhere.Another inside a Chevy dealer display oval bubble along with a gold 1962 Impala hardtop,and I also have one of Mike's resin cast ones.

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I could be wrong . This is the only information I've been able to round up . The articles I've read over the decades place the production at 50 . Chevrolet Division halted this . It was not up to their Standards . Gee , if only they stuck to their guns in the 1:1 World . One of the Problems , IIRC , was the wheels / tires were slightly worked over Flivver (from the AMT Model T kit of 1959 or 1960 ?) . Totally were incorrect as the Chevrolet used a much larger diameter size . For instance 40" vs the 30" on Lizzies .

Please , who else and how many were produced . A cousin of mine was a Salesman for a Local Chevrolet Dealership in the '50's - '80's . When these were new , I asked to have him get me one . Impossible to do is what he found . These were already OOP .. He collected Promos and kits ; "for his son" .

My search since 1984 has included many people selling OPP kits / build ups . I've never saw one for sale at all the Toledo Shows I've attended . Except for Mike's Resin . I could and did buy the '52 Stude Pace Car from Mike . The Chevrolet was more money I did not have then . The next year when I did have the funds .. I never saw one listed on either Amazon nor E Bay . Yes , I did have as a search for quite a few years when I was able to spend monies on such sources . I had one of those kits in my hands early in the sales year during the 1962 MY . I had the money in my pocket . I asked my father to buy it with my Cash in my Hand .. No .. he was angry his friend's Chevrolet had broken down . We went to buy a replacement part . His efforts netted a No ..

So , I still want one . Kevin and I have a plan , I am the third one to get it fresh off the Rubber . I have been sitting on the Funds for quite awhile . Thanx ..

Edited by dimaxion
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I could be wrong . This is the only information I've been able to round up . The articles I've read over the decades place the production at 50 . Chevrolet Division halted this . It was not up to their Standards . Gee , if only they stuck to their guns in the 1:1 World . One of the Problems , IIRC , was the wheels / tires were slightly worked over Flivver (from the AMT Model T kit of 1959 or 1960 ?) . Totally were incorrect as the Chevrolet used a much larger diameter size . For instance 40" vs the 30" on Lizzies .

Please , who else and how many were produced . A cousin of mine was a Salesman for a Local Chevrolet Dealership in the '50's - '80's . When these were new , I asked to have him get me one . Impossible to do is what he found . These were already OOP .. He collected Promos and kits ; "for his son" .

My search since 1984 has included many people selling OPP kits / build ups . I've never saw one for sale at all the Toledo Shows I've attended . Except for Mike's Resin . I could and did buy the '52 Stude Pace Car from Mike . The Chevrolet was more money I did not have then . The next year when I did have the funds .. I never saw one listed on either Amazon nor E Bay . Yes , I did have as a search for quite a few years when I was able to spend monies on such sources . I had one of those kits in my hands early in the sales year during the 1962 MY . I had the money in my pocket . I asked my father to buy it with my Cash in my Hand .. No .. he was angry his friend's Chevrolet had broken down . We went to buy a replacement part . His efforts netted a No ..

So , I still want one . Kevin and I have a plan , I am the third one to get it fresh off the Rubber . I have been sitting on the Funds for quite awhile . Thanx ..

John,

That sounds very like "urban legend" to me. I do know that the promotional model version of this made it to many Chevrolet dealerships--there's been far more than 50 of those up on eBay over the past 15 or so years that eBay's been running! In addition, I've seen at least 50 of the kits at shows all across the US (and I've been to model car shows, contests and NNL's coast-to-coast and border-to-border over the last 30+ years.

Even the great Joe Henning of Rod & Custom and Rod & Custom models, in an article in R&CM showing how to scatchbuild a model of the 1911 Indy-winning Marmon Wasp used the wheels and tires from an SMP 1911 Chevrolet on that model.

My local Chevrolet dealer in 1963 (I was away at college that year) told me some years after that his dealership bot a "couple of dozen" of the kits, and at least that many promo's as well--he showed me the very first example of that promo I'd ever seen, in his den (John Horner was the father of a HS classmate, and a pretty good friend of mine in later years.

Last, I was told, on one of my frequent visits to AMT Corporation on Maple Road in Troy MI, by an AMT Corporation exec who was there at the time of those '11 Chevy models being produced, that they produced something in the neighborhood of 5,000 of the promotionals and a run, as he recalled in 1976, of 10,000 of the kits, per their order from Chevrolet. He did confirm that GM officials were present to verify that the tooling was destroyed after the production run, however.

Art

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I could be wrong . This is the only information I've been able to round up . The articles I've read over the decades place the production at 50 . Chevrolet Division halted this . It was not up to their Standards . Gee , if only they stuck to their guns in the 1:1 World . One of the Problems , IIRC , was the wheels / tires were slightly worked over Flivver (from the AMT Model T kit of 1959 or 1960 ?) . Totally were incorrect as the Chevrolet used a much larger diameter size . For instance 40" vs the 30" on Lizzies .

The Chevy (promo and kit) used correct wheels with separate tires. The AMT '25 Ford double kit had its stock tires molded as a unit with the wheel when it first came out, and in all issues into the Seventies. No parts are shared between the Chevy and any other kit.

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Art and Tom and all others . I will accept what you have to offer as you both have a better connection in the Model Car Industry .

I do stand corrected .

I've read these articles I am quoting many "hours" after I've slept . I do have the slight possibility of having a (single of the few) copy of this apparent mis-information . If I do run across it , I will post it here . It is highly likely I will find it as we have to move again . We are sorting all of our belongings to choose from Keep or not once again . How do I contact the Model Car Museum to send (early resin) Catalogs and '80's - 00's Model car Catalogs ?

Examples ; AAM , John Hier , SC Miller , Model Empire to name a few . Thanx ..

Edited by dimaxion
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Art and Tom and all others . I will accept what you have to offer as you both have a better connection in the Model Car Industry .

I do stand corrected .

I've read these articles I am quoting many "hours" after I've slept . I do have the slight possibility of having a (single of the few) copy of this apparent mis-information . If I do run across it , I will post it here . It is highly likely I will find it as we have to move again . We are sorting all of our belongings to choose from Keep or not once again . How do I contact the Model Car Museum to send (early resin) Catalogs and '80's - 00's Model car Catalogs ?

Examples ; AAM , John Hier , SC Miller , Model Empire to name a few . Thanx ..

The Model Car Builder's Museum has a website, so a search will pull that up.

Alternately, Tom Geiger is well-connected, and I'm sure he'd be happy to act as a conduit for you, or at least give you some direct contact informaiton.

Charlie Larkin

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I am impressed seeing someone thinks these were cheap enough to male a Rod out of one . As a retiree on Fixed Income this was waaaaay out of what I have to spend on one model . Or even a bunch of months of what I am able to spend with any digression .Thank you Kevin , I'm still in for your excellent resin Copy .

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  • 9 months later...

Kevin,

Any update on this? Thanks.

Missing Link Models has the SMP '11 Prototype Chevrolet in production as a resin kit. I bought one at NNL East, and must say, Kevin Lutz and the gang at Detroit Resin Auto Group (D. R. A. G.) have set a very high standard with this one--one really has to look carefully to see that it is a resin casting, not an injection-molded styrene model kit!

Art

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