Monogram Classics

[mrspex]

Terry, those are some great models of OLD cars! Thanks for posting them!

[gtx6970]

In the Car Modeler annual from 2001, I did a story called "The Veteran Motorcar" about antique and classic car kits, including Monogram's entire series. Here's a couple of unusual antiques that I like.

Hosted on Fotki

This is a kit of the "1877" (though not really) Selden Patent Wagon. George Selden patented the concept of automobile in 1879, so that everyone who built an automobile had to pay him a royalty. Henry Ford broke the patent in 1911. In response to Ford's suit, Selden had to build a working example from the original patent blueprints. This is a 1/24 scale model of that vehicle.

It was produced by a Los Angeles company called Mod-Ac in 1946. So what you're looking at is one of the oldest 1/24 scale kits of one of the earliest automobiles.

Hosted on Fotki

This is an 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen (correct German spelling). This is one of the oldest "practical" automobiles, and it still exists. I've seen video of it running. Must be a great ride. This 1/24 scale model was a promotional produced by Minichamps for M-B's 100th anniversary.

Hosted on Fotki

This is an 1886 Daimler Motor Carriage. It's another M-B/Minichamps promo in 1/24 scale.

Hosted on Fotki

And this is an Airfix 1904 Darracq. First produced in about 1955, it went through various releases (including an MPC "hot rod" version). It's listed as 1/32 but is actually 1/24.5 or thereabouts.

Hosted on Fotki

You can see here that it compares very well with an AMT 1925 Ford Model T.

Love them old cars....

Terry

Excellant history lesson .on some really cool replicas I wouldn't mind having for my own.

Are any of these avail reasonably ?

Many thanks

[Ace-Garageguy]

Okay, I scanned the thread and may have missed the answer, so DUH me if I did......is the tooling the same for the monogram Metal-Master 1/24 boat-tail Packard as for the plastic version of the same car?

[Craig Irwin]

Okay, I scanned the thread and may have missed the answer, so DUH me if I did......is the tooling the same for the monogram Metal-Master 1/24 boat-tail Packard as for the plastic version of the same car?

Yes, the Metal Master kits are plastic, but plated like the "chrome" parts in other kits. I have one of the Packard boat tails (unbuilt) that I plan to strip and paint, someday......

[Ace-Garageguy]

Yes, the Metal Master kits are plastic, but plated like the "chrome" parts in other kits. I have one of the Packard boat tails (unbuilt) that I plan to strip and paint, someday......

Thank you sir.

[Paul H]

Yes, the Metal Master kits are plastic, but plated like the "chrome" parts in other kits. I have one of the Packard boat tails (unbuilt) that I plan to strip and paint, someday......

Parts that would be chrome in the 1:1 are plated in gold, and the rest is satin chrome. It's not as bad as it sounds if built carefully, and appropriate washes etc are applied. When I built mine a while back, amongst other things, I also used suitable colour paints to suggest natural leather for the seats & spare wheel cover, so that the effect was more realistic, i.e. as a scale model of a full size car that had been finished in that way (e.g. something that might have once belonged to Liberace), rather than a crude toy, which is how the photos on the box (without any detail painting) makes it look. If it's of interest, I can dig out some photos.

[sjordan2]

A similar lapse in taste is seen in Revell's "Museum" version of the 1/16 Rolls Phantom II Continental - it comes with fabric appliqué for the top, precut wood dash, museum display rope and base, klunky wire wheels instead of the regular wheel discs - and all the trim parts that are normally chrome are gold-plated.

Edited December 19, 2012 by sjordan2

[Eric Macleod]

I have watched this posting with interest. Over the years I have built all of the models discussed here. I would be curious which one people think is the best overall. Personally I really like the Monogram '31 Packard Phaeton in metal. It is a model I could build over and over. As for non-Monogram models it is pretty hard to beat Johan's lineup. I have struggled mightily to do a good job with the Cadillac Fleetwood Town Car's pinstriped body but have never come up with an acceptable way to approach that one.

A question was presented earlier about the Rolston Roadster and if it is a model of a real car. The answer is "sort of." Terry Adderly of Troy Michigan used to own J-550 (he still might. I just don't know), which was the only Rolston Roadster mounted on the long wheelbase Duesenberg J chassis. It is a beautiful car and Monogram did a pretty good job on it...except, they, like they did on all the other Duesenberg models, left it as a supercharged car. In order to have a correct version of J-550 you would need to either close up the holes in the fender and scratch build hood sides and manifolds or get ahold of Andy Martin at Aardvark models where you can get ahold of a transkit for such purposes. Truth of the matter is except the Torpedo Phaeton, almost all of the Monogram Duesenbergs would benefit from such a transformation.

One other comment. S. Jordan, I have spent a fair amount of time admiring your work on the 540 K Coupe. All I can say is WOW!

Eric

Edited December 31, 2012 by Eric Macleod

[sjordan2]

I have watched this posting with interest. Over the years I have built all of the models discussed here. I would be curious which one people think is the best overall. Personally I really like the Monogram '31 Packard Phaeton in metal. It is a model I could build over and over. As for non-Monogram models it is pretty hard to beat Johan's lineup. I have struggled mightily to do a good job with the Cadillac Fleetwood Town Car's pinstriped body but have never come up with an acceptable way to approach that one.

A question was presented earlier about the Rolston Roadster and if it is a model of a real car. The answer is "sort of." Terry Adderly of Troy Michigan used to own J-550 (he still might. I just don't know), which was the only Rolston Roadster mounted on the long wheelbase Duesenberg J chassis. It is a beautiful car and Monogram did a pretty good job on it...except, they, like they did on all the other Duesenberg models, left it as a supercharged car. In order to have a correct version of J-550 you would need to either close up the holes in the fender and scratch build hood sides and manifolds or get ahold of Andy Martin at Aardvark models where you can get ahold of a transkit for such purposes. Truth of the matter is except the Torpedo Phaeton, almost all of the Monogram Duesenbergs would benefit from such a transformation.

One other comment. S. Jordan, I have spent a fair amount of time admiring your work on the 540 K Coupe. All I can say is WOW!

Eric

Thanks Eric, but I think you've confused me with someone else. I have a lot of planning in progress for a 500K coupe, but nothing to show.

By the way, I think you should post your WIP on the Rolls Ascot on this forum. It's looking great so far.

[Cato]

Second that motion!

[robo37]

Thanks for posting about those I got couple of builtups of them wasnt sure which ones they were they really are different and cool I figure im gonna clean then up and put them on the shelf I think I got all the parts for them there were in a bag

Edited January 3, 2013 by robo37

[unclescott58]

Question about Monogram's Deusenberg SJ Roadster/Convertible. Was this kit modeled after a real (1:1) car? From what I'm seeing about the kit, it supose to be Rolston bodied car. Is it? I can find nothing in any of my books, or on the web indicating that Rolston (or is it Rollston?) ever offered this body style. Plenity of info and photos of a Convertible Victoria they built. But nothing on a Convertible Roadster. So, is Monogram's model based on a real car or not? Or is like their '33 SJ Murphy bodied Town Car, which is really modeled after a 1930 Model J Murphy Town Car? But, they made it a '33 SJ because their other Duesenberg models were already '33 SJs, to save on tooling.

 

Real or not, I do like the looks of Monogram's 1933 Duesenberg SJ "Rolston" roadster. And still hope to some day to build one. But, still I wonder? Is it based on real 1:1 car or not?

 

That brings up questions about of the other Monogram Classic Cars. From reading the previous attached posts, it sounds like Monogram's Mercedes 540K Coupe my not be based on a real car. That they just took their 540K Convertible and added a top that made it look close to a real 1:1 car. Is this the case? And if so, what about the other Monogram Classics? Which are based on real cars? And which are not?

 

R. Scott Aho

I still would like more clarity on the above questions. Are these Monogram Classic Cars, the Duesenberg SJ roadster, and the two Mercedes 540Ks, based on real cars or not? And if so, does anybody know of any pictures of the real cars these were based on?

 

[landman]

 

Apparently, Rolls had factory pickups that they used to deliver aircraft parts, including Merlin engines, during WWII. The Vintage Garage, a Rolls restoration company, used a Phantom III to replicate one.

 

It must have had some serious rear springs to carry Merlins.

Edited October 14, 2016 by landman

[landman]

Question about Monogram's Deusenberg SJ Roadster/Convertible. Was this kit modeled after a real (1:1) car? From what I'm seeing about the kit, it supose to be Rolston bodied car. Is it? I can find nothing in any of my books, or on the web indicating that Rolston (or is it Rollston?) ever offered this body style. Plenity of info and photos of a Convertible Victoria they built. But nothing on a Convertible Roadster. So, is Monogram's model based on a real car or not? Or is like their '33 SJ Murphy bodied Town Car, which is really modeled after a 1930 Model J Murphy Town Car? But, they made it a '33 SJ because their other Duesenberg models were already '33 SJs, to save on tooling.

 

Real or not, I do like the looks of Monogram's 1933 Duesenberg SJ "Rolston" roadster. And still hope to some day to build one. But, still I wonder? Is it based on real 1:1 car or not?

 

That brings up questions about of the other Monogram Classic Cars. From reading the previous attached posts, it sounds like Monogram's Mercedes 540K Coupe my not be based on a real car. That they just took their 540K Convertible and added a top that made it look close to a real 1:1 car. Is this the case? And if so, what about the other Monogram Classics? Which are based on real cars? And which are not?

 

R. Scott Aho

Scott , it was a Murphy roadster.

http://www.classiccarweekly.net/2015/09/15/duesenberg-j-330/

[landman]

I would like to see more builds here in the forum

Cheers, Ian

Hey Ian, here's a few 5 years later.

[Richard Bartrop]

The Monogram MB 540K coupe looks to be based off the Spezial Coupe by Sindelfingen.  From what I can tell, three were built.

[unclescott58]

Scott , it was a Murphy roadster.

http://www.classiccarweekly.net/2015/09/15/duesenberg-j-330/

Thank you. Looking at the car in the link, the kit does look like it's a Murphy.

 

[sjordan2]

The Monogram MB 540K coupe looks to be based off the Spezial Coupe by Sindelfingen.  From what I can tell, three were built.

The Monogram version of this is quite inaccurate. They just added a separate top to the cabriolet kit (which has different fender detail, among other roadster anomaliesplus different side louvers on the hood). You can see some of the differences in landman's post, above. The 500K coupe and roadster above are by Jo-Han and are excellent and highly accurate.

Edited October 15, 2016 by sjordan2

[Bert]

Is it sick that I want to hot rod these?

Edited October 16, 2016 by Bert
forgot rod

[Art Anderson]

Scott , it was a Murphy roadster.

http://www.classiccarweekly.net/2015/09/15/duesenberg-j-330/

Actually, Monogram's 1935 Duesenberg "Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe"  (no, that body style is NOT a roadster--as roadsters had snap-on side curtains, where convertible coupes had rollup windows) IS a model of a Rollston bodied car--the only Murphy Convertible Coupe ever done in plastic kit form was the 1/10 scale kit from Ideal Toy Corporation, about 1960-62, and scarce as hen's teeth today.

Art

[ChrisBcritter]

the only Murphy Convertible Coupe ever done in plastic kit form was the 1/10 scale kit from Ideal Toy Corporation, about 1960-62, and scarce as hen's teeth today.

Art

Recent eBay sale; missing parts but you get the idea:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ITC-1-12-DUESENBERG-MODEL-PARTS-CAR-NOT-COMPLETE-USED-039-CIRCA-1960-039-S-/391551121200?hash=item5b2a43f730%3Ag%3AgYUAAOSwFdtXzJCB&nma=true&si=MY1zxLWW6WoqAJ6JTDGeoTLHVi0%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[Russell C]

Is it sick that I want to hot rod these?

Yes it is, and folks will suggest that I seek psychiatric help since recently I couldn't help acquiring one of these for cheap, to do just that.

[Bert]

The Murphy is safe, no Hot Rod parts in 1/10 scale.

[sjordan2]

The Murphy is safe, no Hot Rod parts in 1/10 scale.

I built that kit long ago. The version I had didn't have any plated parts, and there were no model plating services, BMF or chromelike paints. I had to use putty to put treads on the two-part plastic wheels, and everything came out great. Wish I had kept it.

[Junkman]

The Murphy is safe, no Hot Rod parts in 1/10 scale.

That's not entirely true.

There is (was) this:

 

And there are a plethora of wheels and tyres for RC cars in that scale.