1/32 Aurora

[Greg Myers]

To show that, indeed, some here ARE interested in ambulances and or hearses regardless of the scale.

 

[Casey]

On 2/1/2019 at 6:48 PM, Mike999 said:

I mentioned those about 100 posts ago, or so it seems.  Only 6 1/32 scale kits were issued like that, with photos for box art:  the '32 Ford Sedan, '22 T Sedan, T Dragster, '24 Buick Touring, '32 Ford Pickup and the Dune Buggy. The Dune Buggy was just a re-issue of the earlier Hurst Baja Boot, without the roof and spare tires.  On eBay, those 6 kits seem to sell for slightly lower prices than the originals. 

*shakes fist at self* 

Hey, look, FREE iron-ons!! 

Edited February 7, 2019 by Casey

[GaryR]

I think the success or failure of these kits would depend on price.

Most were 49 cents when they came out. YEP! Find anything for 49 cents now!

These were aimed at young kids, I love them when I was a grade schooler, built several.

The 60's were model crazy, unlike now almost EVERY boy built models, cars, ships, spacecraft, airplanes, monsters armor.....you name it.

And the were available everywhere, even drug stores, department stores and convenience stores.

Brush painted, glued to withstand an atomic blast, IT WAS SIMPLE , INEXPENSIVE FUN!

If you are an old coot like me, you remember that. No detailing, no worries about accuracy, no contests, just pure fun.

My first model was the Aurora Cunningham sports car, and a bunch of 1/32 Pyro kits too. So much variety of subjects.

If they were priced at 30 bucks they'd flop. At 10 they might sell, at 3 or four for 25-30 I think they might do OK, depending on "marketing", which seems non existent in the industry.

[Casey]

On 3/19/2018 at 7:50 AM, Snake45 said:

At least three of the Aurora 1/32s survived for a while--the '65 Mustang, Barracuda, and GTO. Monogram sold the GTO in its boxes--I have one. Never saw the Cuda in boxes but I bought a couple of them unboxed and "bagged" from Squadron in the '80s or early '90s. And I never saw the Mustang, but I did see ads for it; Monogram (or somebody) was using it as a giveaway to join some kind of modeling club. 

I have a Mako Shark left over from my childhood--still have the box, too. I remember building the Triumph Spitfire and it was a cool little kit. 

The '65 Barracuda, Mustang, and Mako Shark were at least advertised as being part f the Young Model Builders Club:

 

I have a few of the ex-Aurora Monogram '65 Mustang  kits , and they're decent-- fairly accurate, but simplified with molded details on the chassis plate. They'd make decent Polar Vortex type weekend projects, but can be improved upon as desired. The GTO looks to be the most "off" of the bunch, with the '65 Barracuda slightly less so.

I'm unsure how strongly related the Aurora 1/32 scale '65 GTO, etc. are to the K&B slot car kits ( though it says right on the box "a subsidiary of Aurora"), but I have to think the body parts are one and the same:

 

I wonder if Monogram acquired the other 1/32 Aurora car kits, too, and just never reissued them for various reasons?:

[Casey]

Studded...slicks?! 

[Snake45]

On 2/8/2019 at 1:18 PM, Casey said:

I'm unsure how strongly related the Aurora 1/32 scale '65 GTO, etc. are to the K&B slot car kits ( though it says right on the box "a subsidiary of Aurora"), but I have to think the body parts are one and the same:

 

I'm virtually certain that's the same box art that was on the plastic kit. 

[Casey]

24 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

I'm virtually certain that's the same box art that was on the plastic kit. 

Looks the same:

[Casey]

Hurst Hemi Under Glass...that box art, tho 

 

Must've been a 150-degree Hemi V8.  

[Casey]

On 2/7/2019 at 7:32 PM, GaryR said:

No detailing, no worries about accuracy, no contests, just pure fun.

These definitely were never meant to be taken seriously, and they sure knew how to play off the pirate ship theme. 

 

'28 Chevy Roadster?  Sure, Jan:

Edited February 14, 2019 by Casey

[Mark]

20 minutes ago, Casey said:

 

 

'28 Chevy Roadster?  Sure, Jan:

Actually, the original issue of that kit was called a '28 Chevy.  The kit was based on the 1:1 Hugh Tucker drag car, which was a '28 Chevy body on a '34 Ford frame.

[Casey]

23 minutes ago, Mark said:

Actually, the original issue of that kit was called a '28 Chevy.  The kit was based on the 1:1 Hugh Tucker drag car, which was a '28 Chevy body on a '34 Ford frame.

It's more the execution, and especially the translation into 1/32 scale, which made me raise an eyebrow. That Deuce grille shell is most definitely not helping, either. The whole car give off a "meh, close enough" vibe, which for Aurora's intended customer back then, probably was.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Hmm, I can kinda see this one as a Rat Rod/Theme Rod today....

On 3/19/2018 at 9:28 AM, Casey said:

 

I do like the Old Ironsides and Chevy Custom pickup kits' box art, though:

 

 

[Mark]

31 minutes ago, Casey said:

It's more the execution, and especially the translation into 1/32 scale, which made me raise an eyebrow. That Deuce grille shell is most definitely not helping, either. The whole car give off a "meh, close enough" vibe, which for Aurora's intended customer back then, probably was.

Actually, those could have come off a lot worse than they did.  Looking at the revised versions of these kits, it's surprising how much they were changed...