Revell 2019

[Keesee17]

They missed several details on the latest Hemi Cuda kit so I’m not expecting a lot of this one...

[Allen Wrench]

9 hours ago, Rob Hall said:

I’m assuming it’s the Monogram Chevy Stepside 4x4 last seen in the early 90s molded in blue.  It oddly had a spare tire that mounted on the tailgate, something I’ve never seen on a 1:1. 

This one?

 

[tim boyd]

5 hours ago, niteowl7710 said:

I have no doubt that was true, particularly when the money started to run out from Hobbico.  But it's a fresh slate now, if there was ever a time to take a flier on a "risk" project - although I think you could easily sell 5k Rancheros globally - it would be now when the budget is fresh.  With everything they're releasing either being done just before hand ('68 Chevelle, Ford GT LM) or a variation of existing tooling '57 Ford Gasser, AAR Cuda, Updated Sprint Car that was also done awhile back, they're effectively just printing money over there.  All the tooling costs are wiped out, and the old argument of legacy costs of purchase is moot, we know exactly what that was - $50k for the trademarks & names, and $49,999 for all the tooling.  Blitz then sold a bunch of that tooling down to Atlantis further reducing what they actually paid for Revell U.S.A.  It wouldn't surprise me to find out that between the Mustang and Chevelle they made back everything they spent on our Revell, and now beyond box art, decal printing, and running the tool these releases are pure profit.

Again, my understanding is that the Ranchero business case simply didn't make sense on a standalone basis.  The cost for the tooling changes to do an accurate Ranchero turned out to be so expensive that the expected kit sales did not generate a profitable return.  

Or stated another way, the same financial investment in some other project (either a different tool revision or partial payment for an all-new tool on another subject) would be likely to generate a greater return for the enterprise.   Presumably that would still be the case given the new financial situation/reality you've described above. 

This is my general understanding of what happened....but it is certainly possible that others might have taken away a different understanding,,,

TIM 

[slusher]

What happened to the 30 Model A being released again?

[Rob Hall]

29 minutes ago, Allen Wrench said:

This one?

 

Yes, that one.  I think it has a lot in common w/ the GMC pickup that's been reissued a couple times in recent years. 

[Jordan White]

9 hours ago, Rob Hall said:

I’m assuming it’s the Monogram Chevy Stepside 4x4 last seen in the early 90s molded in blue.  It oddly had a spare tire that mounted on the tailgate, something I’ve never seen on a 1:1. 

Yeah I'm not sure why they had it on either version. This is the only picture I have ever seen of a factory truck with a tailgate mounted spare, though it appears to have a swingaway carrier.

[Rob Hall]

That black one resembles the box art of the original issue of the kit.

[Richard Bartrop]

If Revell keeps cranking out the Model As, both the old and new versions, and the '40 and '48 Ford, then I will be happy.  

[stavanzer]

And it does have a swing-away carrier  for the spare. It is a nice kit, for when it was tooled. It does indeed share about 75% of it's DNA with the GMC Snowplow kit from a few years ago. I want one, but I'm afraid that Revell will issue it as a "Content-Lite" kit with few options, and a fresh re-print of the small, original decals. Not sure if I really want to pay 30.00 for a kit that is unchanged, content wise from the original.

[Force]

8 hours ago, niteowl7710 said:

I have no doubt that was true, particularly when the money started to run out from Hobbico.  But it's a fresh slate now, if there was ever a time to take a flier on a "risk" project - although I think you could easily sell 5k Rancheros globally - it would be now when the budget is fresh.  With everything they're releasing either being done just before hand ('68 Chevelle, Ford GT LM) or a variation of existing tooling '57 Ford Gasser, AAR Cuda, Updated Sprint Car that was also done awhile back, they're effectively just printing money over there.  All the tooling costs are wiped out, and the old argument of legacy costs of purchase is moot, we know exactly what that was - $50k for the trademarks & names, and $49,999 for all the tooling.  Blitz then sold a bunch of that tooling down to Atlantis further reducing what they actually paid for Revell U.S.A.  It wouldn't surprise me to find out that between the Mustang and Chevelle they made back everything they spent on our Revell, and now beyond box art, decal printing, and running the tool these releases are pure profit.

 

2 hours ago, tim boyd said:

Again, my understanding is that the Ranchero business case simply didn't make sense on a standalone basis.  The cost for the tooling changes to do an accurate Ranchero turned out to be so expensive that the expected kit sales did not generate a profitable return.  

Or stated another way, the same financial investment in some other project (either a different tool revision or partial payment for an all-new tool on another subject) would be likely to generate a greater return for the enterprise.   Presumably that would still be the case given the new financial situation/reality you've described above. 

This is my general understanding of what happened....but it is certainly possible that others might have taken away a different understanding,,,

TIM 

I might be stupid but isn't the Ranchero based on the 2 door wagon body style?
If the Ranchero market is thin the Del Rio market should be about the same...I mean, a lot of people have asked for a correct Ranchero for ages as the old one is far from it, on the other hand I haven't heard many asking for a Del Rio Ranch Wagon kit, but they did a kit of it anyway...and at the same time didn't think further so it could be done as a Ranchero as well...a bit strange thinking if I may say.
If I was planning a new tool for a car model I would try to get as many possibillities as I can for this tooling so I can get the most out of the investment.

I just hope Blitz/Revell doesn't do as Round 2 has done with the kit brands they acquired and just reissue old kits with some modified and new parts and nothing new...some are fun to have back but how many can you have of the basically the same kit as most of them are.
Of course they have to reissue kits where the tooling is paid for, but I want to see some all new tooling kits from time to time.

[Mr mopar]

On ‎15‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 5:46 AM, niteowl7710 said:

FWIW the WoO Sprint car is Joey Saldana's, not Kevin Swindell.  Unless you're talking about the origin of the kit, which would be Sammy Swindell, although I think the Sprint Car kit is older than that in terms of who's car it was supposed to represent first in the late 80s.

Kinda looks like swindell's name on the air foil ?

[jjsipes]

35 minutes ago, Mr mopar said:

Kinda looks like swindell's name on the air foil ?

Looks like multiple drivers have driven this car.

Swindell, Scelzi, Saldana

[Merkur XR4Ti]

I'm very excited to see the Monte Carlo SS get reissued: that kit was ridiculously expensive on the usual sites and was aching for a re-issue. I nearly spent a great deal of money to get one a month or so ago; I'm very glad I held off. I've been wanting to build one for many years.

[1972coronet]

3 hours ago, Merkur XR4Ti said:

I'm very excited to see the Monte Carlo SS get reissued: that kit was ridiculously expensive on the usual sites and was aching for a re-issue. I nearly spent a great deal of money to get one a month or so ago; I'm very glad I held off. I've been wanting to build one for many years.

One of Monogram's finest offerings , esp. during the time of its original release ! Prior to that stock kit's issue , we were stuck with NASCAR stuff which was a bear to modify ( I never even attempted such a conversion ) .

I wonder if the 1987 Aerocoupe is in the rafters ?

[Tom Geiger]

Ya know guys, give Revell a break!    We went from no Revell a few months ago to the possibility of a new Revell US division coming back. So ya'll went from whining about no Revell to whining about the new emerging Revell!   Amazing!

It's a brand new start up, it's not the old company.  This will take time and money. The  venture capital company that bought Revell is a white knight that buys and grows companies in different markets in Europe. Diverse as a paper company in Spain and electronics parts manufacturers.  The fact that Ed Sexton, one of the most talented and passionate guys in the business is involved, is a really positive thing.  Now don't go ticking him off!  

[martinfan5]

8 hours ago, Jordan White said:

Yeah I'm not sure why they had it on either version. This is the only picture I have ever seen of a factory truck with a tailgate mounted spare, though it appears to have a swingaway carrier.

I love to see a long bed fleetside with step bumper and stock wheels( well not those stock wheels, but the steelies and caps stock)  done one day, oh yeah.  To be really picky, from the 80's would be nice, square headlight era.

Edited April 16, 2019 by martinfan5

[mikemodeler]

Funny how this topic went from showing what is new from Revell shown at the Milwaukee NNL into a "If I ran Revell" or "What they need to do is....." rant and rave!

 

Seriously? So Revell is re-issuing some kits, some we like, some we don't. Pretty simple concept- buy em if ya like em, don't if ya don't.

 

The ability to stay on topic in this forum escapes so many. If you want to comment on why they haven't mentioned the '30 A model kit, go to that topic and revive it, don't wander.

[Rob Hall]

24 minutes ago, mikemodeler said:

Funny how this topic went from showing what is new from Revell shown at the Milwaukee NNL into a "If I ran Revell" or "What they need to do is....." rant and rave!

 

Seriously? So Revell is re-issuing some kits, some we like, some we don't. Pretty simple concept- buy em if ya like em, don't if ya don't.

 

The ability to stay on topic in this forum escapes so many. If you want to comment on why they haven't mentioned the '30 A model kit, go to that topic and revive it, don't wander.

It's like herding cats...threads here go in all directions..staying on topic here is like staying in a lane in a car w/ a broken front tie rod and bald tires...

Edited April 16, 2019 by Rob Hall

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Let me try joining something that's been made a topic here a little closer to what I should have done at first:  we have a suggestion that we shouldn't "tick off" a company executive.

The logic of this is inscrutable from nearly every angle of approach.

First, there's the assumption that this exec is inclined to get overly "ticked off" in the first place.  The man is a veteran of several decades in this hobby industry, and while I'm sure he finds less-than-ideal feedback annoying, I'd humbly suggest he hasn't lasted as long as he has through an inability to keep things in perspective.

But let's assume he's given to taking negative feedback that personally.  He's still got the bottom line of the company to think about. So he's going to do what, cancel all new product development in a fit of pique? 

There is actually a pretty serious issue in the lack of professionalism attributed to the man in a line of argument like this.

[hpiguy]

2 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Ya know guys, give Revell a break!    We went from no Revell a few months ago to the possibility of a new Revell US division coming back. So ya'll went from whining about no Revell to whining about the new emerging Revell!   Amazing!

 

They whine about what is not released and they whine about what is released.

Fortunately, they represent about 10% of long term modelers and are almost always ignored by the powers that be since nothing that will ever be done by anyone will make them happy.

I'm looking forward to every kit on that board, and I've already built the Ford GT Lemans and loved it. 

I'll have fun with every single kit listed. 

 

[Chuck Kourouklis]

You yourself put it very nicely, Chris.

The "whining" really makes no difference in the end, does it?  And therefore it doesn't really merit any attempt to silence it, does it? 

Btw, corrected '69 Charger bodies, fixed GT500 air filter boxes, and pad-printed tires for the '50 Olds didn't happen in a vacuum - why? Precisely because Revell was more professional and mature than to simply ignore some of that more consequential "whining", leaving some of those apocryphal "never happys" pretty pleased after all.

Far as false binaries go, would you believe a number of us have actually had some fun correcting some of the kits we've criticized?

Shut the front door, I know...

[1972coronet]

I'm glad that Revell is re-releasing a few select classics in addition to the variations-on-newer-tooling kits ( the AAR 'Cuda and the '57 Fairlane 'Gasser' ) .

Keep 'em coming , Ed Sexton , et al. , and I'll support you guys with my hard earned Blue Collar dollars .

[mikemodeler]

2 hours ago, hpiguy said:

They whine about what is not released and they whine about what is released.

Fortunately, they represent about 10% of long term modelers and are almost always ignored by the powers that be since nothing that will ever be done by anyone will make them happy.

I'm looking forward to every kit on that board, and I've already built the Ford GT Lemans and loved it. 

I'll have fun with every single kit listed. 

 

Thanks Chris. Some people don't see the forest for the trees.

[Rob Hall]

it's nice to see the reissues of some items that haven't been reissued in a long time, along w/ the modified reissues.  I figured after all the drama of the last year there wouldn't be too much new this year from Revell.  From these, looking forward to the AAR Cuda and Chevy pickup. Looking forward to seeing what's next..

[martinfan5]

2 hours ago, Chuck Kourouklis said:

You yourself put it very nicely, Chris.

The "whining" really makes no difference in the end, does it?  And therefore it doesn't really merit any attempt to silence it, does it? 

Btw, corrected '69 Charger bodies, fixed GT500 air filter boxes, and pad-printed tires for the '50 Olds didn't happen in a vacuum - why? Precisely because Revell was more professional and mature than to simply ignore some of that more consequential "whining", leaving some of those apocryphal "never happys" pretty pleased after all.

Far as false binaries go, would you believe a number of us have actually had some fun correcting some of the kits we've criticized?

Shut the front door, I know...

And Chuck here brings up a valid point, without that "whining" I bet those things would of never been addressed , so "whining" as some want to call it actually does something good from time to time.  I think many are confusing honest constructive criticism and feedback with whining ( maybe not here, there is a good amount of whining in this one, so bad example)  but, we all have to right to give honest constructive criticism of models kits and the companies, as long as it done in a respectful manner, and that seems to be lost today.   But then you have people getting attacked when they do give honest constructive criticism of the kits or Rond2/Revell/Moebius( that doesn't happen when it comes to Japan companies I notice) because a large percentage of builders take any forum criticism as a personal attacks.

Carry on.