AMT pre-1958 1/25 kits

[unclescott58]

I'm always interested in the history of our hobby. Most everybody knows the modern trend of model car kit building really took off when AMT introduced their annual series of 1/25 scale kits back in 1958. But, this is not completely true. AMT actually started offering 1/25 scale model car kits starting as far back as at least 1953. 

Starting in 1953, AMT offered 3-Car Assembly Kits. Naturally these were basically unassembled 1/25 scale promos. Below is a list I got from Bill Coulter and Bob Shelton's book, The Directory of Model Car Kits, American Manufacturers only, with Price Guide, 1/24-1/25 Scale, Fouth Edition. 

The first set in 1953 set came with three cars. A '53 Studebaker Starliner, a '53 Pontiac Catalina, and a '53 Ford Convertible. 

For 1954, they offered three sets. Set 1. A '54 Pontiac Catalina, with a '54 Ford Convertible, and a '54 Studebaker Starliner. Set 2. A '54 Buick Roadmaster, with a '54 Ford Convertible, and a '54 Pontiac Catalina. Set 3. A '54 Ford Convertible, a '54 Pontiac Catalina, and '54 Buick Skylark. 

In 1955 they returned with two sets. And no repeats between the sets this time. Set 1. '55 Dodge Royal Lancer, '55 Ford Thunderbird, and '55 Buick Roadmaster. Set 2. A '55 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, a '55 Buick Century, and a '55 Ford Victoria. 

There were no sets for 1956. But, AMT brought one back for 1957. It came with a '57 Ford, '57 Pontiac, and '57 Continental. (No body styles listed in Coulter and Shelton's book.)

Despite the individual Annual kits showing up in 1958, AMT still offered a 3-Car set that year too. It consisted of three two-door hardtops. A '58 Ford. A '58 Pontiac, And a '58 Continental. 

All of these sets are very hard to find today. In fact I think the sperate promos in most cases are easier to find. Under values for each set in Coulter and Shelton's book, they just state they are rare. I've seen pictures of these kits. But again, it's rare even find those. 

 

[gtx6970]

But the way I understand it the 'kits ' prior to 1958 were un-assembled acetate promos

 

Someone correct me if Im wrong but have always been under the assumption 1958 was the 1st year of the modern stryene plastic kits

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, gtx6970 said:

But the way I understand it the 'kits ' prior to 1958 were un-assembled acetate promos

 

Someone correct me if Im wrong but have always been under the assumption 1958 was the 1st year of the modern stryene plastic kits

 

You are correct as far as I know.

There may have been a few early kits made of a plastic other than acetate, but the general practice of using styrene, and the birth of the "annual model car kit" started in 1958 to my knowledge.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[421gto]

I'd seen pics of the 53 set, many years ago. Not seen the 54. The 55 probably not but wouldn't of taken much notice as theres no Pontiac in it. Never knew about the 57 set, think I may have a new 'holy grail'.

Unlikely I'm ever gonna find any of the sets this side of the pond, and even less likely I could afford em if I did. Anyone got pics of the 57 set to share ?

[Mike999]

I have a resin body that must have been mastered off that '53 Pontiac.  No idea who made it or where it came from. I got it long ago in a package deal with a box full of old resin bodies: a '50 Studebaker, '54 Ford 4-door and some others. 

Most of these are molded in a flexible, rubbery kind of resin in strange colors.  The Pontiac is blue-green, the Stude and Ford are black.  They probably date back to the 1980s or early '90s, when the resin re-casting industry was just taking off.  

[unclescott58]

3 hours ago, 421gto said:

I'd seen pics of the 53 set, many years ago. Not seen the 54. The 55 probably not but wouldn't of taken much notice as theres no Pontiac in it. Never knew about the 57 set, think I may have a new 'holy grail'.

Unlikely I'm ever gonna find any of the sets this side of the pond, and even less likely I could afford em if I did. Anyone got pics of the 57 set to share ?

Photos of any of the sets are nearly impossible to find. Much less the sets themselves. Even on our side of the pond. That's why in the case of the 1957 set, I can not tell you what body styles were represented on the kits included in the set. I can give a pretty good educated guess that the Continental was a two-dood hardtop. But the Ford or Pontiac? I don't know. 

Others here have been speculating as to the type of plastic these models were molded in. I don't know for sure. But my guess here is that it was what ever the promos were molded in. Since these kits were nothing more than really unbuilt promos. It seems to me that I've seen a picture or two of models from these kits where they show the same warpage problem as seen on the promos of the time. But it's been so long since I've seen these photos, I would not swear to that 100%. 

[ChrisBcritter]

I had the 1953 set; picked it up at the Hobbymodels shop in Evanston, IL for $15.00 back in 1973. Sold it to Ron Merkel several years later. I found some shots of the set (old eBay listing saved by Worthpoint) that are pretty much like mine except my Pontiac was dark green:

The Ford convertible came with a very thin, delicate vacuform interior.

Edited May 4, 2020 by ChrisBcritter

[Carmak]

I believe I have the cars from a 1954 3 Car Assembly Kit (Buick Roadmaster 4dr, Ford Sunliner and Pontiac Coupe). They were found 30 years ago by a friend who was surveying a property with a partially collapsed house about to be redeveloped. The attic had collapsed to near ground level and he was able to kid of scoop the models and parts into a suitcase he found. In total there were over a dozen 1/25 scale models all 1960 and earlier. The 54 Buick, Ford and Pontiac were the only three promo type models in the stash, everything else was SMP/AMT 3 in 1.

There were bits of the assembly kit box lid in the mix. At the time (pre-internet late 80's) I had no idea what a 3 Car Assembly Kit was and I tossed the bits of the box. 

The Ford and Pontiac are in fair survivor condition. The Buick is broken in a bad way. None are warped that bad.

Carmak

[Carmak]

On 5/4/2020 at 8:50 AM, unclescott58 said:

Photos of any of the sets are nearly impossible to find. Much less the sets themselves. Even on our side of the pond. That's why in the case of the 1957 set, I can not tell you what body styles were represented on the kits included in the set. I can give a pretty good educated guess that the Continental was a two-dood hardtop. But the Ford or Pontiac? I don't know. 

Others here have been speculating as to the type of plastic these models were molded in. I don't know for sure. But my guess here is that it was what ever the promos were molded in. Since these kits were nothing more than really unbuilt promos. It seems to me that I've seen a picture or two of models from these kits where they show the same warpage problem as seen on the promos of the time. But it's been so long since I've seen these photos, I would not swear to that 100%. 

I just stumbled on to an un-built 55 three car assembly set! Is has a red 55 Cadillac and a blue 55 Ford (one car is missing). It is an AMT kit and it still has the instructions.

The plastic is way more glossy than any vintage promo I have ever seen. Both bodies are warped but just a little. I will get more pictures tomorrow.

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, Carmak said:

I just stumbled on to an un-built 55 three car assembly set! Is has a red 55 Cadillac and a blue 55 Ford (one car is missing). It is an AMT kit and it still has the instructions.

The plastic is way more glossy than any vintage promo I have ever seen. Both bodies are warped but just a little. I will get more pictures tomorrow.

I'm thinking the missing model would have been a '55 Dodge.

 

 

 

Steve

[unclescott58]

22 hours ago, Carmak said:

I just stumbled on to an un-built 55 three car assembly set! Is has a red 55 Cadillac and a blue 55 Ford (one car is missing). It is an AMT kit and it still has the instructions.

The plastic is way more glossy than any vintage promo I have ever seen. Both bodies are warped but just a little. I will get more pictures tomorrow.

Very cool! Boy you can really see the shine on Cadillac. Thanks for sharing the above photo. It's interesting to learn about the somewhat forgotten history of our hobby. 

[Carmak]

20 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I'm thinking the missing model would have been a '55 Dodge.

 

 

 

Steve

Steve,

I noticed this on the side of the box today.

Turns out the third car was a Buick convertible.

[Carmak]

2 hours ago, unclescott58 said:

Very cool! Boy you can really see the shine on Cadillac. Thanks for sharing the above photo. It's interesting to learn about the somewhat forgotten history of our hobby. 

Today I spent a little time putting things back where they belong as much as reasonable.

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, Carmak said:

Steve,

I noticed this on the side of the box today.

Turns out the third car was a Buick convertible.

I was making an educated guess based on the box art.

I realize that models of this vintage were rarely accurately depicted on the box, but the maroon and white car on the box screams '55 Dodge and I know that there have been resin recreations of that car.

I thought that this might have been where the molds for those resin copies may have come from.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

[unclescott58]

I doubt the molds for those old 55's are still around. But, if they were, I hope Round 2 would consider them worthy of being reissued. I'd love to have all three of the cars shown above. And one of those three car sets included a '55 Thunderbird. It's the only time I know of that car being released in the popular 1/25 scale.

Edited July 9, 2020 by unclescott58

[High octane]

On 5/4/2020 at 3:09 PM, ChrisBcritter said:

I had the 1953 set; picked it up at the Hobbymodels shop in Evanston, IL for $15.00 back in 1973. Sold it to Ron Merkel several years later. I found some shots of the set (old eBay listing saved by Worthpoint) that are pretty much like mine except my Pontiac was dark green:

The Ford convertible came with a very thin, delicate vacuform interior.

i remember Ron Merkel very well as he was vice president of our model car club meeting The Old Town Escorts in Chicago. I also have been to his hobby shop in Franklin Park many times. May he R.I.P.

[GMP440]

1 hour ago, High octane said:

i remember Ron Merkel very well as he was vice president of our model car club meeting The Old Town Escorts in Chicago. I also have been to his hobby shop in Franklin Park many times. May he R.I.P.

Was Ron Merkel the owner of The Merkel Model Car Company back in the 90's?  I remember I used to see their ad in the issues of Scale Auto back then.

 

[High octane]

1 minute ago, GMP440 said:

Was Ron Merkel the owner of The Merkel Model Car Company back in the 90's?  I remember I used to see their ad in the issues of Scale Auto back then.

 

Yes he was.