Justin Porter

Not really. The Trumpeter kits were actually pretty nicely engineered. Some odd gaffes in terms of bodies (the '60 Pontiac hardtop being the most egregious example) but in terms of detail they were hard to argue with.

Exactly. As I said, that ancient Monogram kit isn't meant to be a realistic or accurate model of a '56 Chevy. It's a badly proportioned, badly detailed thing from an era where Monogram was mostly concerned with ladling out easy to assemble slop.

Well, if we're talking the old Monogram "street machine" kit Chevy kit, then we're talking about a pretty miserable pile of compromises that never really TRIED to be an accurate representation of its subject matter. Now, if we're talking about the current Revell '56 Del Rey, then we're talking about a much nicer and much more accurate representation of a '56 Chevy. HOWEVER we're also talking about a car for which power brakes were an extra cost option. The kit pretty nicely represents the typical lower dollar V8 post 2 door, right down to its single circuit manual brake master cylinder.

It's not just one piece.

Maybe it's time for the domestic aftermarket producers to take a page out of the import world and start offering detailed drop-in engine bays like these?

Currently the kit doesn't have a formally announced kit number or release date or MSRP as it's still in development, however as a new-tool Moebius kit it's likely going to be in the $35.99-$37.99 range for MSRP along the same lines as their other recent releases, the Galaxie Limited '47 Chevy reissue notwithstanding.

That's a reasonable theory, but the problem at the heart of that theory lies in the price on Revell's "Easy Click" line. The existing Easy Click Mustang in the Revell US line (#1238) carries a $21.95 MSRP. If we were expecting Revell to drop #1238 in favor of this newly-announce kit, then Revell would have a very competitive snap kit in comparison to the current market leaders in kid-friendly snap cars like Aoshima and Airfix. HOWEVER, my fear is that with the parts breakdown seen here that we're looking at a kit much more in keeping with Revell's own Audi E-Tron GT and the shown Lamborghini Revuelto. Neither of these kits are found in the Revell US range, and both command MSRP's of $51.99. Granted, it's entirely possible that a Revell US boxing of this Mustang kit will bring it down in to between $25-$30 MSRP, but that still puts it costlier than other snap kits. I will also point out that the immediate competitors from Aoshima and Airfix are parts of better defined ranges that are also coupled with retail-friendly "self seller" displays to attract young builders and to better place those ranges in non-hobby retailers.

I feel like Revell is doing a very poor job of market research on this Mustang kit. Model builders HAVE an excellent modern Mustang kit from an industry leader. There are three primary complaints about it. 1 - No Engine 2 - No Street Version 3 - Pricier Than Typical Domestic Kit However, the Tamiya GT4 Mustang has been quite a few car modelers' first experience with Tamiya's car kits and it has made for an excellent gateway and earned huge praise for its fit, detail, and clear instructions. Revell may certainly beat Tamiya on price. Revell has certainly delivered a street Mustang instead of the racing GT4. But they've also shown - so far - a distinctly less impressive kit than what's already available. If this doesn't hit shelves below $30 on the MSRP, I predict it will be tough sledding to move this kit.

Well, I have at least one answer for the question of when the AMT GT350's are hitting shop shelves. I got the e-mail today that my preorder of stock on both the GT350's and the El Camino Street Machines are in at my distributor so I should have them on the shelves at Haven by the end of the week.

One thing I have genuinely seen is that late 40's and early 50's subject matter does sell well particularly to customizers and to replica stock builders. Historic and iconic curiosities that haven't been in styrene before are ripe subject matter for such a kit. This is why we have seen such a rise in commercially available 3D files for such vehicles. As to "no significant movie history" that's a bit of an absurd statement given that the car is straight up name-checked in a classic line from one of the most beloved media franchises on the planet.

Here's a suggestion that I would say would actually move a fair number of kits - whatever blueprints/research/tooling bucks might still exist of the aborted '50 Studebaker two door project from the end of the Mueller era need to be employed to finally give us THAT kit as conceived.

It was during the heart of the Racing Champions ownership that also gave us the much maligned '58 Belvedere and new tool Ala Kart, so getting things right wasn't job one at AMT during that unhappy period. The thought process was a very callous "What do kids care as long as it has the logo on the box?" This period went so far as to revive the MPC '69 Camaro for a FnF sequel Yenko Camaro release. Famously, this is the '69 Camaro kit that is so proportionally off that the Monogram Rampage Camaro was considered an improvement.

Spending a lot of time in online modeling forums that were more tuner/exotic build oriented back when those kits were new, I can tell you that they helped sow the initial seeds among millenial model builder backlash AGAINST AMT. The line was roundly mocked for badly proportioned bodies, basic detail inaccuracies (such as the Eclipse having the base model FWD non-turbo driveline!), being the "wrong" scale as their audience primarily were 1/24th scale builders, lack of stock options, and (the biggest crime in the tuner modeling world) absolutely horrible wheels and wheel attachment method. This year at Shizuoka, Aoshima announced an all-new tool MkIV Supra that replicates the famous orange Supra from the first FnF movie. Given that the Aoshima kit will be nicer and quite likely cheaper than the AMT kit, it would be daft of them to go head to head in the marketplace on that release.

Agree WHOLLY there. A direct comparison would be the Red Wheel '48 Caddy which is currently $198 at Spot Model but has this for kit contents.

These are the 1/32nd scale kits. I do have some of the 1/24th scale Initial D glue kits from Aoshima and from Fujimi in stock as well though. They tend to be very easy sells and are often a gateway for Gundam builders who want to try out car building.