Justin Porter

I think there is a world of difference between asking Round 2 to create a new Enthusiast Series (something that not even Fujimi is especially keen on doing) and asking Round 2 that a new kit that will retail for at minimum the same $41.95 that my vendor is currently suggesting for the ex-Lindberg 1966 Chevelle to be no less detailed than that kit. This is particularly galling when my wholesale cost for said ex-Lindberg Chevelle is only a dollar less than the retail cost for the 100% brand new tooled Hasegawa first generation Toyota MR2. And if this was simply the manner in which ALL future tooling from AMT is to be done, point blank end of discussion, then that's that and there's no discussion to be had. However, they have shown that for the new Charger and the new Bronco they are more than capable of modern tooling. They are simply choosing not to do this for the classic builder. You tell me, is that adding value for customers who prefer to build classic musclecars?

I don't shy away at all from some of the baffling errors Moebius or Revell have made in their kits. In fact I'm still rather wounded by the E-Type FHC windshield. However, incompetence/indifference on the part of Revell or Moebius isn't actually relevant to a deliberate design choice by Round 2. This isn't that they made a mistake with their dimensions or failed to double check their references. This is them tooling a properly detailed current Dodge Charger and then turning around and saying "but the people who want to build a '68 Dodge Coronet get reheated promo leftovers" BY CHOICE. Round 2 deserves no defense on choosing to tool kits from new as if they were constrained by the cost and durability demands of manufacturers who need advertising giveaway toys.

I'm not comparing the companies in terms of tooling approach OR in terms of kit quality. The comparison is business practice. None of the above take a deliberate step backward to "revive kit design how it used to be" especially when in direct competition with each other and with themselves. AMT has done good Chrysler B-bodies. They've done GREAT ones even. Granted, it's a '71, but the AMT '71 Dodge Charger is astonishingly good and still has probably the best interior detail of any generation of Dodge Charger kit. From their own description, their intent is a kit with similar chassis detail to the AMT 1969 Chevelle kit. That's ludicrously archaic and the concept of passing the buck onto the builder with "Don't worry, they produced a kit 30 years ago with a better chassis" is an admission that THEY CAN DO BETTER. I'm not holding AMT to a Tamiya or a Hasegawa or an Aoshima standard. I'm holding them to an AMT standard.

The point is not whether or not it's an easy kit bash to replace the chassis with something more detailed. The point is that in 2022 there is no excuse for purposefully engineering a kit to be worse than an existing product. Aoshima and Fujimi have both had KPGC110 "Ken & Mary" Skyline GTR's in their catalog since the early 80's. That didn't stop Hasegawa from evaluating their competition and delivering a superior product with completely modern tooling when they chose to tool a brand new KPGC110. Likewise compare how Aoshima raised the bar on Lamborghini Countachs in terms of fit, options, and buildability even with the mighty Fujimi Enthusiast series kits still being available AND the continued popularity of Tamiya's admittedly archaic kit. Frustratingly, the Bronco and Charger kits PROVE that Round 2 is wholly capable of producing relatively modern kits. They are deliberately underserving builders of American classic cars because they are cruelly aware of just what dreck they can foist on a customer base that will gleefully defend AMT regardless of how many times the company slaps them across the face with their indifference.

That's genuinely a fantastic addition to the kit. All those little things will only help bring the model to life.

Have to hand it to Salvinos. It took no more than an hour and forty five minutes from the point at which I announced the Elliot Camaros had arrived on my shelves for the first one to walk out the door.

And while you're at it, could we NOT skip this generation of Super GT cars in plastic? The current Super GT Supras, NSX's, and now the new 400Z's are really amazing looking racing cars with genuinely compelling liveries.

This is such a lovely build to see! Wonderful results worth envying!

I am THRILLED for that Rover SD1! That's genuinely a really cool touring car subject to pick!

Quite frankly, I'm excited for the 3rd quarter in terms of stocking my shelves. There's a good amount of buzz around the revived Deuce Roadster and the 442 among my customers, and I've already had a few inquiries about the 3rd gen Camaro as well.

Genuinely makes me happy to see how aggressively Hasegawa is approaching new tooling.

Wow is that an improvement over the Fujimi and Aoshima kits! Plus I am absolutely loving the interior side panels that actually include the C-pillar trim.

I'd be just as happy if they decided not to reissue the Duster and instead explored some alternate decal options for the Hawaiian Charger they released in 2010. I do understand that the Chi-Town Hustler was a particularly unique car so it's not nearly as viable for altered reissue but sure there are other interesting Chargers either in period or on the nostalgia circuit that the kit could represent.

That's definitely a different take on the kit! While I would much rather they were reissuing the modern '55 Chevy hardtop kit seen in the California Wheels line this ought to be fairly popular.

I will say the Moebius '61 Pontiacs don't tend to hang around at my shop. I would be quite pleased if they considered a companion '63 or '64 full size kit. At the same time, a not-horrible '64 or '65 GTO would be lovely and probably more popular.

Jim Henson's works aside from those belonging to the Children's Television Workshop fall under the Disney umbrella so it would come down to Round 2's standing agreements with Disney. That being said, now I get to be reminded of Racing Champions killing off the development of the new-tool Studebaker that AMT/Ertl had cooking at the time of the takeover and how there's no such thing as a 1/25th scale Studebaker tooled up in the 21st century. Thanks guys.

Stevens International just gave the following as open for shops to preorder with the following MSRP's. AMT #1327 Peterbilt 359 California Hauler w/Sleeper $78.95 #1333 Coke 1929 Ford Woody Pickup $43.95 #1334 1964 Mercury Comet Craftsman Plus $38.95 #1360 1957 Chevy Bel Air Pepper Shaker $38.95 MPC #891 1983 Toyota Celica Supra $38.95 #974 LA Dart Wheelstander $38.95 #977 George Barris Raiders Coach $38.95

I don't balk at premium prices on premium kits. I balk at premium prices on barely modified reissues of ancient kits that are then abandoned AFTER the kit has already been sold through traditional channels. For that matter, it's worth noting that the Tamiya kit was produced and licensed while Aston Martin was under completely different ownership. The current Canadian owners of Aston Martin may be more amenable to licensing discussion than David Richards' Prodrive group was. And while we're on the subject of pricing, Tamiya's reissue of the FULL DETAIL Z31 Nissan 300ZX Turbo just hit my distributor with an MSRP of $31 and the all-new FULL DETAIL 2nd gen Subaru BRZ has an MSRP of $46. I think I'm still quite justified in being virulently upset that Round 2 wants me to place a totally uncompetitive MSRP of $54.95 on the Surf Shark Ambulance.

I'd trust Aoshima or Ebbro with it as well. Revell is another possibility as their recent run of European classics (with the exception of the E-Type FHC roof) have been quite nice. Tamiya or Ebbro would be the front runners though. Imagining a DB5 done to the standard of those Citroen DS's is modeling bliss.

I cannot express with enough disgust how much I do NOT want Round 2 handling a classic Aston Martin kit.

In 1/25th there is the ancient Aurora DB4 which has been reissued both by Monogram and by Revell (in their SSP program). That's a kit that badly needs put out to pasture.

I can tell you there are a lot more builders clamoring for a stock Aston Martin DB5 kit with modern detail than there are calling for a reissue of Airfix OR Aurora's James Bond DB5. Keep in mind there hasn't been a stock classic Aston Martin kit in 1/24th scale since Airfix retooled their DB5 to represent a DB6. Granted, there are also a lot of folks clamoring for a nice '77 V8 Vantage kit but that's a bit more optimistic than a DB5 or a DB4 GT Zagato.

Certainly is an advancement if Revell really is supplying this much for underhood and interior decals on this kit. Things like the V-Belt part number or the Caution sticker on the fan shroud really bring these areas to life.

HUGE news on that Kenmeri! Both the Fujimi and the Aoshima kits are pretty well aged and pretty rough tooling. That's an important car that needed to be represented in a modern kit.

My point is that unless they have standing IP rights that another company does not have and cannot acquire more cheaply through negotiations (as in my Atlantis example) then Johan has absolutely NOTHING OF VALUE and no one should consider buying them. A sufficiently motivated individual who had the IP licensing rights from Stellantis could contract T-Rex Studios (the independent kit design firm utilized by Meng, Takom, and a slew of others) and have the CAD of the kit within three months, and test shots in 9 especially since something along the lines of a '68 AMX or a '70 Superbird is significantly less complicated than a full interior King Tiger. You don't need a bloody thing from Johan in the world of modern kit development. The only possibly beneficial thing is if they offer a cheaper way to get the license to produce domestic car kits than to negotiate a new licensing deal with the manufacturers themselves.