How did Lindberg end up with AMT's '34 Ford pick up molds ?

[Greg Myers]

Historians ? 

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Those caps and T-Bird mill would be nice to see back, in one form or another.

[Spex84]

Hey, I have one of these. The caps are kind of cartoony, to be honest. I can't decide if I like them or not. I do like the tires that come with the original kit--they're taller than the firestones included in the Lindberg version.

The T-bird mill is also in the Lindberg version, and those are pretty easy to find online.

I'd also like to know the story...the Lindberg '40 is a very close copy of the AMT '40, as far as I know...but not the same tooling.

The Lindberg '34 PU, though,appears to be exactly the same tooling as AMT.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I'd like to know the real deal on this too.

I've read opinions, but nothing from anyone who I'd really take as a trusted expert...someone who was actually an industry player at the time.

[Harry P.]

I tried googling it. All I could come up with is that AMT claimed that they "lost" the tooling at some point, ans at some later point Lindberg mysteriously "found" it and reissued the kit as their own.

Of course, now AMT owns Lindberg... the "family tree" of car model manufacturers must be a real mess!

[pack rat]

Part of the story as I remember hearing it;

Some time in the mid-70's AMT sent the tool out for repair to a toll and die shop.  In the interim their financial problems led up to the Lesney/Matchbox purchase, and in the resulting upheaval the tool was either forgotten, or the shop wasn't paid, so the shop kept the tool.

I don't recall where I heard this, and I don't think I ever heard the other half of the story (how Lindberg got the tool).

Perhaps someone who was closer to the action can fill in the blanks.

 

     

Edited February 22, 2016 by pack rat

[Art Anderson]

I tried googling it. All I could come up with is that AMT claimed that they "lost" the tooling at some point, ans at some later point Lindberg mysteriously "found" it and reissued the kit as their own.

Of course, now AMT owns Lindberg... the "family tree" of car model manufacturers must be a real mess!

That tooling was sent out, to AMT's long-time tool shop in Windsor Ontario, probably sometime in 1978-79.  It was last run by AMT Corporation in the spring of 1977 (AFIK), as I did the box art model for that release (the dark candy red street rod stake truck model on the boxtop, in early February of 1977--sprayed the cab, fenders, hood and grille shell a dark candy red in the unheated breezeway of my then newly purchased home).

AMT Corporation was in pretty dire straits about that time--sales were way down for them (and for the other two heavily model car-dominated US plastic model companies (Revell--soon to be bought out by the French toymaker CEJI) and MPC--then a division of Fundimensions, a Cincinatti-based toy conglomerate), and in the spring of 1979, AMT was on the verge of filing for bankruptcy--rescued at the last minute by Lesney (think Matchbox Toys there) which had become primarily a US company, based in New Jersey.  Lesney placed one of their own executives who was transplanted from the UK to Canada (he commuted daily across the Detroit River to Warren MI, where AMT relocated their product development offices--all their production having been moved to a factory owned by AMT Corporation in Baltimore.  That move was done very quickly, and left AMT's tooling in considerable disarray, which condition probably still exists today.  It was about this time frame that the '34 Ford pickup tooling was sent to Windsor for refurbishing, and it was somehow "forgotten", particularly after Lesney and Lesney AMT filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early April 1981, after an absolutely dismal last quarter of 1980 and almost NO sales of model kits in the first 3-months of 1981 (I got a phone call from Terry Sanson, the British-borne "Managing Director" of Lesney AMT the morning that the company lawyers went to court--telling me among other things, that the company had shipped just 6-thousand kits in the quarter January 1-March 31!).

When the Ertl Company bought AMT in the summer of 1981, apparently nobody spent much time inventorying the sheet tons of kit tooling,  simply looked at the inventory sheets, then moved all of it to Dyersville IA, where it remained until Round 2 bought the line (save for such tools which had been sent to China for production in the Ertl/RC2 years.

My understand is, that George Toteff, who'd put together the buyout of the then-moribund Lindberg Company circa 1990, visited that Canadian tool company, and in the course of his visit, discovered, or was shown, the '34 Ford pickup tooling--he managed to buy it for the unpaid tool-repair bill plus storage.  The only thing Toteff's company had to do was to tool up new tires for it (PVC model car kit tires are made in tooling completely separate from those molds used for polystyrene parts--hence the rather cool Armstrong Tires in the LIndberg version of this kit.

 

Art

[Art Anderson]

I tried googling it. All I could come up with is that AMT claimed that they "lost" the tooling at some point, ans at some later point Lindberg mysteriously "found" it and reissued the kit as their own.

Of course, now AMT owns Lindberg... the "family tree" of car model manufacturers must be a real mess!

Actually Harry, AMT ceased to be a company with their 1981 bankruptcy--became simply a brand name when the tooling was bought by Ertl.  Currently, the AMT, MPC, LIndberg and IMC brands & tooling are owned by Round2 Corporation out of South Bend, IN.

[Johnt671]

I found that motor in this kit. Ollies had it a while ago for seven bucks.

 

[Lunajammer]

Art, so the tool shop sounds like a car garage that is left with an abandoned car that nobody paid the repair bill for... making them the reluctant owners. Later when a buyer is interested in it, they have the right to sell it for what they have into it. Essentially, AMT forfeited the tool for lack of payment. Lindberg buys tool, AMT buys Lindberg.

[Harry P.]

Actually Harry, AMT ceased to be a company with their 1981 bankruptcy--became simply a brand name when the tooling was bought by Ertl.  Currently, the AMT, MPC, LIndberg and IMC brands & tooling are owned by Round2 Corporation out of South Bend, IN.

See what I mean about the model kit manufacturers' family tree being confusing?

[Art Anderson]

See what I mean about the model kit manufacturers' family tree being confusing?

Yup!

[Harry P.]

Hey Art... if you're still there, what (if anything) do you know about the situation concerning the Danbury Mint tooling? I heard that the Chinese government seized it. True?

[Art Anderson]

Hey Art... if you're still there, what (if anything) do you know about the situation concerning the Danbury Mint tooling? I heard that the Chinese government seized it. True?

I suspect "urban rumor".

[Harry P.]

I suspect "urban rumor".

Yeah, maybe.

But for some reason, Danbury did get out of the model car business. It's a shame, as they offered really well detailed, beautifully engineered models of subjects that many times were not available as kits.

[Art Anderson]

Yeah, maybe.

But for some reason, Danbury did get out of the model car business. It's a shame, as they offered really well detailed, beautifully engineered models of subjects that many times were not available as kits.

For essentially the same reason that Franklin Mint did (before they closed their doors completely).   Interest in, and sale of, such high end diecast models as they were producing began a serious decline with the events of 9/11.

Art

[slusher]

I maybe wrong but right after 9/11 Franklin mint sold some of their cars at half price...

[ChrisBcritter]

Art, can you confirm or deny the story about the AMT '59 Buick tooling having been picked up in England by another company, and if so was it the same type of deal?

[Art Anderson]

Art, can you confirm or deny the story about the AMT '59 Buick tooling having been picked up in England by another company, and if so was it the same type of deal?

I've never even head that "story" before.

Art

[Dave Van]

Hey Art... if you're still there, what (if anything) do you know about the situation concerning the Danbury Mint tooling? I heard that the Chinese government seized it. True?

While I have no info on the 'Mint' tooling.....there is somewhat a law in China that items made in China are subject to numerous laws and rules.  Most of these are made so companies can't flee to the next low cost manufacturing country taking their 'China' made tooling. So I can see what you said happen. 

[unclescott58]

I'd like to see a review with pictures, of what's included in the Lindberg '34 Ford kit. Does it still include the custom wheel covers and the Thunderbird engine the origin had?

And I keep reading about how the Lindberg's '40 Ford coupe is almost an exact of AMT's '40 Ford coupe. But not as good. It would be interesting to see a review, again with pictures, comparing the two kits to each other. Years ago I bought Lindberg's Dodge cab over truck with the flatbed trailer and their '40 Ford coupe. From what I remember, it didn't look all that bad to me.

[Dave Van]

I'd like to see a review with pictures, of what's included in the Lindberg '34 Ford kit. Does it still include the custom wheel covers and the Thunderbird engine the origin had?

And I keep reading about how the Lindberg's '40 Ford coupe is almost an exact of AMT's '40 Ford coupe. But not as good. It would be interesting to see a review, again with pictures, comparing the two kits to each other. Years ago I bought Lindberg's Dodge cab over truck with the flatbed trailer and their '40 Ford coupe. From what I remember, it didn't look all that bad to me.

The last issue of the 'Lindberg' 34 Ford had the all chrome TB engine and all versions of the 'bed'.....stock, flatbed and tow. 

Wheels have changed a few times.....as have tires.....but kit still contains LOTS of original parts. 

The 40 Ford does look like a copy of the AMT....but not 'cloned'.....fit is not as good....not as many parts....but not a horrible kit. 

From last issue of 34........

Edited February 23, 2016 by Dave Van

[68shortfleet]

Does anybody have box top pictures of all the different version of the 34 over the years? Maybe a chronological picture history. I have seen a couple threads like this with details. One was for the 70's Dodge trucks and another for the 70 Chev/GMC trucks.

[Jantrix]

To my knowledge, the only parts not available int he recent releases from Lindburg was the dual rear wheels.

[68shortfleet]

Out of curiosity, Where does the Lindberg 34 Roadster Pickup fall into this. Is it the same chassis tooling with a roadster cab?

I have several of the closed cab versions, but have never had a roadster version. If it is all different tooling, is it a decent kit?