Terrible Box Art

[peteski]

What's up with the square headlights?  Sealed beam headlights were either round or rectangular (none square).

[Rob Hall]

6 minutes ago, peteski said:

What's up with the square headlights?  Sealed beam headlights were either round or rectangular (none square).

Creative license I guess.  The kit has round lights. 

[Can-Con]

8 hours ago, Mike999 said:

 

I did a quick search on AMT box art for 1971.  Another big "personal luxury" car, the '71 Chevy Monte Carlo, was shown on the drag strip doing a wheel-stand.  That seems about as likely as the paint job on the B.O.P.  '71 T-Bird. 

 

Yea, never happen.

[Danno]

 

This one always makes me think of a big, inflatable front yard balloony-thing.  Not a model car kit.  ??

 

[Mike999]

10 hours ago, Can-Con said:

Yea, never happen.

LOL!  Note to self, always check for photos before snarking.  Now I'm trying to figure out the Terrible Box Art for the AMT '70 Monte Carlo.  Is that a banked dirt track?  An outlaw drag strip?  Our driver is wearing a helmet and mask but his Monte doesn't have a roll bar.  It does have a big hole in the hood to show off the side-draft Weber carbs.  "Curiouser and curiouser," as old Lewis Carroll would say...

 

[Sledsel]

This one always turned me off. Nice kit, bad representation.                                                                

Edited December 30, 2020 by Sledsel

[slusher]

2 hours ago, Mike999 said:

LOL!  Note to self, always check for photos before snarking.  Now I'm trying to figure out the Terrible Box Art for the AMT '70 Monte Carlo.  Is that a banked dirt track?  An outlaw drag strip?  Our driver is wearing a helmet and mask but his Monte doesn't have a roll bar.  It does have a big hole in the hood to show off the side-draft Weber carbs.  "Curiouser and curiouser," as old Lewis Carroll would say...

 

If it wasn’t for the hole in the hood this one would not be bad. Wonder what’s inside?

[Draggon]

 

On 12/29/2020 at 8:05 AM, doorsovdoon said:

Awesome kit, terrible box art! The T-Bird of Paradise. I can understand some kits like the Squad Rod and Fuzz Duster looking like a toy to maybe appeal to a younger audience, but this? who is it being marketed to? The car is from the early 70's, way too expensive and new a car to 'hippy it up' and just plain naff in any other time. What happened in the meeting when they came up with this? I would love to know what decisions were made and the reasoning they came up with it! The poor thing looks like it's racing away from it's owners as fast as it can, "I'm outa here" Lol

They cribbed the name from a series of kits from the 60's or 70's ( I've forgotten) that poked fun at Cuba. There was the "Beard of Paradise", Havana Banana, and Che Riviera. The Falcon Ranchero was included, but I don't remember what they called it. I think it was Ole something.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by Draggon

[doorsovdoon]

"Beard of Paradise" That's hilarious! xD Che Riviera? C'mon, enough, Lol! I have no idea what's going on in that one.  "This is ATC, bring 'em in... maintain six feet if you can"?

[Draggon]

I had the name wrong for the Ranchero. Feast your eyes upon El Ranchero Grande!

[cobraman]

While not exactly box art it is terrible . Sad thing is it does look like the model . 

[unclescott58]

On 12/30/2020 at 5:06 PM, doorsovdoon said:

"Beard of Paradise" That's hilarious! xD Che Riviera? C'mon, enough, Lol! I have no idea what's going on in that one.  "This is ATC, bring 'em in... maintain six feet if you can"?

You indicated that you don't understand what's going on with all the airplanes on the box art of the Che Riviera kit? The Havana Banana is part of the same joke. When these kits were release, a lot of U.S. planes where being hi jacked to Cuba. No extradition treaties. And security was almost nonexistent in U.S. airports at that time. This changed after serveral planes made non scheduled stops in Havana in the late 60's, early 70's.. 

The Beard of Pardise is the one that doesn't make as much sense to me. Why the old biplane? Still it's fun box art. 

Edited January 2, 2021 by unclescott58

[Snake45]

It would have made more sense for AMT to have reboxed some of their '40s and '50s kits in the Cuban theme, as US trade with Cuba was suspended around, what, 1959, 1960? 

[Mark]

On 12/29/2020 at 11:05 AM, doorsovdoon said:

Awesome kit, terrible box art! The T-Bird of Paradise. I can understand some kits like the Squad Rod and Fuzz Duster looking like a toy to maybe appeal to a younger audience, but this? who is it being marketed to? The car is from the early 70's, way too expensive and new a car to 'hippy it up' and just plain naff in any other time. What happened in the meeting when they came up with this? I would love to know what decisions were made and the reasoning they came up with it! The poor thing looks like it's racing away from it's owners as fast as it can, "I'm outa here" Lol

Ford had a customized Bronco out on the show circuit around that time, with a similar paint scheme.  AMT probably didn't want to tool a ton of custom parts for the 'Bird, so they went with the decal scheme.

[Erik Smith]

I would put all the “Havana” series and the “South of the Border” series on my favorite box art - yes, some are probably not sensitive to stereotypes that we acknowledge now, but the art work is really great and era perfect.

Anybody have a clue who the artist might have been?

[Oldcarfan27]

Reminds me of the distorted "flower power" series. If I was new to the hobby and saw these, I would have thought these were caricature kits 'ala' Deals Wheels or even worse Palmers.

They sure would not inspire me to buy them for their contents!

[BlackSheep214]

11 minutes ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Reminds me of the distorted "flower power" series. If I was new to the hobby and saw these, I would have thought these were caricature kits 'ala' Deals Wheels or even worse Palmers.

They sure would not inspire me to buy them for their contents!

Good Lord, no....... pink whitewall tires? Seriously? LOL!

I’ll bet the decals are murder to put down too.

[Danno]

2 hours ago, Erik Smith said:

I would put all the “Havana” series and the “South of the Border” series on my favorite box art - yes, some are probably not sensitive to stereotypes that we acknowledge now, but the art work is really great and era perfect.

Anybody have a clue who the artist might have been?

 

Probably in hiding now that some people have 'woke.'

 

??

[Snake45]

3 hours ago, Erik Smith said:

Anybody have a clue who the artist might have been?

The passengers in that one remind me of the work of one of the hot rod cartoonists of the day. For some reason the name "Willougby" or "Willowby" pops into my head. Does that ring any bells with anyone else? 

[Vince Nemanic]

I read somewhere that the flower power boxes were meant to be put under a "black light". Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, Snake45 said:

The passengers in that one remind me of the work of one of the hot rod cartoonists of the day. For some reason the name "Willougby" or "Willowby" pops into my head. Does that ring any bells with anyone else? 

Turns out that's the name--James/Jim Willoughby. Here's one of his cartoons: 

[ChrisBcritter]

15 hours ago, Snake45 said:

It would have made more sense for AMT to have reboxed some of their '40s and '50s kits in the Cuban theme, as US trade with Cuba was suspended around, what, 1959, 1960? 

April '60 IIRC - there are some '60 models still rattling around Cuba; there's no "Che Riviera" but their national auto museum has Che Guevara's '60 Bel Air four-door hardtop.

[unclescott58]

19 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Reminds me of the distorted "flower power" series. If I was new to the hobby and saw these, I would have thought these were caricature kits 'ala' Deals Wheels or even worse Palmers.

They sure would not inspire me to buy them for their contents!

I think Patrick got winner on this. The AMT Flower Power series has got to take the cake for the worst box ever. I know in general what the kits I each box looked like. But, I'm curious about the decal used in these kits. Anybody have pictures of the decals? 

[unclescott58]

Speaking of "Flower Power" and bad box art. AMT also gave us the Michael J. Pollard "Flower Power" '36 Ford. Ugh. Between Pollard himself, who I always found a little creepy. And the flowers. In would have been tough to get me to part with my money on that one. 

 

Edited January 1, 2021 by unclescott58

[1972coronet]

Pollard notwithstanding ; at least that '36 looks like an actual vehicle , unlike those hideous Peony Pony et al. ! 

I love psychedelic art and surrealism ---- but , those renderings are just plain awful . I'm inclined to agree that those take the proverbial Rosemary's Baby cake --- even Palmer kits' box art wasn't THAT nauseating !