What was the last actual AMT kit issued?

[GLMFAA1]

25 minutes ago, Brian Austin said:

 AMT kits aren't branded Aluminum Model Toys, either. (Original name).

😛

Now there is another interesting question. What was the last aluminum car that AMT made. I would conjecture that it was in the mid 50's as I believe the first plastic kits were 1958. I don't know when they switched to plastic promotionals.

greg

[peteski]

4 hours ago, GLMFAA1 said:

Now there is another interesting question. What was the last aluminum car that AMT made. I would conjecture that it was in the mid 50's as I believe the first plastic kits were 1958. I don't know when they switched to plastic promotionals.

greg

According to the Wiki article, only one aluminum model car was made.

Because Gallogly had solid connections with Ford Motor Company, he was able to place his first models exclusively in Ford dealerships, starting a long promotional relationship.^[1] Gallogly's first model was a 1947–1948 Ford Fordor sedan made of cast aluminum and painted with official Ford paint.^[1] After issuing successful Ford sedan models, the company set up shop on Eight Mile Road outside Detroit.

By 1948, injection plastic molding was already being used by Product Miniature Corporation (PMC). After the first Ford aluminum promotional model was offered,^[2] aluminum was abandoned. Different colors of plastic could now be used, so the company name was quietly changed to AMT, which deemphasized the word "aluminum".^[1]

[Carmak]

This is a simple question with a very complicated answer. My answer is too long but is still way over simplified.

It is my understanding that AMT didn't end so much as it evolved until AMT/ERTL ended kit production (2007/2008). After that Round2 leased, then acquired the AMT tooling and rights in 2012 (along with many other brands noted already). I do not know if any former AMT designers work for Round2 but it is possible.

When AMT was purchased by Lesney and then again by ERTL some of the design staff stayed with the company and even moved to Iowa (home of ERTL) from Michigan.

Over the decades of operation scores of kit designers and tool makers came and went. As a kit seller the basic business model changed from making promotional models that could be re-purposed into model kits (50's to mid 70's) into complete kits from scratch of both contemporary and vintage kits. Lots of evolution.

For example, you could argue the last true AMT kit was made in 63-64 which is when George Toteff left AMT (to found MPC). George was pioneer in high quality one piece model car bodies while he worked at AMT and is considered one of the founding fathers of the model kit hobby.

It's a complicated answer.  

[Force]

On 1/10/2024 at 1:48 AM, RickRollerLT1 said:

I believe when Round 2 finalized the AMT/MPC purchase, they only got the Ertl non-tractor molds. I believe the reason was companies like John Deere had exclusive merchandising contracts with Ertl/Tomy that couldn't be transferred to R2. Not sure what are of the Tractor tools now or if R2 got them later, but I do know many of them haven't been reissued since 2007 and currently go for stoopid money in the marketplaces.

In addition to the all styrene trucks and 4x4s that have been recently reissued, Ertl also did various trucks and kits with die cast bodies.

'65 Mustang

'80 Trans Am

'80 Camaro

'81 Bronco

'75 Corvette

Peterbilt 359?

Mack DM Series?

It's possible the tooling still exists for some of these, but the odds are unlikely since R2 had to remake the International Transtar tool from the ground up.

Round 2 did appearently not get all the non farm tractor kit tooling when they aquired the AMT/MPC brands and tool bank from ERTL/Tomy.
The original International Transtar CO-4070A tool originally issued 1972 was changed to the later International Transtar II Eagle CO-4070B 1976 and it couldn't be issued again in the original form, so Round 2 recently did new tooling for the CO-4070A, but they don't seem to have the CO-4070B tool in their posession because they would have re-issued it by now as it's a quite sought after kit, so ERTL/Tomy must still have the tooling.
The International Transtar II Eagle CO-4070B was last in the AMT/ERTL catalogue in 1987 and the last time it was re-issued was as a AMT/ERTL Buyer's Choice series kit in 1996 and has never been issued again since then as far as I know.
The International F-4270 was also changed to the Transtar Eagle 4300 in 1977 so the earlier F-4270 can't be issued in the original form anymore but the 4300 has been reissued under the AMT brand and is up for another re-issue this year.
Other ERTL kits that haven't been out in a long time is the die cast chassis trucks like the Volvo N10 and the Peterbilt 359, it would most likely be possible to shoot plastic in the die cast molds like Revell has done with some of their kits.

Edited January 11 by Force

[Little Timmy]

I'm not trying to throw a wrench into the discussion,  but I thought that AMT started out as SMP ?

Somebody let me know if I'm  remembering stuff wrong.

 

[peteski]

12 minutes ago, Little Timmy said:

I'm not trying to throw a wrench into the discussion,  but I thought that AMT started out as SMP ?

Somebody let me know if I'm  remembering stuff wrong.

 

You have it backwards. It is all mentioned in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum_Model_Toys  Read it - it is interesting historical info.

Aluminum Model Toys bought SMP in 1961, adopting SMP's 3-in-1 kit idea and the SMP logo, which at the time was a diamond shape.^[4] AMT also adopted some of the SMP kit features when making promotional models.

Edited January 12 by peteski

[Little Timmy]

Ah .

Thank you. I knew I was confused.

 

( darn glue fumes..... )

 

 

[Straightliner59]

11 hours ago, Force said:

The International F-4270 was also changed to the Transtar Eagle 4300 in 1977 so the earlier F-4270 can't be issued in the original form anymore but the 4300 has been reissued under the AMT brand and is up for another re-issue this year.

Interestingly, I have seen them a few times on Ebay (USA) in the past couple of years, for what I thought were fairly reasonable prices, considering its short production life.

[Force]

7 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

Interestingly, I have seen them a few times on Ebay (USA) in the past couple of years, for what I thought were fairly reasonable prices, considering its short production life.

Yes, both the Transtar F-4270 and the Transtar CO-4070A had very short production runs, the Transtar 4300 and the Transtar II Eagle CO-4070B wich replaced them was on the market a lot longer, the Transtar II CO-4070B was also changed from air ride to walking beam a year or so into the production and all kits after that has walking beam.

[Straightliner59]

14 hours ago, Force said:

Yes, both the Transtar F-4270 and the Transtar CO-4070A had very short production runs, the Transtar 4300 and the Transtar II Eagle CO-4070B wich replaced them was on the market a lot longer, the Transtar II CO-4070B was also changed from air ride to walking beam a year or so into the production and all kits after that has walking beam.

Seven years ago (before we knew there would be an new issue) I paid $180 for an unbuilt CO4070A! It's in beautiful condition, with all the inserts and the parts all on the trees. It's a sentimental thing, as I bought an original issue, when they were first released. 

[GLMFAA1]

Bringing this topic back up, I researched through an unnamed source of what transpired at AMT in 1977/78. Unionized workers were in negotiations and a strike was imposed in April. The corporation settled with the employees and moved operations to Baltimore Maryland and Warren Michigan. Lesney bought AMT when it was in Baltimore later selling it off to Ertl. In January of 1978 the projects in development were the Garwood garbage truck and Tyrone Malone's Super Boss. The production in 1978 were the GMC General in February, the VW Rabbit in March, the 1/16th scale 55 T-Bird in June and the Budweiser 8 horse hitch wagon in June. The Subaru Brat was the first production under the AMT/Lesney banner out of Baltimore. I hope this clears up some of the fog about this topic.

greg