AMT/SMP history lesson wanted

[ChrisBcritter]

On 6/9/2020 at 7:19 PM, Casey said:

https://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/1467/amt-model-car-handbook

Well, well. What have we here?

Looks like AMT had a '61 Galaxie four-door hardtop promo in the pipeline at some point, like they did with the '60 - but in this case it didn't get that far, and we got the two-door notchback promo instead (later re-purposed as the Styline kit). Another item for the Ghost Kits list?

Edited June 11, 2020 by ChrisBcritter

[Casey]

10 hours ago, ChrisBcritter said:

Well, well. What have we here?

Looks like AMT had a '61 Galaxie four-door hardtop promo in the pipeline at some point, like they did with the '60 - but in this case it didn't get that far, and we got the two-door notchback promo instead (later re-purposed as the Styline kit). Another item for the Ghost Kits list?

Could very well be.

[SCRWDRVR]

 

[peteski]

That was an interesting video - I learned foe things I did not know about AMT.

[Casey]

On 10/31/2018 at 7:13 PM, Casey said:

El Matador, parked in front of the AMT building:

 

[Casey]

Reads much like the video dialogue: https://gluestickssite.wordpress.com/2019/08/04/history-of-the-amt-model-company/

 

 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Casey

[unclescott58]

Lots of good stuff here. I love Max's model company history videos. And fun and fascinating to read the article on SMP from back in 1980. Always interesting stuff to me. 

[Mike999]

11 hours ago, Casey said:

 

I can't find an old article I remember reading, about driving the El Matador.  I think Budd Anderson wrote it, since he drove that car all over the country for AMT. 

Anyway, whoever wrote it said driving the Matador was a really miserable experience.  It handled like a pig.  The low suspension sent every little road bump straight up your spine. Those bumps were keenly felt, since you were almost sitting on the floor because of the chopped top.  Big parking lot speed bumps were a real challenge, since they might rip off part of the suspension.

Engine heat radiated right into the interior and the floorboards got hot enough to roast the occupants' feet.  Anderson swapped the original Tri-Power Olds engine for a small-block Ford when he was driving it for AMT.  Maybe he was trying to fix some of the handling and heat problems.

Here's a history of the El Matador.

https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Bill_Cushenbery's_1940_Ford

[Casey]

AMT had a Los Angeles address in 1967? 

[Don Sikora II]

On 12/2/2020 at 10:38 PM, Casey said:

AMT had a Los Angeles address in 1967? 

Very interesting! That might be the address for Dynamic (slot cars) which AMT owned at the time. Don’t think I’ve ever seen it on a flyer or anything similar before though. Somewhere I read that some AMT kit packaging was done at Dynamic, I think it was for the 1/72-scale airplanes that they issued 1967-1969. The planes were purchased bag shots from FROG and Hasegawa. 

Edit: Googled the address and it looks like it’s now part of Santa Monica Blvd near Supleveda. 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Don Sikora II

[Casey]

Might these be AMT employees in this sales sheet for the '37 Chevy coupe?

[Casey]

On 12/3/2020 at 10:46 PM, Don Sikora II said:

Very interesting! That might be the address for Dynamic (slot cars) which AMT owned at the time. Don’t think I’ve ever seen it on a flyer or anything similar before though. Somewhere I read that some AMT kit packaging was done at Dynamic, I think it was for the 1/72-scale airplanes that they issued 1967-1969. The planes were purchased bag shots from FROG and Hasegawa. 

Edit: Googled the address and it looks like it’s now part of Santa Monica Blvd near Supleveda. 

I actually saw it on a flyer someone in France was selling, so perhaps that was the address of one of AMT's overseas distributors? I have seen Lesney-era catalogs and such printed in German, but not sure if that was done in French and/or other languages earlier than that.

Here's the scan of the last page, showing the Pontius Ave address, and the full 1968 AMT brochure scans can be found here: https://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/1542/amt-1967-brochure

[Claes Ericsson]

On 12/14/2020 at 11:10 PM, Casey said:

Might these be AMT employees in this sales sheet for the '37 Chevy coupe?

Bets are off; I recognize a few names.? Here's a better copy I posted on FB last year....

[Casey]

Nice, '37 Chevy 1/10 scale master buck, too.

[ChrisBcritter]

Looks like #8 John Gimmell is holding a full shot of the '65 Galaxie convertible kit.

[Casey]

On 10/30/2018 at 11:42 PM, Don Sikora II said:

They made at least a few other products.

I think someone else mentioned AMT dipped their toes into the board game market, but I can't find the posts, so give yourself credit if you like. As for those games, it appears AMT released or had a part in (as in, didn't fully design and release the complete games solely under the AMT brand) at least three games-- Astro Blitz, Cube Fusion, and Rat Race:

 

I saw online reference to AMT's Rat Race game, but I haven't been able to find any images of the game with the AMT logo, so not sure if it was ever an official AMT product or not. Maybe a U.S. vs. Canada or U.K./international licensing thing?:

 

[Claes Ericsson]

49 minutes ago, Casey said:

 

I have the AMT Rat Race set. Similar layout, different printing. Have the sales flyer too. Will post pics when I'm back home.

[Claes Ericsson]

Here's the game and the flyer. Board size is roughly 18,5" by 18,5".

[Don Sikora II]

It wasn't me who mentioned AMT board games, these are completely new to me! Great finds.

[Don Sikora II]

On 1/14/2021 at 7:20 PM, Casey said:

I actually saw it on a flyer someone in France was selling, so perhaps that was the address of one of AMT's overseas distributors? I have seen Lesney-era catalogs and such printed in German, but not sure if that was done in French and/or other languages earlier than that.

Here's the scan of the last page, showing the Pontius Ave address, and the full 1968 AMT brochure scans can be found here: https://modelkitreviews.proboards.com/thread/1542/amt-1967-brochure

A few years ago someone on Facebook posted an AMT stockholder's annual report, I believe from 1967 or 1968. From memory, AMT had some kind of export (and import?) operations in the Los Angeles area in those days. So maybe this address is related to the export business, especially since the person selling the original brochure was in France. I believe Al Trendle (spelling?) was listed as the person in charge of this section of the AMT business. He later founded Minicraft.

[Casey]

On 3/23/2021 at 3:39 PM, Don Sikora II said:

A few years ago someone on Facebook posted an AMT stockholder's annual report, I believe from 1967 or 1968. From memory, AMT had some kind of export (and import?) operations in the Los Angeles area in those days.

Maybe Art Van de Lay was in charge of that. ?

Vintage sales sheet for the AMT '32 Ford, with some showroom and dealer info at the bottom:

 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Casey

[Casey]

Not sure where I got this, but that appears to be The Kat himself on the Rat Race board?:

Edited February 12, 2022 by Casey

[ChrisBcritter]

Looks like Norm Grabowski to me?

[Mark]

It wouldn't be Budd Anderson...he left AMT in mid-1964.  He was with IMC right after that, maybe for a year or so, then on to MPC.

[paul alflen]

Casey, That's a  good one you slipped in there! The George Costanza Phantom employer/job on Seinfeld.