Where are they now?

[angelo7]

These kits and many more were actually built and then photographed for the box covers. What happens to these trucks afterwards? Do they sell them or put on storage? Just wondering.

Edited August 27, 2014 by angelo7

[chunkypeanutbutter]

If they were built by someone outside the company, I think they give it to that person. Don't quote me on that, but I think I've heard that before.

[Art Anderson]

If they were built by someone outside the company, I think they give it to that person. Don't quote me on that, but I think I've heard that before.

I did a lot of box art, catalog, trade show display and presentation models (from kits) for AMT Corporation, and some for their successor Lesney-AMT between 1975 and the end of 1981. They commissioned the builds, specified colors, etc. and paid me for the work (AMT provided the necessary kits though) when I delivered them to the company.

The box art models got traveled around, many probably were lost eventually; however some did show up at a GSL perhaps 25 yrs ago, and were auctioned off there, from what I have been told.

Pretty much, when a modeler did work such as that, the model became the property of the customer.

Art

[angelo7]

Great info, Thank you!!

[MADDOG]

This is something I have wondered from time to time. Glad you asked.

[jas1957]

I built a couple box art models for AMT maybe '88-'89 or so. Just like Art said they sent you the kits with specific instructions on what parts to use & what colors to paint. The ones I did had stock & street versions so I built two models for each box. You also got a return shipping label. IIRC they wanted them back in about a month. I have no idea what happened to them after that. But I did request & get unfolded box tops of the ones I built, still have those.

[angelo7]

Let's see a picture of that box John. And, how did you guys find out about doing the kit for the company. Newspaper ad, modelers club, TV ads?

[roym]

Some of those AMT trucks (if not all) in that year's Matchbox catalogue illustrated above were built by Ted Taylor, who worked with Matchbox at the time. He also wrote for UK based model magazines (Scale Models, and later Scale Aircraft Modelling, amongst others). Quite a talented modeller, just as famous for his 1/48 Phantoms as his 1/25 trucks. His website has some of the old photos, including GMC General, Autocar and Super Boss.

http://tedtaylor.hobbyvista.com/99-amt/page-99.html

[Bennyg]

Some of those AMT trucks (if not all) in that year's Matchbox catalogue illustrated above were built by Ted Taylor, who worked with Matchbox at the time. He also wrote for UK based model magazines (Scale Models, and later Scale Aircraft Modelling, amongst others). Quite a talented modeller, just as famous for his 1/48 Phantoms as his 1/25 trucks. His website has some of the old photos, including GMC General, Autocar and Super Boss.

http://tedtaylor.hobbyvista.com/99-amt/page-99.html

Unfortunately Ted passed away last year.

Ben

Edited August 29, 2014 by Bennyg

[Tom Geiger]

As per what Art said, I was at the GSL auction where they auctioned off a bunch of box art models in 2001. I was lucky enough to win the Deora pictured below.

Interesting that they air brushed the color change, I am assured this was the same car and could find small similarities in the box photos, matching imperfections etc. Back then they did the cars without glass or lenses, adding them in the air brush phase. The tires also have the tread painted gray so it would show up in photos. If anyone knows who built this one, please let me know!

My only claim to fame in this area is that I built the above pickup for the Model King release. This is the final box shot, which Dave gave me on glossy paper. Dave gave me a test shot of the truck, with about a month to build it and hand it off to Doug Whyte, who was the photographer, at NNL East that year. I'm not a fast builder, but I rose to the occasion and got it done in time!

There never was any mention of what would happen in the end, nor did I ask. So I was surprised when it showed up back in my mail box. I have the truck today.

[mrknowetall]

Here's my box art build from around 1990. Not a fun kit to build, but I painted and assembled three of them in short order. The glass is airbrushed and the chrome was heavily airbrushed. The image is from an eBay seller.

Edited August 29, 2014 by mrknowetall

[jas1957]

Angel I have never figured out how to post pics here. I built the '53 Vette & '72 GMC step side pick up that were in the same series as the above '68 Shelby. I got involved because of Bob Bost who had built some & got me in. We had met Karen Sands of Ertl at the Toledo toy Show in the mid 1980s & she was always looking for someone to get involved. That was a long time ago, how to get in now I have no idea.

[freakshow12]

How can I do one?? I would love that job

[pack rat]

I started doing box-art/display kits for Round2 through a friend-of-a-friend and a dusty old model.

Way back when the AMT Po Shop '64 Ford was released my local LHS proprietor asked me to build one for him for display in his store. Fast forward a few years....a friend of his (John Greczula from Round2) was visiting his house and spotted the old Galaxie sitting in a display cabinet. At the time ihobby 2008 was coming up and John needed someone to assemble a couple of test shots for the show. I was offered the task, I figured "this might be fun", and that led to 60/70-something kits since then.

Yes it's fun, but there are some challenges. Time is a big factor (usually 7-10 days in my spare time), and sometimes you're working with test shots that aren't quite production-ready. The highlight for me was the snap '66 Batmobile....I had to mate a resin prototype body with an early test shot....and it had to be painted AND pinstriped (somehow). I got it done, though.

I have to give credit to the other guys who have done work for Round2....I've done a bunch of stuff for them but I'm not the only one, and their work is amazing.

As to "where are they now?"....the kits usually end up in the Auto World store in Indiana if they survive the beating from being shipped to shows etc (I know of at least one that was basically trashed).

[GLMFAA1]

I know Fred Reagan from Massachusetts built the AMT ALF pumper for the box art on the second release

greg

[angelo7]

This is more interesting than I thought. Thank you guys!!

[angelo7]

Tom, look at what I just found on Ebay.