History Plastic Classics From the Golden Age of Model Cars

If you were a little junior gearhead growing up in the '50s and '60s, you probably built lots of model cars. Here's a look back at some memorable kits of the time. How many of these do you remember?



Eight Plastic Classics From the Golden Age of Model Cars | Mac's Motor City Garage.com

 

Those old model kits are cool and provided many hours of fun, building them, kustomizing them, then later, blowing them to smithereens with cherrybombs. This is all I have left:

 

Great stuff Bill. I remember my older brother had the Green Hornet back in the sixties.

 

Yeah, I remember! Still building!

 

Me too

 

I got started early...built some wooden kits, then the little 1/32 scale Revell "Highway Pioneers".
Revell came out with a whole series of American cars in the '50s, 1/32 scale. There were antique cars from 1912 to 1925, and some sport cars...and the '32 Roadster and 'conversion' Coupe, very scalelike.
Next group were '56 Ford, '56 Merc Monterey, '56 Chrysler 300, '56 Buick, '56 Caddy El Dorado, '56 Ford F100, and they all had scale engines, transmissions, etc.
I had a dozen or so of the 69-cent Hot Rods (channeled '32 roadster) and a few 'Jalopies' (channeled '32 roadster with a 3-window hard top, roundy-round style) with Cads, Buicks, Chrysler hemi engines...

When Monogram and AMT went to 1/25 scale, the models seemed huge...

 

The only 2 from the list I actually built "back in the day" were the Outlaw and Double Dragster kits.
Here are a coupe of mine built in the early 60s that did survive:

 

I started building 'em when AMT models first came out...hadda be about 1958 or so...still got boxes of 'em in my basement...haven't looked at them for many many years...

R-

 

I had the Revell 57 Chevy kit. Wish I still had it.

 

I got started on plastic models around '55, when I was 11 yrs old......with a '55 Bel Air hardtop, then on to the Revell '56 Sunliner, '56 F-100, '56 Buick...and several others in their line. Also Monogram and AMT models. Built actively through about '63/'63 when I was in the Navy. Spent a great deal of my meager 'disposable income' from paper routes, lawn mowing, car washing etc.to support my bicycle customizing and my model car 'habit'

Those were wonderful days!

Ray

 

I had the Green Hornet, it was a favorite. Another worth mentioning was a Competition Coupe/dragster combo kit, molded in orange IIRC, also a favorite.

 

I started building models when I was in 4th grade (early 70s) and it's one of my treasured childhood memories. Of course, most of them got blown up with firecrackers or playing demolition derby with them (the kits and paints weren't pricey like they are today.)
My favorite kits were the Revelle Tri-Fives because they had opening hoods, doors, trunk, rolling wheels. Plus they had the parts for a stocker, hot rod, custom/lowrider. Fun days.

 

my first was a '58 imperial convert by amt. $1.29 at the ben franklin. built a lot of amt's, johans and many of the small revell (1/43rd?) and pyro kits. the one i still cry over is my nearly completed "big deuce" that mom threw in the trash when i got drafted!

 

Lots of those old kits have been re-issued and restored in the last few years. For instance, last year the old 3-in-1 AMT 36 Ford Coupe was re-released with all the original custom parts and options intact - it builds stock coupe, stock roadster, or chopped coupe using interchangeable roof/upper door/cowl pieces. The chopped top hadn't been seen since the first or maybe second release.

 

Started building models back in the early 1950's;mostly airplanes.Switched over to cars and my first one was a wooden model of a 48 Ford Sportsman.Don't remember the maker but I gave up early on it after slicing my hand a couple times trying to carve the body with a pocket knife.
Started with the Revell Highway Pioneers and the 32 Ford and XK-120 Jaguar. Entered the Rod & Custom model car contest in 1956 with a customized heicopter made into a dragster with a rear mounted Chrysler Hemi(with fuel injectors made from painted soda straws)from a 56 Chrysler kit and 56 Merc wheels and tires.Even got mentioned in R&C but not my name.
Built many kits over the years and still have a couple that got saved by my mother after the house was sold while I was in the service and all my other stuff got tossed.
I haven't built a model in years but have a pretty substantial collection of dealer promos.I try to collect only station wagon models now but they are a bit hard to find.

 

Still at it after all these yrs.

 

It's like an addiction.

 

It's hard to stop.

 

underside

 

very Cool - Thanks.

 

Thanks Bill for another Good Post. Being 67 years old, a lot of good memories came to mind. I have MCG saved in my list of favorites. I really enjoy that site..... Jeff

 

Wow, incredible work, all you guys. Those old Monogram kits never looked that good when I built them!

 

I've still got all the good ones I built up until I got a drivers licence in 1967. At some point I sold out in a one lot deal the ones I didn't want at the time, sure wish I hadn't done that. I think Monogram had an odd scale '32 Coupe, I can still remember my Dad painting it at the diningroom table, maybe I'll find one next week at Hershey. Bob

 

Man those old kits were so bad. Its amazing the level of detail now.

 

I mostly did the Aurora Monsters but the Hot Rod Stroker McGurk models were two of my favorites.


Three bills for that Tall T if you can find one.

 

Love that one.