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MPC’s Hot new Wheels: Don Prudhomme’s “Yellow Feather” 1972 Dragster
To say we’re excited to be able to release an official version of Don Prudhomme’s 1972 “Yellow Feather” Hot Wheels rear engine dragster would be a major understatement. With both Hot Wheels and Prudhomme on board, we’re planning several kits starting with the Yellow Feather.
Prudhomme’s ’72 car was an exercise in vehicular weight loss and the new rear engine AA/TF was dubbed the “Yellow Feather.” For our release we’re utilizing our existing tooling but have added all new rear wing struts to match Prudhomme’s car, a new injector scoop and an additional front bicycle wheel half, as the Snake’s car didn’t use the ringed version.
Plus, as a great bonus for vintage drag fans, the box art features photos from the one and only Steve Reyes, who’s career captured all of the famous cars from drag racing’s history. We’re also including a 4-page card showcasing more of Steve’s photos as both a collector’s piece and as reference for the serious modeler. And, as if that’s not enough, we’re including an all new cardboard display base.
We have even more exciting Hot Wheels and Prudhomme kits in development that will blow everyone away! We’re also planning a few kits featuring The Snake’s famous racing rival, Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen. For drag racing modelers, MPC and AMT can’t be beat.
Round 2 Models: Wonderfest 2016
We had a great weekend displaying our product and meeting the modelers that attended Wonderfest 2016. As promised, we were able to show the first test shots of the smooth 1:350 TOS Enterprise saucer, and more than one person took advantage to rub them like a genie’s bottle wishing they would come sooner than the scheduled September release date. Many folks were also complimentary of the U.S.S. Excelsior buildup on display showing the new improvements we have made over the old AMT kit. It is great to be recognized for “bringing the kit back and giving it the Round 2 treatment” as described by one fan. A small display board advertised a notable new tool we have in the works targeting the end of the year. The product will be a Star Trek 50th anniversary commemorative boxed collection of our 1:2500 scale snap Enterprises, which will include a NEW NX-01 kit. To make the product appealing to the widest possible audience, we will include pressure sensitive decals (high quality, thin stickers) in this release. We received praise for bringing back the U.S.S. Enterprise-D in clear plastic. This version will come in ABS rather than styrene which tends to be brittle. The main reason for that switch is to allow us to include our standard dome base this time around. Aztec decals will not be included in the kit, but will be offered separately. Many remarked about the re-issue of the classic 5 Space Ships of the Future from Lindberg. The kit will use the highly collectible vintage box art for the release. of course people were still in awe of our 22″ Eagle kit. many remarked about how great they found the kit to be. Several folks stopped by with kit in hand to take a look at our display piece. From what I understand it seemed like the big Eagle was the “kit of the show” with many being offered and sold at the event.
Admittedly, this year’s show may have seemed “light” on news as far as new and upcoming releases goes. We DO have things in the works, but it is too early to discuss them with 100% certainty. In some cases, two plans for a license are being evaluated for 2017. Sure, expect more re-issues, but I can guaranty more NEW stuff IS in the works.
For those that weren’t able to attend, here is a look at this year’s display. Feel free to ask questions int he comments section and we’ll answer as best we can.
It was a special treat to meet Nick Tate in person at this year’s show. Nick played Alan Carter in the classic sci-fi show, Space:1999, in the mid-70’s. His storied career led to numerous roles on stage and on screen in shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lost and The X-Files as well as voice over work. As you recall, we offered signature cards in our early releases of our 12″ MPC Eagle kits that featured Nick’s autograph. Nick was happy to share tales from his career with anyone willing to lend an ear. It was an incredible opportunity to get to know him. Thanks to friend of Round 2, Peter Greenwood, for arranging his appearance and thanks also to Steve Iverson of CultTVMan.com for sponsoring his appearance at the show.
As always, one of the highlights of the show is the modeling competition that offers all kinds of sci-fi and horror subjects from big to small (and sometimes small is more impressive than big in cases like this). We always sponsor two awards for the best use of a kit from our brands. We give awards in the junior/teen and adult categories. The junior/teen award-winner walks away with a prize pack of kits while we award a $100 credit to our own autoworldstore.com site. The level of quality in the competition is always impressive which makes our decision tough. here are is a selection of a few models that caught our eye followed by this year’s winners.
These next two were co-runners-up for our adult award.
This impressive kit bash was award to the junior/teen winner. Congratulations Alex tabor for your USS Castor Federation Depot Ship build!
…and this year’s adult award-winner is… Dave Olszewski for his Vulcan Shuttle tribute to Leonard Nimoy. David’s impeccable handling of our admittedly faulty decals that got mixed into that kit cemented his position as winner.
Please keep our awards in mind for next year and future shows. We want to see as many of our kits on the table as possible. The show organizers sent out the challenge at the end of the awards ceremony to blow away their previous record and attain 800 entries in next years competition. (if I can find a way, I may even make the time to build and enter something…)
We have posted higher res images of all of these buildups, our boot and every other model identified as one of our kits on our facebook page. Let’s continue the fun. Go to our facebook page and “Like” the model you think looks most impressive and we’ll tabulate the results on June 30th and send the winner an award. (this year’s contest winners will not be eligible for a second award)
Click here to go directly to the Wonderfest 2016 photo album.
Coming off the Shelf – Bringing Back the SD
It’s time for a sneak peek at a true classic from AMT, the White-Freightliner SD Truck Tractor. With over 230 parts, including 3 chrome trees, six hollow tires, and air hose tubing, this kit is sure to please any big rig builder out there. Additional features include: Alcoa disc wheels, tilting non-sleeper cab, plated dual stacks, Holland sliding fifth wheel, Cummins NHC-250 six-cylinder diesel engine and a super-detailed interior with custom upholstery. As an added bonus, the KATS here at AMT have also included a few fancy upgrades, such as: an ADDED 3rd CHROME TREE, a collectible mini box and an ALL NEW/FULLY EXPANDED DECAL SHEET featuring cab stripes, door signage, permit stickers & numbers, tons of plates and White-Freightliner cab emblems! Making this classic kit worth a second look.
So, for all the big rig fans out there that have been patiently waiting for the Single Drive, ever since AMT re-released the Dual Drive… your ships about to come in. Or should I say, rig?
Coming soon, to your local hobby stores.
Hope you enjoy it, and I’ll see ya soon!
Star Trek Models: 1:350 scale developments
UPDATE: It now looks like a strong possibility we will have test shots of the new saucer parts at Wonderfest. See you there…
It has been a while since we’ve talked about upcoming sci-fi releases. I’ll spill the beans on a few things, but focus on what we have in the works for our 1:350 scale kits that should arrive later this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of STAR TREK: The Original Series.
Part of the fun of fandom is holding the great debates… DC or Marvel…? Star Wars or Star Trek…? Chicken or egg…? When developing our 1:350 TOS Enterprise kit, it was “engraved panel lines or no engraved panel lines…?” In order to serve what we considered to be the widest range of modelers, we opted to engrave the panel lines on the upper and lower saucer. We did so knowing that it might upset some, but would satisfy others that didn’t have the skill or tools to install them in pencil like the filming miniature had. We have decided it is time to reverse course and offer the saucer without the panel lines. We will be releasing the saucer as an accessory piece so everyone that already has untouched kits can supplement them with these replacements and save the time and effort from filling and sanding them. Along with that change, we have corrected the position of two sets of windows that were off by a few degrees, but got by us. The “toothy” surface texture will also be removed so the saucer should now be as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Some may say “Well, if you are doing that, you may as well include them in the kit that way now.” To which we say “Yes, indeed.” And while we are at it, we will be updating the color reference to reflect new-found information gleaned by the team of experts that are restoring the Enterprise filming miniature. Our go-to Star Trek guy, Gary Kerr, has played a key role in the restoration and is dutifully documenting the untouched/unseen areas of the miniature to determine the exact paint colors that were used. We’ll finish off the offering with an updated 50th anniversary scheme on the packaging. We plan on giving the Pilot parts accessory pack the same treatment and everything should be out by the end of the year. Additionally, we’ve heard the demand for more light kits and a new batch is on a boat as I write this. Expect them on store shelves within a month. If you have been on the lookout for a set, let your retailer know you want a copy (item number is MKA007).
There is a slim chance that we may have a test shot of the saucer on display at Wonderfest. We should have a preliminary look at the 50th anniversary packaging at the show as well. As usual, we look forward to seeing everyone at the show. It is a personal highlight of mine every year to get a chance to meet the builders that enjoy our products so well. We will once again be sponsoring two prizes in the model competition. We will present awards for what we deem to be the best use of a Round 2 model (any brand or subject) in the junior/teen and adult categories. The junior/teen winner gets a selection of kits from all of our brands. The adult winner will receive a gift certificate to autoworldstore.com which despite the name does deal in sci-fi kits as well. Good luck to all who enter. see you at the show!
The New AMT 2016 Camaro SS Update
It’s taken a while between the first set of test shots I posted to getting an improved second set as there were various injection issues, but Round 2’s offices finally received full second set of test shots of both the glue and snap versions of our upcoming 2016 Camaro SS. We’ve done some quick test builds to check fit and to look for other issues and we’ve given the factory further comments to improve the tooling. We’re getting close but for now, here’s a couple of images of the full glue kit.
MISSING STEEL • AMT’s 1970s Funny Car Series, Part 1
We get asked daily, “do you have the tooling for such and such kit?” Whether it’s a hardcore veteran modeler yearning for a long lost model from their past, or a consumer who believes there should be a scale replica of the 1979 Lada 1500 they once drove, there’s always lots of interest in what we’re “hiding.”
It’s generally not a good idea from a business standpoint to divulge what we do, or do not have the tooling for, with respect to kits that did once exist from the vintage brands we represent. But for this blog entry I am going to break the rules and share a little tidbit of info regarding AMT’s series of funny cars from the mid 1970s.
As many of you have seen from Ken’s recent post, we’re working on a reissue of the Larry Fullerton Trojan Horse Mustang II F/C. Prior to our upcoming, improved release, the most recent kit available from this tooling was the Chi-Town Hustler Dodge Charger 2+2. In the 1980s, a new body and a few other parts were created by Ertl to produce this, er… well there’s just no other way to say it: rather ugly, odd and bloated-looking rendition of the real car.
With regard to this particular series, my immediate thought was “which of the original kits could we do again?” The Mustang II proved a little surprising as the front and rear body cap inserts had gone AWOL at some point in the previous few decades. We’ve remedied that and think the Trojan Horse reissue will be more accurate for it.
That said, there were several other funnies all with different bodies in this series, but based on the same engine/chassis/wheel tooling. While I was researching the body slides and insert tooling for each one’s unique parts, along with the respective window molds, “one” of them was conspicuous by its absence. We have been unable to locate it! While it’s one of my personal favorites from the series, I’m not sure that it’d be worthwhile to try and retool its body. It’s really cool looking though, very unique and quite desirable. Can you guess which one it is? I will reveal the answer…
…in PART 2! See you in a few weeks!
Lindberg Model kits: New Instruction Sheets
One of the great features in the new Lindberg and Hawk releases are the improved instruction sheets. We want modellers to have fun with our kits and the instructions are a large part of that experience.
Many of the previous iterations included excessive amounts of text, steps that jumped around the page, and sometimes in sequences that made little sense. See the old and new version of the HL429 USS Hazard Navy Minesweeper. Or in some cases, such as the HL439 Tabletop Navy 2-Pack: HMS King George V & HMS Dorsetshire, the vintage instructions contain errors that have been overlooked for year. The parts in the kit were different than what was pictured in the original instructions. I have found several instances where tools were modified but the instruction sheet stayed the same.
In our new releases you will see instructions with clean line art, steps ordered in a more clear and thoughtful manner, an extended layout allowing for more detailed paint and decal diagrams, and an overall better look. Let us know what you think of the improvements.
Coming off the Shelf – A “SUPER” Addition
It’s time for a quick peek at one of our most highly anticipated big rigs of the year. A kit that has not been available in over 35 years! Tyrone Malone’s Super Boss Kenworth Drag Truck. This 1/25 Scale, skill level 3 kit wowed builders back in the 70’s, and it’s back now, in all of it’s red, white and blue glory. And of course, the KATS here at AMT have added a few extra tasty upgrades to make it well worth your while.
To kick it off, the Super Boss features all of its original, super-detailed Kenworth drag truck tooling, like the Detroit Diesel V-12 engine, tilting hood/fender assembly and spoiler wings. In addition, builders will find 6 – ALL NEW – pad printed racing slicks, retooled from the ground up, to help give your build that extra “something”. The MASSIVE 8″ x 12″ decal sheet far outpaces the original sheet, which now includes improved graphic details with more accurate striping colors – and allows for optional Thermo King or Bandag deco styling on your build. We’ve also thrown in a bonus 3D mini display box, as well as an EXCLUSIVE photo print that can be framed and proudly displayed on the wall. And all that goodness comes wrapped up in authentic box art to boot!
So to all you Super Boss fans out there, keep your eyes peeled for one of the greatest diesel trucks to ever hit the strip! Coming to your local hobby stores soon.
Hope you enjoy it, and I’ll see ya soon!
AMT’s Trojan Horse Mustang Funny Car Is Back!
Larry Fullerton’s Trojan Horse funny car was always one of the favorites on the track and his Mustang II FC has been considered one of the most beautiful cars on the strip. When AMT originally issued the kit, the decals failed to capture the fantastic colors and his signature Trojan Horse mural accurately. Additionally, at the time, AMT also supplied the kit with unusually tall front tires that were not proportionally correct. With our Retro Deluxe re-issue coming out later this year, we’re correcting those details by supplying a more accurately-sized set of front tires, plus an all new and expanded decal sheet. We’ve also re-tooled the front and read body sections, and this time the front headlights are recessed to match the 1:1 car.
The decals now include the body side paint scheme (although you’ll still need to paint the rear body section to match), detailed front grille and rear taillight decals, additional sponsor marking to duplicate various versions of the car and a much improved trojan horse mural. Below is a printout of the new decal set, along with the kit’s body showing a little test-fitting of some of the body markings.
Coming off the Shelf – Twice the Slam!
It’s time for a sneak peek comparison of 2 kits that share a common thread. And that would be the 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix, Grand Slam kit. Round 2 is proud to offer this kit in two tasty versions: one being a Retro Deluxe (RD) version, which is very similar to the kits original release with a few extra goodies. The other, an Original Art Series (OAS) release, features even more goodies such as an expanded decal sheet, Goodyear Blue Streak Drag Slicks, and a 12″ x 9″ frameable print you can proudly display on your wall.
A few key differences to note for all you builders out there:
• The OAS release has drag slicks, where the RD version does not • The RD decals are very similar to the original release, while the OAS kit has an expanded decal sheet • The OAS is shot in white, the RD is shot in Aqua Pearl • The OAS includes a frameable print, while the RD includes a mini box.
There are other differences as well, but I’m going leave a little something out there for you to discover! The photos shown are from production samples we received at our office, which means, the kits are already “on the water”, and will be available in the not-so-distant future. So keep a lookout for these 2 beauties at your local hobby stores.
Hope you enjoy them, and I’ll see ya next month!
