Y'know, here it is like, um, 3 years after the fact - why am I still hearing Marvin Gaye?
On a couple of the points raised in this thread (some of them, years ago) -
Revell established a 1/25 scale tendency by the early sixties. A bit earlier, Monogram settled on 1/24 as its standard scale. There's a certain elegance to 1/24 as it applies to the English system of measurements; a foot scales down to a nice, neat half-inch, and the early Monogram boxes remind you of this. Which makes it all the more curious that 1/25, which makes more sense as a metric conversion, would become America's scale of choice - while the more English-friendly 1/24 has worked out to be the international scale.
Anyway.
Odyssey Partners united Revell and Monogram under one organization in the late '80's. Suddenly, you saw the talent that had brought you all those defining '80's Monogram kits developing new 1/25 tooling for Revell. Not to mention that Revell had been repackaging some Fujimi tooling around that time.
Add to this Revell/Monogram's tendency to mix and match tooling under each other's masthead, and no wonder it's perceived as an inconsistency - particularly now that Revell heritage pieces like the old Lincoln Futura and Austin Gasser are now boxed as
Monogram kits while definitive Monogram efforts like the Big Deuce and NASCARs are now sold as
Revell kits.
There are exceptions (especially with post-1992 Monogram tooling), but the general rule of thumb is that Revell's 1/24 kits have roots in Monogram (or German Revell) tooling, while the 1/25 kits are Revell originals. For certain, American scale-fascists have cowed Revell/Monogram to such a degree that any new Revell tooling is cut in 1/25 scale (and apparently, new Trumpeter tooling, too!). As a 30-something modeler who grew up when
Monogram was the only serious game in town, it doesn't make much sense to me, either. But me that as it bay.
Also note that Revell/Monogram is no longer a Binney & Smith company. Rumor has it that it's now under the guidance of some hobby industry veterans and enthusiasts, and the new Revell kits reinforce this.
I thought the opening post, from all those moons ago, was excellent, but I would nitpick a point or two - mostly in the parts count of Tamiya kits. Stuff like the street WRX, 350Z and Honda Fit are the occasional 70-piece exceptions, but even their curbside comp cars push 120 parts or more these days. That had a bit to do with why a Tamiya curbside took the
SA ranking in 2002; a curbside with parts more numerous and better engineered will defeat a relatively simplified kit with an engine and fit issues.
There was a nice, polite thread about Japanese manufacturers a couple weeks back, but when Layla's Keeper and I, um, sorta hijacked it, it took a turn highly germane to this thread. If you've been reading this thread, you might find this link interesting, too.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...=332210&page=2