Revell-Monogram SOLD!!

[crab]

For the few out there that aren't aware of this, Revell-Monogram and Revell AG was recently sold off by parent company Alpha International.

I'm not sure if this is good news or bad news, or how R-M quality will change (well, if anything, things should improve... I couldn't imagine their quality level dropping any further... well, it could... but that's Lindberg's territory, and Lindberg has already marked 'that' territory pretty clearly I think)

Anyway, here's the link for those interested:

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/article...e7e99fe252155d

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

This sale is quite good news. Enthusiasts are now in charge...kind of how Lutz is bringing life back to GM, having enthusiasts in charge of a model company is definitely a good thing. There are a number of new models about to be announced for 2003. I wish I knew which ones, as soon as I find out...I'll post a link.

Now, if Revell would only realize that model car wheels and tires need to be bigger in diameter than they've been doing...

[Murco]

"Without equivocation, we're not moving manufacturing to China," Long says.
Thank God! That seems to have been the final nail in AMT's "quality coffin"... They have gotten even worse since that move!
These new owners seem to have more model background than anyone who has owned R-M in 15 years! I hope this will mean good things from my favorite US manufacturer....

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally posted by Murco
"Without equivocation, we're not moving manufacturing to China," Long says.
Thank God! That seems to have been the final nail in AMT's "quality coffin"... They have gotten even worse since that move!
These new owners seem to have more model background than anyone who has owned R-M in 15 years! I hope this will mean good things from my favorite US manufacturer....

I hate to say this, but AMT quality is much better since they moved to China from Mexico. Chinese quality is actually pretty good.

The biggest problem is that they frequently put the wrong parts in the wrong boxes, that they don't have any "gurus" left in the company to keep them from making stupid mistakes. Since AMT was sold to Racing Champions, they have lost every single one of the AMT people that knew what they had.

But the quality of their plastic parts and especially chrome plating is much better now. I haven't had a problem kit from AMT in a long time. Every kit from Mexico had chrome that looked like it was dipped in pico de gallo before it was plated, and many kits had serious short-shots. But at least then they provided replacement parts, now they don't have any customer service whatsoever.

Honestly at this point I could care less if AMT ever produces any more kits. I've got enough to build w/o them.

[Jonno]

I wonder if this will set back any of the realese dates

I hope we will see some good out of this *second* move, because I would like to see more imports (Asian and otherwise) being made, as well as some muscle cars, because if I see more imports, I will start buying, because I like the price, engine details of Revell-Monogram kits, but I don't like the current range of kits (I like some of the American cars available, but not most of them). I don't really find the quality of the kits to be all that bad because it only takes a bit of cleaning up to have a nice kit.

Sorry for the slightly off-topic post, but I just thought I would say these things.

[crab]

If only they would stop focusing so much attention on their line of NASCAR kits... personally I HATE nascar.... nothing could possibly be more boring than staring at a bunch of cars go round and round in loops.

I'd like to see R-M do more funky stuff like concept cars and such... their Nazca and Corvette Indy / StringrayIII kits from eons ago were simply amazing...

[tonioseven]

If only they would stop focusing so much attention on their line of NASCAR kits... personally I HATE nascar.... nothing could possibly be more boring than staring at a bunch of cars go round and round in loops.

AMEN!!!

[fastlife]

Originally posted by crab
If only they would stop focusing so much attention on their line of NASCAR kits... personally I HATE nascar.... nothing could possibly be more boring than staring at a bunch of cars go round and round in loops.

I agree!

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

The market for NA$CAR models/paraphernalia is dwindling, there aren't nearly as many being issued as in years past. Far fewer seen on contest tables, too. They are doing more new tuner stuff than NA$CAR. That's a good thing.

[Murco]

Originally posted by crab
If only they would stop focusing so much attention on their line of NASCAR kits... personally I HATE nascar.... nothing could possibly be more boring than staring at a bunch of cars go round and round in loops.

Attention?? They make 3 kits and 16 decal sheets, market them as 16 different cars, and make a fortune! It's what kept them going through these leaner years and I doubt they will go away.
As for Nascar being boring... Go to a race at Daytona, Talladega, or Bristol and tell me it's boring!

Originally posted by crab
I'd like to see R-M do more funky stuff like concept cars and such... their Nazca and Corvette Indy / StringrayIII kits from eons ago were simply amazing...

Unfortunately, the funky stuff didn't sell to well....

[clatescivicr]

"Real racers turn left and right"

Too me the nascar models are really just putting on decals... too me thats not as fun, but they were probably making a fortune off them

[crab]

well, YEAH, of course there are only 3 kits.... prolly cuz Nascar's just GM, Ford and Chrysler!!!! but the sight of endless rows of R-M nascar kits in the model kit section of Wal-Mart and other places annoys the hell out of me...

and there's no technology in nascar, or not much at least!! it's just cars going in circles... heck, the turns are banked so the driver doesn't even have to steer the car, damnit!

i agree that R-M's move to introduce some tuner series cars is a god start, but it'll be a while before produce something as popular as the ITR again...

[freakray]

actually, Nascar are 4 kits, there is the Dodge Intrepid, Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Monte Carlo and Ford Taurus.....all made by R-M

I agree Nascar ain't all that exciting, but you compare some of those Nascar drivers to some of the Cart, F1, JGTC, DTM and WRC drivers and you can understand why they only drive in circles......

[Veyron]

If only they would stop focusing so much attention on their line of NASCAR kits... personally I HATE nascar.... nothing could possibly be more boring than staring at a bunch of cars go round and round in loops.

I AGREE!!!

They seem to have put their total focus in this area and that's when they lost touch with the youth market.

[Murco]

Originally posted by freakray
actually, Nascar are 4 kits, there is the Dodge Intrepid, Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Monte Carlo and Ford Taurus.....all made by R-M

I agree Nascar ain't all that exciting, but you compare some of those Nascar drivers to some of the Cart, F1, JGTC, DTM and WRC drivers and you can understand why they only drive in circles......

Nascar drivers are (or, where) MUCH more colorful and interesting than any other drivers in the world! I agree that Nascar lost alot after Dale Sr. died, but it's the drivers that made Nascar fun up until about 10 years ago. Fred Lorenzen driving at 180 mph in 1966 all the way around Darlington while his right rear quarter-panel was grinding-away against the wall and he was in the lead.... priceless fun! Junior Johnson, the Allison clan, Dale Earnhardt, and todays Jimmy Spencer are and were absolutely a blast to watch race. Today's Nascar is so tame and polished, and the damn tracks and cars are all the same now, I can understand why younger folks wouldn't find it engaging. I barely watch it anymore as it has become quite a yawn. When the money is SO big that the drivers are afraid to trade some paint, Nascar became very much a bunch of cars going in circles.
As for technology, Road & Track did a test in 1982 between a Hendricks Nascar Monte Carlo and the Porsche 962 Lowenbrau car to see which car was faster....The Nascar was 41 mph faster when it didn't have a restrictor on it! I don't care WHAT technology is under the hood if it isn't fast and fun!
Same crap with the "import tuner" crowd, "My car develops 2.1 hp per cu. in" Who gives a rat's ass when it can't even break a 13 second 1/4 mile?! My "dinosaur-pushrod-V8" Camaro runs 11's on the strip, 1.08 second laps at Road Atlanta, and tops out at over 180 mph all while getting 25 mpg at 75 mph. Can your "tech wonder" do ANY of that other than the mileage??