Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: R&C Model Car Contest 1957! Continue reading the Original Blog Post
There was a long follow up in the R&C mags for months after. 5959 Hollywood Blvd. was swamped with packages, all model cars. The models got unwrapped, 'catalogued', (loosely, according to Spence Murray; (?) Can't recall for sure, my magazines are stacked in spare bedroom in boxes (!) According to 3 writers, model cars were on the floors of offices, on the stairs going up to 2nd floor, all over the floors and on makeshift temporary shelving! Primary judging brought the betters up onto a ping pong table, then another table was added... Some cars' iden***ies were lost, and the story goes that only a few were returned to owners... Imagine that many model cars! (1/32 scale, too...Like an army in droves of MICE! Everywhere you stepped... Aggghhhh!)
Interesting. Thanks for posting. I sent a yellow chopped 36 coupe to the Iowa State Fair model contest in the late 50s and am still waiting for it's return. LOL
Very interesting post! Thanks! Amazing level of response to this contest, especially since this was before the advent of the first AMT "3-in-1" Customizing Kits in 1958! So all these entries were based acetate plastic promos in 1/25, including the Cameos, or mostly on the 1/32 '55-'56 "Modern Car Series" joint venture between Revell & AMT or on Revell Highway Pioneers. The large scale Cadillac was based on Monogram's 1/20th scale '55 kit molded in warp-prone acetate or on the styrene '56 (At $2.49, one of the most expensive car kits available.) The little '56 Ford pickups were Revell's 1/48th scale kit. In '57 the only plastic kits in 1/25th scale were Ideal's '56 Lincoln, Revell's '57 Country Squire, Eldorado Brougham, and Pontiac Club deMer and Lincoln Futura show cars. All of the 1/32nd Modern Car Series and Revell's Country Squire featured multi-piece bodies which could be quite fiddly to ***emble, and didn't come with clear windows, or even material from which to make them. These modelers had an enormous amount of creativity and determination to built such cool rod and customs from what was available then. I wonder how much influence this contest had on AMT's decision to release their styrene kits in '58 and Johan's follow-on in '59? As a life-long modeler I appreciate seeing these glimpses into the early days of the hobby.
As another life-long modeler, I'm very grateful for this article as it was published about the time when I got started building but was still too young to be "into" 1:1 cars, car mags or these model contests. Plastic model vehicles, hot rodding, auto racing, et al go hand in hand for me. It feeds my imagination... like sketching out ideas. And not to embarr*** anyone, a fellow HAMBer once asked me about a model mock-up I did, thinking it was a real car! Kits with more than two variants, then 3n1, eventually bred stash boxes of wheels n tires, or engines, interior stuff, frames n suspensions, or decals as the number of left-over (take-off?) parts ac***ulated around my work bench. Thanx again, Gary
I remember my brother doing a 54 convert for a contest. Got me hooked on knowing all the cars and wanting to build a hot rod.
Cool thread,I too was build model cars around that time but haven't built one in years. I was kinda in shock what they cost today but like everything else the prices keep rising. HRP
If you can even find them anymore! I remember as a kid growing up in the late 60's early 70's, every variety store had kits on the shelves, even some of the grocery stores had a small line up. When my kids were coming up in the 80's, you could still find kits at Walmart and Kmart, but when I wanted to buy one of my nephews a kit in the 90's, they were hard to find. Now, you have to go to somewhere like Hobby Lobby to find any around here, and their selection is limited.
I submitted a model to that contest and it even got mentioned in the text although they never showed a picture of it. Wasn't that great to begin with. I took a Sikorsky helicopter and cut it around the ****pit area;drilled holes in the side to accept axles(think I used Revell 56 Merc wheels and tires)and mounted a Chrysler hemi from a Revell 56 Chrysler in the back. I never did get it back(as did a lot of folks)but just the mention was worth it.
I remember the contest. Burned the results in my feeble brain. • Stand out then – The **** Katayanagi Cameo truck with trailered Indy car. **** was a known striper, painter and stylist at the time in Northern Calif. I think he had an actual Cameo like the one he made a model of, or it could have been for a customer. Saw it in one of the late 50's custom car annuals. • Stand out presently – Same Ron Weeks who had the blown '34 sedan in the late 60's in So. Calif. I remember it painted a nice metallic gold with flames, and laminated wood strips in the top insert area. I also think he made the trip in it to the 1st Street Rod Nationals. $$$$$$ spent on gas. Can't believe how big car model building was at the time. Us wannabe rodders then didn't realize the true scope of it's popularity. Of course, as the years rolled by, we now realize how huge the hobby really was. Ah, simpler times. Simpler quests. Manuel Reyes
The Jalopy Journal
