YouTube is a fascinating way to waste time. Last week I was surfing through several model car channels, both American and British. I’d never watched them before, though I think I may have ‘met’ two of the American guys online. Their unofficial ‘theme of the week’ seemed to be favourite kits. One of the guys listed a top five, another added two honourable mentions, while a third virtually said ‘Blow that, here’s my top seven’.
Now these guys seemed to have dedicated man caves lined with unbuilt kits. I don’t. I’ve been having a building spree this year (as I haven’t been able to do much work in the garden) and my stash would pale into insignificance compared to what I saw on screen. So you won’t see photos of mountains of kits reaching up to the ceiling. Doesn’t happen here. I’d just go through my photos of kits I’ve built, and choose ten favourites. Ten, not to upstage the YouTubers, but because five is too short a story.
But as I looked through my files, I found even ten best was too hard a choice. There have been too many good kits over the years, and I build such a wide variety of subjects. So today I’ll start with ten favourite pre-’48 kits. Not in any particular order. These aren’t necessarily the ten best, just my favourites out of what I’ve built. And two honourable mentions, because the choice was so hard. Plus one. A baker’s dozen.
1930 Packard Speedster – Monogram
One of Monogram’s later Classic kits from 1975, this comes as either the two-seater runabout or the sporty phaeton. Maybe it’s not quite as detailed as some of their other classics, but it still has quite enough detail to be challenging, while being enjoyable to assemble.
1932 Ford hot rod series (1/25) – Revell
Available initially as a three-window coupe and the Dan Fink Speedwagon in 1996, it was followed by a fenderless street rod, then a sedan in 2011, Stacey David’s roadster in 2013, a five-window coupe in 2016. No stock parts are included, but you can do a mix and match of engines (SBF, SBC, old Hemi…), wheels and other parts between the kits. It’s nice that they try to replicate some famous rods rather than just sticking to the generic. I specify the scale because their 1/24 kits are adapted from old tooling; they’re not bad, just not as good as this.
1932 Chevrolet – MPC
This kit first appeared in 1963, as a cabriolet, though the box called it a roadster. Much more detailed than AMT’s 1932 Ford kits, it came with lots of optional parts for rod or drag versions as well as some nice options for a stock Chevy – sidemounts, trunk rack with trunk…. Plus working steering from the steering wheel – a feature rarely seen 63 years later! Despite the steering being a pain to assemble, and some of the detail not as crisply moulded as you’d see today, the sheer realism of the model ensures it a place in my top ten. And it’s about to be re-released.
1934 Duesenberg SJ – Monogram
This one was also a new tool in 1963, and this kit still holds up incredibly well today. It’s been available at various times with this Weymann Torpedo Phaeton body, or as a Town Car, Roadster, or a Boattail Speedster (which seems only to have been available once, as a metal kit). Amazing amount of detail, but beware of all the tiny parts. There were several other Monogram classics I could have mentioned, but I found these the most enjoyable to build.
1936 Ford – Monogram/Revell
This is an extensive rework of Monogram’s 1961 kit. Back then stock or rod versions were buildable, and both convertible and three-window bodies were included. The stock parts disappeared with the 1974 Early Iron Series issue. The kit reappeared under the Revell name in 2011, with a lot of cool new parts rather than the tired sixties holdovers, including these classic custom body pieces on this coupe and modern-size wheels and tyres on this convertible.
1937 Ford – Monogram
Released in 1987, this is another rod-only kit of the regular short-door five-window coupe (not the four-seat club coupe). There was also a four-seat convertible pulling an enclosed trailer, and a two-door flatback sedan. The sedan had the weird combination of a solid axle front end with a Corvette rear (!!); other versions have a Mustang II front end. The coupe’s now sold in a Revell box, and it seems to only have larger wheels and new decals since the first release. While stock parts would be nice, help is (unintentionally?) at hand.
1937 Ford Panel delivery – Monogram
This is a stock-only kit, some parts of which can be swapped with the coupe to give you a mostly-stock coupe – been there, done that. It comes with several bright period decal schemes – or, if you want to be different, HO railway boxcar decals can be trimmed to fit. All of my panels have aftermarket decals.
1938 Lanz Bulldog – Miniart (1/24 scale)
The newest kit here, a mere four years old, the box proclaims it a German Agricultural Tractor (or German Industrial Tractor if you choose that version) – I assume Lanz is extremely protective of their name. Currently there are five versions available, distinguished by wheel type, tyre type, exhaust type, roof or no roof, with probably more variations in 1/35 military scale. No engine, alas, but otherwise incredibly well detailed; it even comes with spare 1mm bolt heads should you want to add more! Now this one is more than usually challenging to assemble, as so much is unfamiliar to a car builder, but it all fits perfectly.
1940 Ford – Revell/Monogram
If it seems the Revell and Monogram names are appearing a lot here, it’s because they deserved it. With the 1940 Fords Revell and Monogram have released a bewildering array of stock, rod (or both) versions of the convertible or the standard (not Deluxe) coupe – now that’s an interesting choice! Oh, and you might find either name on the box, in case you weren’t confused already!
Just one hiccup – the front axle location positions the wheels about 2mm too far back. Not hard to fix, if you know to look out for it.
1948 Chevy – Moebius
Originally tooled by Galaxie Limited, a small US-based operation, this Chevy comes as a coupe, Fleetline fastback or a sedan delivery, all of which have the parts to build a 1946, ‘47 or ‘48. The bottom of the doors isn’t quite right, and the hood height seems a bit exaggerated, but it’s extremely well-detailed, an enjoyable build and a solid favourite.
Honourable Mentions – Renault 4CV – Heller
Pedants, step away from the keyboard. Yes, the Renault was made from 1947-61, so it just scrapes in. Besides, it doesn’t look like a fifties car, does it? Admittedly the kit seems to represent an early fifties 4CV (simplified faux-grille on the front), but I’m including it here because there will be even more trouble choosing fifties favourites, and it is simply too good to overlook. To build it, you would never think the tooling was nearly fifty years old. Removable engine cover shows the little 747cc engine, and the separate front trunk lid shows the removable spare. The latest ‘Boutique Edition’ contains a nicely-outfitted figure as well. Also available as a curious police car with cut-down doors.
1948 Ford – Revell
Another one of those kits available in several body styles, The Revell kit comes as a stock woody (1998), a stock convertible (2002) which later gained optional rod parts, a chopped custom coupe (2011), a stock coupe/police car (2016) or as “Greased Lightning” (2018). There aren’t such a wide range of optional parts to choose from as in some of their kits, but they look very realistic.
‘ What, nothing from AMT?’, somebody asks. No, and the reason is quite simple. While they do 2-in-1 kits of Fords of this vintage, which many of us built as kids, the tooling dates back to the early 1960s, and has not been substantially updated since then, not to the degree that Revell/Monogram have. That’s not to say you can’t make good models from them, just that they’re not the best ones out there.
Gone but not Forgotten: 1932 Cadillac V16 – JoHan
Long out of production, the tooling gone, the JoHan classic kits were usually even better than Monogram’s. This Cadillac was available as a sport phaeton, cabriolet, and this amazing Town Brougham with a simulated wicker rear body compartment, and a removable roof over the chauffeur’s compartment – as well as a beautifully-detailed engine and chassis, with working steering. Tricky to build even if you should find one, but what an amazing model! Monogram does a ’32 dual-cowl phaeton, but it’s not the same kit.
Beautiful models! Much nicer than the ones I put together as a kid.
Boy do those pics bring back some memories
Excellent choices. I remember building some of these a long time ago. The Renault is my favorite.