The Fabulous Fifties in Scale: Ten Favorite American Car Model Kits

Let’s do the ‘Ten favourite kits’ theme again, but this time we’ll look at kits of fifties cars. We all like the fifties, don’t we?

Last time AMT missed out. This time they’re back big-time, with many classics tooled in the early to mid-sixties (and some from their second golden age in the nineties). I think the difference is that they had a few more years of tooling experience under their belt compared to the hot rod kits, and they seemed to be really in touch with what kids wanted to build. While customs fell from favour for a while, and some of these kits don’t have as many custom parts as they used to, now customs are acknowledged as part of hot rod history – and this is one of the strengths of these AMT kits.

Revell’s ’57: Not quite right.

Revell has some newer tool kits, but most of them seem to have an annoying error somewhere or other. For example, their ’57 Fords are nice but they didn’t get the shape of the front end right above the grille (below); it’s too deep and flat (and the headlights are a bit small). The old AMT kit from 1962 gives a more realistic appearance.

My Top Ten:

As before, don’t take this as a definitive list of the best fifties kits. These are the kits I’ve enjoyed building most.

1949-50 Ford – AMT

Dating from 1962, and in the range almost continually, whether you get the coupe (‘49) or the convertible (‘50) this one’s a great build. It looks accurate, chassis and engine detail are excellent, with an optional tri-carb/blown Caddy for the coupe; hot flathead for the convert. Two minor criticisms. The mag wheels are a bit chunky and generic, but the stock wheels have lovely hubcaps with separate plated trim rings. The custom seats are very dated in style, but the stock interior is beautifully engraved. Earlier releases had a wider assortment of custom body parts, last seen (I think) in the Customizing Series release of the convertible in 1987. Of course, you can mix and match to get a ’49 Convert or a ’50 coupe, as I did here.

1953 Ford – Lindberg/AMT

Originally a Lindberg kit tooled in 1998, during their ‘golden age’, there were both hardtop and convertible versions. These kits are stock only, but beautifully detailed, with the rare ‘Coronado deck’ faux-spare as an option. Currently the hardtop is sold under the AMT brand. Just watch the rear wheel attachment to the axle – it breaks easily.

1952-3-4 Hudson – Moebius

Maybe the best current US kit manufacturer (and I’m not saying that just because they do Hudsons!). Starting with a ’53 coupe in 2011 as their first-ever car kit, they added the Tim Flock and Marshall Teague ’52 stock cars, a Teague ’53, ’52 convertible, ’54 sedan and coupe, and Matty Winspur’s drag ’54 sedan. Top notch kits with incredibly well-detailed engine and chassis that quite frankly beat the rest of these. I’ve built all the stock ones; they all come with the Twin-H-Power 308.

1956 Ford – AMT

I’ve gone on at length about this kit already. It dates from 1965, and builds stock, custom or race versions, with or without the Skyliner glass roof. As a stock build it’s great, but the custom body parts need some finessing to fit, and the custom interior is very early-sixties in style. Engine is a 312 with single or twin carbs and headers: not very hot for the drag version.

56 Chev Delray and Nomad – Revell

The Nomad came first in 1997 as a stock-only kit. Excellent modern rod parts were added with the California Wheels release of 2006; these came from the rod-only Del Ray sedan kit of 2005. Builds up well, just watch the front bumper; on the Nomad in particular it sticks out like it’s a 5mph bumper. Mine was one of the early kits. I hope they might have fixed that by now – they’ve had nearly thirty years….

57 Ford – AMT

A typical 3-in-1 kit, this one dates from 1962, and (like the ’50 Ford) has lost some of the more extreme custom pieces along the way. It builds up to a beautiful Fairlane Victoria, with a factory-style blown 312 as the top engine, with poseable steering and opening doors like the ‘56. It was revised in the ‘90s which saw the fitment of optional billet parts to the Y-block.  The body seems totally accurate, and comes with optional chrome headlight rims (Ford should have done it this way!) or quad lights among the custom bits.

58 Plymouth – AMT

Newly tooled in 2002, this is a Belvedere rather than the Fury you might expect. A stock-only kit with great underhood detail; where it wins over the older AMT kits is the separate chrome wipers, door handles, and fender mirrors. Yes there’s a Christine version, which seems to be just a rebox of the original kit. Nicely detailed, just watch the fit of the radiator wall or the hood won’t close.

58 Edsel – AMT

Another one I’ve written up before. Another stock-only kit, dating from 1999, a second version with a continental kit and cruiser skirts appears in the range sometimes. There was also a beautifully prepainted version briefly available – so smooth and glossy I don’t know how they did them for the price. The only problem with this kit is that the beautifully-detailed FE-block seems about the size of a Windsor – but how many folk will notice?

58 Chevy – Revell

Here’s a different one. Originally released as a diecast lowrider kit, it has since had stock parts added as a build option, and is now made in the usual styrene. Construction shows the diecast origins, as screws are used at several stages. Much of the side chrome trim is separate pieces. This has an opening trunk with a movable continental kit. A real pleasure to build.

59 Chevy – Revell/Monogram

This began with a convertible kit of 1993, with the hardtop following in ’96, and giving rise to a couple of ’60 Chevys as well. Plenty of great detail everywhere, including patterned adhesive stickers (later decals) for the upholstery. Plenty of extra chrome pieces: wipers, door handles, fender ornaments; unusually, it has the side chrome trim as separate plated pieces. Lowrider versions of both years have been offered.

Honourable Mentions:

53 Studebaker – AMT

Another of my all-time favourite kits, this just misses out on the top ten. Although it’s a 3-in-1 kit dating back to 1965, build options for the custom seem a bit scanty (no engine upgrade), while the Bonneville version is just over-the-top wild – twin-blown early Hemi, chopped roof, etc. Of course you can swap in bits from AMT’s Avanti and have a twin-blown Studebaker ‘R5’ engine. I have been known to do this…

’57 Chevy (new tool) AMT.

This is where it gets confusing. AMT has two different ’57 Chevy kits in their line. There’s the 1963-vintage 3-in-1 kit, and another stock-only kit tooled in 1997 – that’s the one to go for. As an offshoot, the new one gave rise to a street machine version with lovely big block and an entirely new chassis and suspension setup.

But in a peculiar approach to marketing, AMT doesn’t seem to distinguish between them. The old one is a nice build, even if the shape of the side trim is wrong (angles down too sharply), but the new one is really up to 21^st century standards – much sharper engraving, more separate parts, better underhood detail. Fitting the body to the chassis is tricky though.

But you didn’t mention….?

49 Mercury – AMT or Revell

You’re right, I didn’t. Both these ’49 Merc kits are nice, but I’d have to say I enjoy building those others more. AMT’s 1963 kit offers more choices, but if you want to build a custom, you’re on your own for chopping the top (should you desire). Revell’s 2007 kit has the advantage of being much newer, but on the flip side is custom-only, having a chopped top, and the rear side window shapes are slightly different from left to right – oops! Revell also offers a stock-looking woody wagon – but it has the same Cadillac engine as the custom coupe. Great model, just keep the hood shut!