Revell
 |
|
| Industry | Hobbies |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1943 |
| Headquarters | Elk Grove Village, Illinois, United States |
| Products | Model kits |
| Parent | Hobbico |
| Website | http://www.revell.com/ |
Revell is the well-known brand name today used by two distinct manufacturers of scale plastic models. The original American Revell eventually merged with Monogram. In 2007, American Revell was purchased by Hobbico. By contrast, European Revell Germany separated from the American company in 2006 until Hobbico purchased it - bringing the two back together again under the same company umbrella.
Lewis H. Glaser, a California entrepreneur, founded a plastics molding firm called Precision Specialties in Hollywood during 1943. The company made a variety of products contracted for different companies. One of the first toy related products were HO scale (1:87) train sets, including locomotives, and a variety of cars along with buildings. The building line was extensive, including a farm group, a suburban passenger station, and a variety of utility structures. Many of these originals were later reproduced in other scales. The toy line later was marketed under the brand name Revell. Reportedly, the name Revell came from the French word reveille meaning "new beginning". The Revell logo at the time was the early relative of today's design.
About 1950, Revell reproduced Maxwell and Ford Model T assembled toys originally designed by the Gowland Brothers in England, a company producing toys since 1932. According to noted collector Cecil Gibson, these did not sell so well in England, but Revell had much better luck with the series in the U.S. The Revell box said, "By John Gowland—creator of Champ and Chu Chu". The 1911 Maxwell and 1910 Model T were about 1:16 scale and called "Action Pull Toys", which consisted of a wound thin metal cord with a plastic handle. The cord was attached through the front of the car to the rear axle. The car's body was hinged, so when the plastic handle was pulled, the car bounced on the floor - with the driver bobbing up and down. The box advertised that these were "Made in Hollywood" and were called Revell "Play Planned" toys.
A couple of years later, these toys were scaled down and modeled as 3/8" to a foot scale (four to five inches) and called "Highway Pioneers Quick Construction" kits—most without the rather cartoonish figures and without the mechanical 'action'. These new 1:32 toys met with great success and sold much better than the larger Maxwell even though it was made famous by Jack Benny's radio show circa 1953. The original larger cars were discontinued and Revell focused on the newer kits, with the Gowland hot air balloon logo still shown on the green, yellow or orange boxes. Box information shows models were offered in at least four series, not including the Maxwell and four other Highway Pioneers released in UK (from the Hudson Miniature molds). Series one consisted of a 1900 Packard, 1903 Ford Model A, 1910 Ford Model T roadster, 1909 Stanley Steamer, and a 1903 Cadillac. Series two was 1914 Stutz Bearcat, 1915 Ford Model T Sedan, 1908 Buick Rumble, 1910 Studebaker, and a 1910 Cadillac. Series three was the 1904 Oldsmobile, 1904 Rambler, 1907 Sears, 1910 Pierce Arrow, and a 1911 Rolls Royce (Gowland & Gowland 2007). Revell also offered gift sets of the five car seried, and a "Collector's Kit" set with ten individually wrapped kits of the Highway Pioneer models in one box.
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Wikipedia