Jo-Han

Jo-Han is a manufacturer of plastic scale model car promotionals and kits originally based in Detroit. The company was founded there in 1947 by tool and die maker John Hanley - a year before West Gallogly's company AMT was formed and about the same time as PMC. After changing ownership several times, Jo-Han models were sporadically manufactured by Okey Spaulding in Covington, KY, but apparently none have been offered for several years.

Originally called Ideal Models, Hanley's first products were mid-1950s model aircraft and other promotional items. Some of the early projects included scale model kitchen sets and a training model of Chrysler's fluid drive transmission. This awarded Hanley a contract to produce models for Chrysler.

During the 1950s, the U.S. automakers were commissioning models of their cars from suppliers that included AMT and Jo-Han. Automobile sales people realised that, as one slogan of the time put it, 'the little ones sell the big ones'. The promise of a free toy car for the kids would lure families into the showroom and test drives.

Contracts with General Motors soon followed, and Jo-Han produced Pontiac models for the 1955 model year. Over time, Jo-Han became known more for Chrysler models, though Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Studebaker (often Larks), and American Motors were also well represented - making Jo-Han a strong competitor to AMT, and later, to MPC. Oldsmobile and Cadillac models appeared through the 1960s and 1970s, including the 1962 Oldsmobile compact Cutlass F-85. Their last promotional model made was the 1979 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

Eventually the company name was changed to Jo-Han Models because of the already existing Ideal Toy Company. The new name reflected the first two letters of the founder's first name and the first three letters of his last name. Similar to how AMT simultaneously used the SMP brand name, Jo-Han's 1955 Pontiac Star Chief two door and four door sedan promotional models also continued to use the Ideal name during the transition, but this was the last year for the Ideal name.

The 1950s and 1960s are considered a "golden age" for promotional models and kits, with pre-assembled dealer promotionals coming first around 1950, then kits adding profit in the late-1950s. Most kits were known as "annuals" by hobbyists, and followed the bigger business of promos that represented the new cars introduced at the beginning of each model year. Moreover, model cars were on the forefront of hobbies at that time with a wide range and variety available from numerous manufactures. Companies that made promos for the automakers included JoHan, Revell, Monogram, Lindberg, and MPC. The model companies followed up with hundreds of different model cars and trucks for retail markets. The industry expanded as total annual sales of model kits increased from $6 million in 1956 to more than $150 million by 1962. Model car collecting and building were an important part of being an automobile enthusiast in the 1960s. Besides the standard factory built models, plastic kits were available that represented race and custom forms of the original promo editions.

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