1/32 H33 Revell 1900 Packard Highway Pioneers
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Good-
1952 first issue in the 'Series One' yellow box. This kit was sold new at one of the famous "Neisner's 5 cent and $1 Stores" in 1952 for 69 cents (from the price tag on the bottom of the box). This kit actually has no part number on it; I have given it the H33 as the Packard is usually know by that. This early issue has the "Parents' Magazine Seal" on the long sides which is very rare; it was removed very quickly and is possibly the only Revell kit to wear this badge. The Gowland & Gowland 'balloon' logo is not present on this box. These issues feature the same 5 car artwork on every box; the only way to identify the contents was an ink-stamped name on the box ends. Molded in bright red plastic and the tires & wheels are molded in black. This kit has never been started. The small parts are still factory sealed in the wax paper bag; the parts that were never sealed have been inventoried complete. Includes instructions. These kits have a fascinating history. Hobbies were nothing new to America in the 1930s/40s, but they were not mainstream and never made the top 10 list of boys activities. Spurred on by the nation-wide aviation craze in the 1920s, many became modelers and built flying or static wooden models of airplanes, ships, trains, automotive and other subjects. Basic kits existed, but many of these models were built from scratch, which demanded a high talent level developed from years of experience. That changed in the early 1950s when the Gowland & Gowland/Revell Highway Pioneers became the sales sensation of the year. Demand was so great that the factories could not keep up and almost overnight 'model building' was mainstream. The phenomenon of the 'Highway Pioneers' kits was a significant force in proving that model building as a hobby could have mass appeal, provided that the kits were easy enough to build and finish. These 1/32 scale vehicles fit the bill: they could be built in an hour after dinner and looked much like the real cars. The success of the Highway Pioneers lead to the production of other subjects in plastic and the effect was revolutionary. By the late 1950s, model building was the #1 past time of American boys...and many adult males too!
This item has been sold.
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