1/32 H37-345 Revell Highway Pioneers Five Kit Gift Set - 1903 Model A Ford / 1910 Model T Ford / 1909 Stanley Steamer / 1903 Cadillac / 1900 Packard
Plastic Model Kit, Box Condition: Fair+
Rare set from about 1953 or '54 includes all five models. Never started; the kits are all still factory sealed in the original 'krinkle' bags and include instructions. Molded in bright red, dark green, dark blue and black plastic. Inside, the kit is correct with all cardboard dividers. The box has age foxing/spots are shown. Before the 1950s 'model building' never made the top 10 list of boy's activities. Hobbies were nothing new to America in the 1930s/40s, but they were not mainstream. Starting the 1910 and '20s, many dedicated modelers began building flying or static airplanes, ship, train, automotive or other subjects. Basic kits existed, but the majority of these models were built from scratch, which demanded a high talent level developed from years of experience. The popularity of model kits expanded after Lindberg's flight due to the nation-wide 'Aviation Craze.' However, it was widely reported by hobby publications that because of the high degree of skill required in building wooden aircraft that less than 80% of the kits purchased were successfully completed. That changed in the early 1950s with the introduction of plastics and injection molding machinery. The phenomenon of the all-plastic Gowland & Gowland 'Highway Pioneers' car kits was a significant force in proving that model building as a hobby could have mass appeal, since the kits were easy enough to build and finish. These 1/32 scale vehicles could be built in an hour after dinner and looked much like the real car - and had zero carving or painting required. The Highway Pioneers series lead to the production of other subjects in plastic and the effect was revolutionary. By the early 1960s, model building was the #1 past time of American boys...and adult males as well!
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