AMT The Green Hornet Black Beauty Kit

[Rob Hall]

2 hours ago, Mr mopar said:

I have 2 questions Will Round 2 be doing a full kit with engine  if not what chassis would work for this kit ? I don't like Curbside kits .

1. Probably not.

2. The only modern kit that would be close that I can think of is the AMT '57 Chrysler 300 chassis. 

[stavanzer]

I wonder how this kit is selling?

The Buzz around seems to have vanished.

I hope it is doing well.

[Stef]

Got mine, and love it to bits. Modestly restyling it "for modern audiences", heh. At least 5 other guys in my model club got 'em, too. Fantastic kit. Hope they sell a squillion.

[stavanzer]

5 minutes ago, Stef said:

Got mine, and love it to bits. Modestly restyling it "for modern audiences", heh. At least 5 other guys in my model club got 'em, too. Fantastic kit. Hope they sell a squillion.

Very Nice Re-style!

[drodg]

On 2/3/2024 at 11:24 PM, stavanzer said:

I wonder how this kit is selling?

The Buzz around seems to have vanished.

I hope it is doing well.

I have one and have been tempted to start it.  Good question if someone with knowledge could pipe in.   

[Mr. Metallic]

On 2/3/2024 at 11:49 PM, Stef said:

 

 

Very cool update to an iconic car.

If you happen to want to part with the kit wheels let me know

[Edward Gore]

On 2/3/2024 at 9:49 PM, Stef said:

Got mine, and love it to bits. Modestly restyling it "for modern audiences", heh. At least 5 other guys in my model club got 'em, too. Fantastic kit. Hope they sell a squillion.

Very nice! I plan to build mine basically out of box in a lowered stance like yours without the rear brooms. 

[OldNYJim]

On 6/6/2022 at 10:10 AM, Carmak said:

This release will make the demo derby builders really happy!

 

Yep!  I picked one up specifically to build an Imperial derby car.  

I didn’t really start properly researching how much work it will take to convert it into a feasible replica of ‘the derby car so good it was banned almost everywhere’ but I’m grabbed one anyway while HL had them in stock

[Sledsel]

On 10/11/2023 at 8:33 AM, Rob Hall said:

1. Probably not.

2. The only modern kit that would be close that I can think of is the AMT '57 Chrysler 300 chassis. 

Actually this was a uni-body car and a 1/24 Mopar may work. Something like Doms Charger could work also. I have this kit but have not checked dimensions to anything else yet 

Edited February 23 by Sledsel

[Mark]

Imperials were not Unibody until 1967.  The BB is a '65 or '66, that generation actually goes back to 1957 underneath.  Revell's Imperial kit has incorrect Unibody chassis detail.

There were styling studies and clays done for a proposed '62 Unibody Imperial, but Chrysler had to drastically revise its '62 plans due to their financial situation.  Neither the Imperial nor the Chrysler got a new body for '62, and the Chrysler got a hasty restyle using new quarter panels and some Dodge panels, to get rid of the fins from '60-'61.

[Rob Hall]

4 hours ago, Sledsel said:

Actually this was a uni-body car and a 1/24 Mopar may work. Something like Doms Charger could work also. I have this kit but have not checked dimensions to anything else yet 

Nope...the Imperial didn't go unibody until 1967.   This seems like a one-version only kit, can't see many other variants of customized Imperial from an obscure tv show from 60 years ago. 

[Mark]

I'd bet it hit the anticipated sales target.  It's aimed primarily at the TV/movie model crowd, the car guys wanted it too but that's really a secondary market for this kit.  

And, like the Batmobile kits, there will be follow-up versions with added items like display bases and collector tins.  It's a shame it took so long to get a 1/25 scale kit, but it's still an iconic car.  Not quite up there with the Batmobiles or 007 Aston Martin, but very close.

[gtx6970]

On 2/23/2025 at 5:57 AM, Mark said:

I'd bet it hit the anticipated sales target.  It's aimed primarily at the TV/movie model crowd, the car guys wanted it too but that's really a secondary market for this kit.  

And, like the Batmobile kits, there will be follow-up versions with added items like display bases and collector tins.  It's a shame it took so long to get a 1/25 scale kit, but it's still an iconic car.  Not quite up there with the Batmobiles or 007 Aston Martin, but very close.

I've wanted a Kit of this car since the series in the 60s. 

 

I bought one almost instant when it came out.

 

It's in my short pile to do soon

[Sledsel]

On 2/23/2025 at 7:26 AM, Mark said:

Imperials were not Unibody until 1967.  The BB is a '65 or '66, that generation actually goes back to 1957 underneath.  Revell's Imperial kit has incorrect Unibody chassis detail.

There were styling studies and clays done for a proposed '62 Unibody Imperial, but Chrysler had to drastically revise its '62 plans due to their financial situation.  Neither the Imperial nor the Chrysler got a new body for '62, and the Chrysler got a hasty restyle using new quarter panels and some Dodge panels, to get rid of the fins from '60-'61.

 

On 2/23/2025 at 7:43 AM, Rob Hall said:

Nope...the Imperial didn't go unibody until 1967.   This seems like a one-version only kit, can't see many other variants of customized Imperial from an obscure tv show from 60 years ago. 

Did some digging and i have been corrected, but that's ok... that's how we learn. A friend drove an Imperial back in the 80's and I remember it being a uni-body I helped him fix a broken trans mount) but do not remember what year the car was. We fit a lot of people in that sucker going to school!! He ended up pulling the engine for a Satellite

 

[Ron Hamilton]

I bought two of them as soon as the kit was available.  It seems true to the original,  other than the too small wheels and tires, which I was able to take care of with Resin repops of the original Appliance Apache Wheels from the original annual AMT 67 Camaro SS Hardtop kit. I detailed and mocked up a set for a later kit build when I can. The tires in the photo are just placeholders.

 

I  have yet to compare this kit to my other AMT Imperial kits in my collect. A 1966 Imperial LeBaron Hardtop can be made from this kit by an enterprising. Talented Modeler. The inter is there if you leave off the Green Hornet Accessories. 

[Carmak]

Not technically on topic but this reminds me of the very unique wheels and tires on an Elvis Stutz at the Graceland Museum.

Notice the ribs on the tires!

Craig

[Robberbaron]

4 hours ago, Carmak said:

Not technically on topic but this reminds me of the very unique wheels and tires on an Elvis Stutz at the Graceland Museum.

Notice the ribs on the tires!

Craig

Funky!  Never saw those before.  Apparently the wheels were made specifically for those tires.  Here's some info I found:

https://www.madle.org/elxx.htm

Center design of those wheels looks suspiciously like the Kelsey-Hayes Magstars.  Wonder if Firestone contracted with them to design/manufacture them?

[sfhess]

A family friend had a set of LXXs on his 68 Javelin

[pack rat]

On 2/26/2025 at 7:38 PM, Ron Hamilton said:

I  have yet to compare this kit to my other AMT Imperial kits in my collect. A 1966 Imperial LeBaron Hardtop can be made from this kit by an enterprising. Talented Modeler. The inter is there if you leave off the Green Hornet Accesories. 

I compared a Black Beauty test shot to an original annual a couple of years ago.  Parts like the annual hood, rear bumper, glass etc  would fit the BB like a glove.

I'm sure that there was a vintage kit sitting nearby when the BB was developed; I believe a stock building version of the BB was considered but it was nixed at some point.   

Edited March 2 by pack rat

[CapSat 6]

14 hours ago, pack rat said:

I compared a Black Beauty test shot to an original annual a couple of years ago.  Parts like the annual hood, rear bumper, glass etc  would fit the BB like a glove.

I'm sure that there was a vintage kit sitting nearby when the BB was developed; I believe a stock building version of the BB was considered but it was nixed at some point.   

I can still my tongue no longer! 😁 I will now stir the pot a little more. 

I have one of these and I’m modifying it to make it more like the movie car. If you remember, the movie came out some time ago, starring Seth Rogen. The movie was meh, but the car they used was pretty neat. It was more stock than the TV car, so I’m trying to integrate old annual front and rear bumpers into the new body. There is a lot of cutting involved, so they are not a drop fit, but the basic dimensions do seem to line up. I’m also going to try to make the rear roof portion more stock. Personally, I like the movie car more than the TV version (heresy!!!). 

We all know that Round 2’s thing is to cater to the Sci Fi and Pop Culture crowd. I can see them developing a Green Hornet Movie car from this tool. My bet would be that some design work has already been done for that. If they did the movie car, I would just make it easier on myself by buying one, and abandoning the one I’m cutting on. 

A Green Hornet movie car would probably be viewed as a little more contemporary in design than the ‘60’s custom, so it might actually have greater appeal to car builders. Also, it would use more stock elements, bringing this tool closer to a stock version. 

A business case might be made for rolling out the movie car version, then perhaps a stock Limousine. There are very few Limo kits available (most are resin), and I could see many builders wanting a nice ‘60’s limo in their collection. 
 

 

 

Edited March 3 by CapSat 6

[Mark C.]

2 hours ago, pack rat said:

 I believe a stock building version of the BB was considered but it was nixed at some point.   

IMHO, it’s a bit of a shame to come so close and not go all the way.  I never really watched the show, so I don’t have any connection to the BB, however I would buy a stock Imperial without hesitation.

I have to wonder if there are others like me, who were waiting in the wings for the stock version to appear, but were disappointed that it never happened.

That said, I’m certain that Round 2 understands their market very well, and had good reason to believe that the numbers weren’t there.  Besides, they have already released so much cool stuff in recent years, with more coming, how could I possibly complain?  I’ve been over the Imperial for some time now… 😉

Keep up the good work Round 2!!  👍🏻