The LAST 100% Monogram-Engineered 1/24 Scale Kits?

[1972coronet]

Back in early calendar year 1988, I remember seeing ads and reviews for "Revell" kits (truly, in name only) which were obviously modified Monogram kits. The first one which pops out in me mind was the Shelby 1970 GT 500 kit (moulded in yellow). I remember my 18 year old brain thinking, That's the Monogram nineteen-seventy Boss four-twenty-nine kit! 

No big deal; but, I pondered a couple of 'discrepancies': 
1.) They were listed as being 1/25 scale
2.) The Revell name applied to an obvious Monogram kit

When the 1988 Motorcraft Thunderbird Pro Stock kit was released (ca.summer 1988), I immediately recognised it as an updated Monogram P/S 'Bird. So, I grabbed me a copy, and built away. Great kit! However, a brainless dipstick of a friend of mine argued that it was a Revell kit because of their moniker being emblazoned across the box lid. 
He , like me, was NO fan of Revell! All of those impossible-to-build kits from our youth (1970s) soured us for a very long time on the brand.
However, he wasn't seeing the bigger picture: Revell and Monogram had merged (c.1986, IIRC), and were ostensibly attempting to undo the image of those pieces of it kits of the recent-past.

Enquiring Minds Want To Know!
What was thee last 100% Monogram engineered/designed 1/24 scale kit? I seem to recall the 1986 Monte Carlo SS, and the 1987 Turbo Coupe Thunderbird, being the last of the ages-old Monogram organisation.

Morbid curiosity here is all. Please share your thoughts and whatnot.  

[Dave Van]

That is a real gray area!!!!!! The lead kit designer at Monogram  before the merger was Bob Johnson. He then did the same job for RM. The first kit that I recall that was announced as a Monogram kit, designed by Bob, but showed up in a Revell box, was the 3 IMSA Roush Ford Mustangs. This was around 1986. I was lucky enough to know Bob and I asked him about the announced 1/24 scale but switched to 1/25 when they showed up as Revell. He said that being race cars he felt they would look OK. Besides, the tooling was cut and no going back! And when you compare these '1/25 IMSA Mustangs' to the Monogram GTX IMSA Mustang and they do not look out of place......so they are 1/24......to me anyway! 

The last Monogram design??? Hard to tell as the design team transferred from Monogram to Revell pretty seamlessly.  Bob himself would have to make that call. 

The Monogram / Revell IMSA GTO Mustang

 

[1972coronet]

57 minutes ago, Dave Van said:

That is a real gray area!!!!!! The lead kit designer at Monogram  before the merger was Bob Johnson. He then did the same job for RM. The first kit that I recall that was announced as a Monogram kit, designed by Bob, but showed up in a Revell box, was the 3 IMSA Roush Ford Mustangs. This was around 1986.

Thanks for your detailed response! I didn't realise that the R-M connection dated to a few years prior to the "on-paper" merger.

I built one of the IMSA Mustangs back in summer 1982 (I don't recall its livery -- may've been Motorcraft, definitely a blue motif). It was definitely marketed under the Monogram banner (I'd have avoided any Revell-branded kit at that time!). Was this c.1982 Monogram IMSA a different animal vs. the c.1986 kits you're speaking of?

[Oldcarfan27]

Can't remember exactly, but I recall the 86 Monte, then the 87 Grand Nat and the 87 Tbird.

But what about the accurized 88 Mustang GT, 89 Trans Am GTA Indy or the 70 Buick GNX?

[Oldcarfan27]

Or the 90 Ford F350 extra cab and dually?

[Oldcarfan27]

The Shelby GT500 was actually smaller than the Boss nine. It was cut from the same master as the Boss, so was the 69 CobraJet which was Revell.

[Fat Brian]

The Monogram 69 Talladega is listed as a 1990 debut but is very obviously 1/24 scale. 

[Dave Van]

2 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Thanks for your detailed response! I didn't realise that the R-M connection dated to a few years prior to the "on-paper" merger.

I built one of the IMSA Mustangs back in summer 1982 (I don't recall its livery -- may've been Motorcraft, definitely a blue motif). It was definitely marketed under the Monogram banner (I'd have avoided any Revell-branded kit at that time!). Was this c.1982 Monogram IMSA a different animal vs. the c.1986 kits you're speaking of?

I am going off memory here and after I took my night time meds!!!!!

The first IMSA Ford kit was the Zakspeed Roush GTX racer. It came out around 1982.

 

The 2nd IMSA Mustang kit from Monogram was the CTP Mustang / Probe kit. 1984??

 

 

Then in  1986 came the IMSA Mustang GTO kits. These were shown at the RCHTA show as Monogram kits but ended up labeled Revell. 

 

RM looked at doing the IMSA GTP Mustang/Probe kit but it never made it past the idea stage. Tamiya did do it in 1/24 R/C model and QuickSkins did a really nice resin kit. 

 

Edited July 2, 2022 by Dave Van

[1972coronet]

11 hours ago, Dave Van said:

The first IMSA Ford kit was the Zakspeed Roush GTX racer. It came out around 1982.

That's the one I built that summer! I remembered it being blue and white, but that was all. 

Not sure why I hadn't built any after that one... it was a fun kit to build, especially in me 12 year old hands. 

[Mark]

The first new Monogram car kit in 1/25 scale was the '59 Cadillac convertible, in 1993.  As I understand, it was started as a 1/24 scale kit, but management switched horses midstream and tooled it in 1/25.  That begs the question, what was the last all-new car kit prior to that one?

Or, did they tool any all-new NASCAR kits after that?  They stayed with 1/24 for those, to remain consistent with those already produced.

[espo]

I think the turning point for the Revell kits came about after they combined with Monogram. I don't recall the exact time this happened, but I do recall being disappointed in the Revell kits execution overall.   I'm old enough to have delt with Revell's multi part bodies that this then young builder was unable to deal with. The good news is that whatever transpired after joining Monogram the Revell kits became desirable builds rather quickly. 

[Can-Con]

16 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Or the 90 Ford F350 extra cab and dually?

They were first announced in the '91 catalogue so maybe? 

Was the Ferrari Mythos, released in '92 a whole new kit or based on their Testarossa?

[iBorg]

1 hour ago, Mark said:

The first new Monogram car kit in 1/25 scale was the '59 Cadillac convertible, in 1993.  As I understand, it was started as a 1/24 scale kit, but management switched horses midstream and tooled it in 1/25.  That begs the question, what was the last all-new car kit prior to that one?

Or, did they tool any all-new NASCAR kits after that?  They stayed with 1/24 for those, to remain consistent with those already produced.

A bit of clarification, Monogram started making in the 1950s. From Wikipedia which in this case uses company resources, "Monogram responded with "All Plastic" "Plastikits" the first of which were a red plastic midget racer and a "Hot Rod" Model A."

The '59 Caddy was their first 1/25th scale kit from making box scale kits and then 1/24th through their history as an independent company and then while owned by Mattel.

 

[10camaross]

I think the 1970 Buick GSX was the last 1/24 kit, scalemates says it was released  in ‘89 

Edited July 2, 2022 by 10camaross

[Dave Van]

48 minutes ago, 10camaross said:

I think the 1970 Buick GSX was the last 1/24 kit, scalemates says it was released  in ‘89 

The Revell Monogram merger happened in 1986 and tooling was merged at that time. So are we looking for the last kit designed and made by Monogram???? A kit that came out in 1989 would be a Revell-Monogram kit.......not a legacy Monogram kit. As the Monogram design team pretty much moved intact to the 'new' Revell-Monogram where do we draw the line????  Since the Revell IMSA Mustang kits were announced as Monogram kits but by the time they came out they were Revell branded. So the LAST all Monogram kit would be BEFORE the IMSA Mustang kits of 1986. 

[10camaross]

18 minutes ago, Dave Van said:

The Revell Monogram merger happened in 1986 and tooling was merged at that time. So are we looking for the last kit designed and made by Monogram???? A kit that came out in 1989 would be a Revell-Monogram kit.......not a legacy Monogram kit. As the Monogram design team pretty much moved intact to the 'new' Revell-Monogram where do we draw the line????  Since the Revell IMSA Mustang kits were announced as Monogram kits but by the time they came out they were Revell branded. So the LAST all Monogram kit would be BEFORE the IMSA Mustang kits of 1986. 

I thought it was about the last 1/24 kit, before the’59 caddy

[Dave Van]

Title of post is 'Last 100% Monogram kit.'  So that limits it to something issued before 1986. 

[10camaross]

22 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Or the 90 Ford F350 extra cab and dually?

You might be right, 1991