The Little A- The missing vintage Monogram design proposal

[Mr. Metallic]

Most of you are probably familiar with the Monogram hot rod series containing the Little T, Little Deuce, Blue Beetle and the Woody Wagon. Monogram may have had plans to extend that series further, and here is what one of the design proposals may have looked like. 

The Little A

Here it is pictured with the 6 in 1 box that the Monogram design team may have decided to turn into the actual kit.

 

Ok. This is actually another entry in my vintage "What If" series of phantom Monogram designed kits. If you are familiar with Monogram kits at all you would know that every issue of the Monogram Model A Coupe has featured black fenders with a different colors body, except for one. The rare Untouchable themed double kit from the 80's featured the A coupe all molded in black. A perfect starting point for a vintage hot rod. Yes, this is polished plastic, not paint. The only paint on the model is the engine block, carbs and roof panel/running boards. 

 

Parts were sourced from various other early Monogram kits with the exception of the exhaust (which came from the newest version of the Monogram A phaeton). Thanks to @68shortfleet for his resin whitewalls for the slicks that replicate the original ones that had the lettering on the sidewall, just to sell that this could have been built in the 60's. I did scratchbuild the interior side panels from Evergreen, but used a trimmed down Little Deuce seat.The intake and headers are from the original 6 in 1 version of the A coupe. 

 

Here you can see it pictured with one of my other What If builds, the little Big Deuce (also polished plastic)

Thanks to @TooOld for the vintage MNOGR4M license plates that I now put on these builds, and his inspirational polished plastic vintage Monogram builds, and also to @Don Sikora II and @alan barton and Chuck Darnell for inspiration as well

More in this series to come. Thanks for looking

 

[carrucha]

Cool hotrod!  The black plastic polished out well. 

[karbuildr]

Very nostalgic and quite interesting. I like your build a lot, looks great in black.

[Don Sikora II]

Very cool! That Little Deuce seat looks great in there too. I didn't know the Untouchables issue was all in black!

[PappyD340]

Real nice hot rod!

[bondo bill]

I'm digging that

[ChrisR]

Very nice.

[dragsterguy]

Now that's an early 60's HOT ROD! 
Straight out of Car Craft or Rodding and Restyling, it really gets the look right. 

I can see the Monogram display in the hobby shop window, my pre teen face lusting after it's polished plastic glory!
REALLY nice man! Sanitary.

 

[TooOld]

Well done Craig , I love it !  A perfect addition to you collection !  That black body is a tough one to find , I keep passing on the double kit because I really have no use for the Rolls Royce .

[ncbuckeye67]

Sweet builds!

[Mr. Metallic]

2 hours ago, TooOld said:

Well done Craig , I love it !  A perfect addition to you collection !  That black body is a tough one to find , I keep passing on the double kit because I really have no use for the Rolls Royce .

Yes, I now have 2 rolls royce kits that I don't need. But I should look them over to see if there's any usable parts in them ?

[Ragtop Man]

I love the coupes, but would dig that even more as a Roadster. Your speculation is spot on - and I really like how it turned out. 

Scooping up Blue Banditos wherever I can find them...! 

One question tho - Are there other Monogram-sized wheel covers for the insert whitewall tires beyond the Olds Fiesta (last seen in the '58 T-Bird) and the excellent Dodge Lancers in the '59 2-in-1 Revell kit? (or was it the '60?)  I'm briefly excepting the T-Bird spoke wheels in the pickup... but they might be interesting at some point.)

I really enjoy the look on an early rod, very "roadsters in roto" look of quality home built rods, where real "mag" wheels were just out of sight even for a bucks up guy.

[Phildaupho]

Very attractive A-Coupe Hot Rod. Well built.

[jdcar32]

As a kid in the 60's these kits were the holy grail, miles ahead of AMT. Wish I would have bouhgt and saved them all ! Now they are unobtainium. A great concept that's keeping modeling history alive.

[Dave Van]

Very well done!!! I love the look.  My dream is all those Monogram 6 in 1 kits are restored to better than new.

[milo1303s]

I've done this same idea !! Wonder why they never customized this kit ?

 

[slusher]

Nice hotrod!

[XYHARRY]

Very cool 60s hotrod, well done Craig. 

Cheers, 

David. ??

[Bullybeef]

Nice concept Craig, the part sourcing for this must be a great part of the build process. It’s definitely not a grab a box and build kind of process. I admire your creativity on these.

[Ulf]

Interesting concept, almost a bit of art. There are several Monogram kits that fit this concept. The fact that you polish the plastic gives the workheight.

Edited November 17, 2024 by Ulf