Johan 1970 Plymouth Fury model car pic

[GMP440]

I remember a while back a thread called ghost kits. Kits that were supposed to be released but never was.

In that thread there was talk about Johan doing a 1970 Plymouth Fury back in 1970.

Here is the Johan model car release ad that was on pg. 7 of the Model Car magazine.

Whats is pictured is a 1970 Plymouth Fury police car. Other models advertised were the Haulin Hearse, AMC Hornet

and 1970 Plymouth Superbird..

Edited August 15, 2014 by GMP440

[ianguilly]

Johan did some of the coolest cars back in the day.

[johnbuzzed]

Yep, I remember that ad. They did not produce that kit. Bummer.

[DynoMight]

I would've loved to have that Superbird!

[MADDOG]

That article itself was a interesting read.

[unclescott58]

Look closer at that Fury. It's a '69. Not a '70.

Scott

[Rob Hall]

Was this before they came out w/ the '68 Fury police car kit? At some point, they retooled the '68 Sport Fury 2dr ht to do the police car sedan, I assume...

[Mark]

The '68 police car came out during 1968 if I remember right. The conversion could have been made once Jo-Han knew that no more 1968 promotional models were needed, and that the 1969 fullsize car was an entirely different animal. That ad is from 1970, because of the Superbird (which likewise was altered from the regular Roadrunner after production of that kit ended). I doubt Jo-Han ever intended to produce a '69 or '70 police car. They didn't do a whole lot of kits that weren't constructed on the bones of a promotional model.

I wonder if, at the time that ad appeared, Jo-Han knew their promo model business with Plymouth had come to an end. They lost Dodge after '64, Chrysler/Imperial after '68, Plymouth after '70. I've thought that their Challenger funny car and Barracuda pro stock kits had their roots in failed attempts to get back Chrysler promo model contracts. For '71, Jo-Han went big into racing subject matter, being left with promotional model business from Oldsmobile, Cadillac, AMC, and a thin sliver of Ford/Mercury stuff. Seeing the Ford logo on a Jo-Han kit box (the Maverick) was something of a surprise back then.

Of the kits pictured that were actually produced, the drag version ambulance is by far the toughest to find IMO. It was only produced for a short time.

[ChrisPflug]

I would've loved to have that Superbird!

They're not too hard to find ( unfortunately not that great of a kit either)

[Art Anderson]

Just to put another spin on the JoHan story here: I was in the hobby business back in those days (as the assistant manager, and plastic model kit buyer and department manager for a pretty large hobby shop here). JoHan's kits were not generally (in my experience from back then) considered all that awesome--they sold rather poorly, compared to the then-offerings from AMT and MPC--in fact, JoHan kits tended to be the biggest portion of the model car kits we put on the tables for the then-traditional July Sidewalk Sale which covered the entire downtown business district of Lafayette IN for two full days in July every year).

That's not to say that JoHan didn't have some neat kits, they did. However, JoHan products just never did achieve the sheer popularity of what was coming out of AMT and MPC back then.

Of course, we now know and feel much differently--but that was then, this is now.

Art

[johnbuzzed]

I would've loved to have that Superbird!

You're better off with the Monogram kit.

[Rob Hall]

You're better off with the Monogram kit.

I have a couple of the Johan and a couple of the Monogram ones..I like that the Johan ones don't have the vinyl top..and w/ the racing parts, they are a better starting point for building a period stock car.

[Mark]

Just to put another spin on the JoHan story here: I was in the hobby business back in those days (as the assistant manager, and plastic model kit buyer and department manager for a pretty large hobby shop here). JoHan's kits were not generally (in my experience from back then) considered all that awesome--they sold rather poorly, compared to the then-offerings from AMT and MPC--in fact, JoHan kits tended to be the biggest portion of the model car kits we put on the tables for the then-traditional July Sidewalk Sale which covered the entire downtown business district of Lafayette IN for two full days in July every year).

That's not to say that JoHan didn't have some neat kits, they did. However, JoHan products just never did achieve the sheer popularity of what was coming out of AMT and MPC back then.

Of course, we now know and feel much differently--but that was then, this is now.

Art

I remember not many stores carried Jo-Han kits. The bigger department stores around here (in those days, K-Mart, a local chain called Twin Fair, and a Northeastern chain called Two Guys, based in NJ) seldom stocked them. Oddly, a number of drug stores did carry them, as did some Woolworths stores on occasion. I wasn't a hobby shop denizen until I was out of school and working (end of 1978) so I can't comment on the situation there. Most of the Jo-Han kits I had early on were mail ordered from Auto World. Now we think of their subject matter as neat, but back then model building kids wanted Corvettes, Mustangs, Barracudas, and Chargers. The Bonnevilles, Impalas, Galaxies, Cougars, and the like usually could be had on closeout when next years' kits started coming out.

[disabled modeler]

Me...I love the Johan stuff...kits,snap kits,promo like kits,promos,etc.Id take one any day there worth the extra work some needed.

[GMP440]

To keep on track of this topic; were there any sketches or drawings done of the Johan Fury kit pictured

ie; parts layout of body , interior, etc ?

The only other picture I have seen is on the instruction from the 68' Police Fury; there is a picture of the roof section that looks identical to the shape of a 69 and up Plymouth Fury.

[w451973]

I often wonder if the box art played a big part on sales. I am a sucker for box art. Lets face it, it often makes a poor kit or subject matter interesting. I know as an adult we think differently now but as a kid it played a huge matter in what I chose to buy.

Hindsight 20/20 huh guys.

[Danno]

Okay, gather around, all ye manufacturer-critics! If you complain about the delays by Moebius with their Ford pickups, you better climb on your soapboxes . . . this Johan '69/'70 Fury kit is 45 years late!!!!!

[charlie8575]

Okay, gather around, all ye manufacturer-critics! If you complain about the delays by Moebius with their Ford pickups, you better climb on your soapboxes . . . this Johan '69/'70 Fury kit is 45 years late!!!!!

Maybe some enterprising producer somewhere could do it. I'd like the '69 so I can do the MassSP's first 4-door cruisers.

Charlie Larkin