Hot Rod Model Kits (Enthusiast Color Series) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Terry Jessee (Author) "Late in 1944, American manufacturers began to realize that World War II might be near its end..." (more)
Key Phrases: hot rod kits, model car builders, vintage kits, George Barris, Tom Daniel, Big Daddy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Since the 1950s, model manufacturers have based plastic kits on the concept drawings and show cars of such hot rod gurus as Ed Roth and George Barris. Today, auction websites like ebay.com and amazon.com are filled with these highly coveted kits; and collectors are willing to shell out tidy sums for unassembled examples. This full-color retrospective offers a company-by-company history of hot rod model kits from the likes of Monogram, Revell, MPC, and AMT. The story behind each company's involvement with the custom scene and discussions of key customizers are accompanied by studio shots of assembled kits, sales catalogs and period advertising, photo collages of the most famous models, and the marvelous box art that became a hallmark of hot rod model kits.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks International; illustrated edition edition (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760307318
• ISBN-13: 978-0760307311
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #526,411 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot Rod Model Kits is a great resource, September 17, 2000

By	David Rasmussen (Collierville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

Terry Jessee has done an excellent job of interviewing the top people of the best modeling companies in their heyday and capturing the excitement of the 60s and 70s car modeling. I'm a collector of over 240 vintage show rod kits and to read about both the designers and the executives of those companies was fascinating.

No hot rod modeling baby-boomer's library is complete without Hot Rod Model Kits!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot book on hot rods, December 31, 2000

By	Mark D. Dryer (Ishpeming, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

Just recieved my copy of Hot Rod Model Kits and fell in love with it. Was really suprised to read the oldest review written here. The book has some great color photos of some of the best hot rod kits ever produced. It also has a great insite into the early years of model manufacturers. This book is devoted solely to car models unlike other books which try to cover everything and may fall short. It's not a price guide but rather a look into the history of hot rod modeling. An enjoyable trip to the past.

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST read for any Model Enthusiast, April 30, 2000

By	David W. Darby (Davenport, IA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

From the cover, with it's beautifully flamed 40 Ford coupe, Mooneyes dragster, and T-bucket roadster parked in front of vintage AMT and Revell model boxes, this book kept this modeler's rapt attention from cover to cover. You don't have to be a hot rodder to appreciate this effort either. Terry Jessee, an accomplished model builder himself, spoke with just about everybody ever involved in the history of the model car industry for some of the most informative insight you could possibly want. People like John Mueller, and George Toteff of AMT and MPC, Mark Gustavson, Dennis Doty, George Barris, and Ed "Big Daddy Roth". This book features a ton of illustrations ranging from vintage original artwork for the boxes, to a ton of beautifully built vintage hot rod models. Priced right around the same as a good model kit, this book is the best investment you'll make in quite some time! I guarantee you'll be opening this book time and time again. Run out and buy a copy for yourself, then run out and buy another, and donate it to the nearest school library!