AMT 48 Ford promo. (Long)

[84vanagon]

This might not be the right place to post,
but I'm glad to have this one on my shelf!




A few weeks ago I decided to go to a couple of antique stores that have toys. I spied this green Ford at a new booth that had a
bunch of neat 40's-60's items.

I was 90% sure it was an AMT 48 Ford promo. The asking price was a bit more than I wanted to spend, the fact that I wasn't 100% sure it was what I thought it was and a very severe Saturday afternoon thunderstorm kept me from from going back.
This Saturday thunderstorm was the same one that caused the Dallas Cowboys practice tent to collapse, injuring several people.
Rich Behm (Cowboys scout) was paralyzed in the incident.

After digging on the 'net that night I was sure the Ford was the
real thing. I beat a path down to store Sunday, knowing it would be gone. The Ford was still there! After forking over a month's modeling budget I now have my long desired, oldest Ford promo.

I wish it was in better shape, but considering it's 61 years old, I'm not going to complain. I hope I'm in that good of shape when I hit 61!

As a bit of trivia, (us "golden oldies" that know need not answer),
what does A.M.T. stand for?

Sorry for the long story, but I hope y'all enjoy it.
Thanks, Don.

[demonhunterfan]

Wow, Don! tha's one cool find! Looks like it's metal-- is it? Hope so, coz Fletch be workin a couple plastic '48 coupes, and you know how he like to chop things ;D ;D ;D........just warnin' ya Don, keep yer eyes on dat promo.

Later and God bless

[84vanagon]

May 23, 2009 1:20:56 GMT -8 demonhunterfan said:

Looks like it's metal-- is it? coz Fletch be workin a couple plastic '48 coupes, and you know how he like to chop things ;D ;D ;D........just warnin' ya Don, keep yer eyes on dat promo.

Later and God bless

Hi John!
Since I didn't get any bites on the question I posed.

Here is the answer; yes it is metal.

Aluminum Model Toys (AMT) first year promo's
were made out of aluminum due to how cheap
it was just after W.W.II.

The next year (1949) they went to plastic for
the bodies, but still had metal bumpers, grilles,
hubcaps and chassis.

It is roughly 1/25 scale, but has some proportioning
issues (don't we all) !

Thanks for looking!
God bless!
Don.

[Fletch]

Don, that is way to cool. I don't believe I have ever seen a promo from that era. To be a '48 4 Door Sedan makes it even more unique.

As John indicated I have a '48 Coupe build in progress. One of these days when I have nothing else to build I hope to update the '48 Tudor Sedan along the line of the model published by Prior Passerino in SAE almost 30 years ago.

Thank you for sharing your Antique store find.

In Christ

[84vanagon]

Thanks Fletch!
I'd only seen them in pictures before this one
crossed my path.

I remember well "Eye Ball Engineering" 's (his
column IIRC) sedan. I always thought Pryor's
work was cool.

Alternative body styles intrigue me. I usually
like posts over hardtops, sedans over coupes
and base models over the top line.

It would be cool to see you do a 46-8 sedan.
Your 48 looks good! Granted the R/M is light
years ahead of the old IMC/Testors/Union Ford,
it lacks the "magic" that the older kits have.

I have one of the Testors coupes and Union 'verts
waiting to be built. I keep hoping these tools will
pop back up (along with the VW). There is a lot of
history in the old IMC tooling.

Sorry to have run on for so long .

Thank you for this forum.
God bless!
Don.

[Fletch]

I had the chance to meet Pryor at the Portland Roadster Show in 2001. Several of the old guys up here knew him so they introduced him around the group. My wife and I were the promoters for the model car contest at the Roadster Show at the time. We chatted about the Sedan and the things he would change if were built at that time instead of when it was. I was working on an update '48 Sedan using the Revell Convertible and the AMT '39 Sedan. I got far enough to realize that either one or both were out of scale for what they were suppose to be. The '48 body went to the bone yard and the '39 upper section is in a box with a '48 waiting for the day I get ambitious and finish my version of the '48 Tudor Sedan.

I'm sure it will get completed about the time the 2 '39 Chevy Sedans get finished.

Don't concern yourself with the length of your posts, I'm sure the Brothers sometimes think I'm writing a novel with some of mine.

[dimaxion]

There is a Tudor '48 ford available in resin . I've seen it at a Toledo Show in the past . It is a conversion for the IMC ect. kit . Thanx .. ;D

[sigmaman]

Nice find.