AMT (Aluminum Model Toys)
30 years in operation (1948–1978)
About AMT (Aluminum Model Toys)
AMT began by producing 1:25 scale promotional model cars for automobile dealerships before pivoting to the model kit market in the late 1950s. Their snap-together and glue model kits of American cars, Star Trek vehicles, and TV show cars were hugely popular with teenage hobbyists. AMT is especially prized for their Star Trek USS Enterprise kit.
Founding
West Gallogly Sr., who founded the company in Michigan to supply the Detroit automakers with accurate scale replicas of their own products.
History of AMT (Aluminum Model Toys)
AMT began in the promotional-model business, not the hobby business. Car dealers wanted 1/25 scale replicas of the current model year to hand to customers and put in showroom windows, and the automakers wanted them accurate. Working from factory drawings gave AMT a level of fidelity that no independent kit maker could match, and the annual model-year cycle gave it a guaranteed order book.
The 3-in-1 Customizing Kit of 1958 converted that advantage into a consumer product. One box contained the parts to build a car stock, custom or competition, which turned a static replica into a creative kit and effectively invented the American car-modelling hobby as it was practised for the next thirty years. AMT also held the licence for the original Star Trek, and its 1966 Enterprise is one of the most-built plastic kits ever tooled.
Lesney bought AMT in 1978, and Ertl acquired it in 1983, trading as AMT/Ertl. The tooling has since passed through Racing Champions and Round 2, which continues to reissue it — so a great many AMT moulds cut in the early 1960s are still producing kits.
Timeline
- 1948AMT is founded to make dealer promotional models for the Detroit automakers
- 1958The 3-in-1 Customizing Kit introduces stock, custom and competition options in one box
- 1960The 1/25 scale annual-issue kit becomes the standard of the American car-model hobby
- 1966The Star Trek licence yields the U.S.S. Enterprise kit
- 1978Lesney Products acquires AMT
- 1983Ertl acquires the company; kits are issued as AMT/Ertl
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- AMT 1:25 car model kits
- AMT Star Trek USS Enterprise model
- AMT Batmobile model kit
- AMT TV show car kits
- AMT annual dealer promo cars
- AMT customizing kits
Identifying & Dating AMT (Aluminum Model Toys)
- Kit boxes and instruction sheets carry an AMT logo and a copyright year, which dates the issue rather than the tooling — an early mould reissued in 1974 carries a 1974 date.
- Promotional models are moulded in body colour rather than painted and frequently carry a dealer or automaker imprint on the base along with "AMT Corp." and the model year.
- Early promos were moulded in cellulose acetate, which shrinks, warps and cracks with age; later ones are styrene, which does not. A distorted or split promo body is usually an acetate piece and is normal for its age.
Collector's Notes
- Sealed original-issue annual kits from the 1960s are the premium material, particularly the first year of a popular subject. Because the same moulds have been reissued for decades, box art and date codes are what separate a valuable original from a common later run.
- Built kits are worth a fraction of sealed ones unless built to an exceptional standard, and glue-bombed builds have little value beyond parts.
- For promos, condition of the plastic itself is decisive. Check acetate bodies for warp along the roof and rocker panels before buying at a colour-rarity price.
Currently for Sale on eBay
Live listings for AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) toys and collectibles, fetched directly from eBay.
As an eBay Partner, this site may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. Figures shown are current asking prices on eBay, not appraised market values.
Categories
Frequently Asked Questions
When was AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) founded?
AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) was founded in 1948, based in Troy, MI.
Is AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) still in business?
No. AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) ceased operations in 1978, after 30 years in business.
What is AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) best known for?
AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) is best known for AMT 1:25 car model kits, AMT Star Trek USS Enterprise model, AMT Batmobile model kit, among other toys.
Where was AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) located?
AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) was based in Troy, MI.
What kinds of toys did AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) make?
AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) is categorized under model kits, vehicles, die-cast.
Who founded AMT (Aluminum Model Toys)?
West Gallogly Sr., who founded the company in Michigan to supply the Detroit automakers with accurate scale replicas of their own products.
How can you identify genuine AMT (Aluminum Model Toys)?
Kit boxes and instruction sheets carry an AMT logo and a copyright year, which dates the issue rather than the tooling — an early mould reissued in 1974 carries a 1974 date. Promotional models are moulded in body colour rather than painted and frequently carry a dealer or automaker imprint on the base along with "AMT Corp." and the model year. Early promos were moulded in cellulose acetate, which shrinks, warps and cracks with age; later ones are styrene, which does not. A distorted or split promo body is usually an acetate piece and is normal for its age.
Are AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) valuable?
Sealed original-issue annual kits from the 1960s are the premium material, particularly the first year of a popular subject. Because the same moulds have been reissued for decades, box art and date codes are what separate a valuable original from a common later run. Built kits are worth a fraction of sealed ones unless built to an exceptional standard, and glue-bombed builds have little value beyond parts. For promos, condition of the plastic itself is decisive. Check acetate bodies for warp along the roof and rocker panels before buying at a colour-rarity price.