Aluminum Model Toys

Lore & Background

AMT began when West Gallogly Sr. used his connections with Ford Motor Company to place his first models exclusively in Ford dealerships. The first model was a 1947–1948 Ford Fordor sedan made of cast aluminium and painted with official Ford paint. After issuing successful Ford sedan models, the company set up shop on Eight Mile Road outside Detroit. By 1948, injection plastic molding was already being used by Product Miniature Corporation (PMC), and after the first Ford aluminium promotional model, aluminium was abandoned. The company name was quietly changed to AMT, which deemphasized the word 'aluminum'. AMT's first plastic models included the 1949 and 1950 Ford and Plymouth sedans and the 1950 Studebaker coupe. These promos often had wind-up motors, metal chassis, and diecast metal chrome-plated bumpers later replaced with chrome-plated plastic. Official factory paint colors were often applied. The company's first commercial products were pre-assembled plastic promotional models available only through automobile dealerships.

In the early 1950s, day-to-day operations were turned over to George Toteff so Gallogly could attend to his law firm. Model design was kept in-house, but molding was outsourced to companies such as Continental Plastics in Fraser, Michigan. AMT faced early competition from National Products, Banthrico, Scale Model Products (SMP), Product Miniature Company (PMC), and Ideal Models (later Jo-Han). About 1958, SMP started the annual kit with a 3-in-1 theme. AMT bought SMP in 1961, adopting SMP's 3-in-1 kit idea and the SMP logo. AMT then marketed both the SMP and AMT names simultaneously for a couple of years. Through the early 1960s, AMT ruled supreme in the promotional and kit market, rivaled only by Jo-Han.

Promotional makers like AMT worked closely with styling departments of American automobile manufacturers. Intricate drawings and styling models were first constructed, then larger 1:10 or 1:12 scale clay models were crafted to perfect details. Accurate dies in 1:25 scale were made for plastic injection. Bumpers and hood ornaments were chrome-plated and bodies were painted, often in factory colors. Painted bodies were baked in ovens, then the models were assembled and packaged. Auto manufacturers often paid the cost of model tooling, which could range from $20,000 to $250,000. Models were used in dealerships as display materials, to promote sales, or given away after a test drive.

Reader's Guide

AMT's significance lies in its pioneering role in the plastic promotional model market and its adoption of the 3-in-1 annual kit concept, which allowed builders to create stock, custom, or hot-rod versions from a single kit. This innovation, originally developed by SMP and acquired by AMT in 1961, became a hallmark of the brand and influenced the broader modeling hobby. AMT's close relationships with Detroit automakers, particularly Ford, enabled it to produce accurate promotional models in official factory colors, often paid for by the manufacturers themselves. The company's work with Desilu Productions in 1966 to produce Star Trek models and a filming set of the Galileo shuttlecraft expanded its reach into television and movie memorabilia. AMT's legacy includes its dominance in the 1:25 scale promotional market through the early 1960s, rivaled only by Jo-Han, and its subsequent brand ownership by Lesney, Ertl, and Round 2. The brand remains recognized for its annual model kits and its role in the transition from metal to plastic promotional models in the United States.

Did You Know?

• AMT made a two-way deal in 1966 with Desilu Productions to produce a line of Star Trek models and a 3/4 scale filming set of the Galileo shuttlecraft.
• The company name was originally Aluminum Model Toys but was quietly changed to AMT to deemphasize the word 'aluminum' after switching to plastic.