Round 2 (company)
American manufacturer of scale models and hobby products.
Round 2, LLC is an American manufacturer of scale-model hobby products, including die-cast cars, plastic model kits, and slot cars. The company is headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, and was founded in 2005 by Thomas E. Lowe, who had previously run the toy company Playing Mantis. Round 2 owns a collection of hobby brands, most of which it acquired and revived under their original names. Among these are long-standing model kit and die-cast brands such as AMT, Hawk, Johnny Lightning, MPC, and Racing Champions.
AMT began as a model kit brand in 1948. It was bought by Lesney in 1979, then by Ertl in 1982. In 1999, Ertl was purchased by Racing Champions, a die-cast-focused company that later sold off its model kit lines, including AMT. After Round 2 was established, Thomas Lowe expressed interest in acquiring AMT. In 2008, Lowe signed an agreement to produce and market the AMT brand under Round 2. Round 2 bought the AMT brand and its toolings outright in 2012.
Auto World is a die-cast and slot car brand that focuses on American-made vehicles. It was founded in 1958 by Oscar Koveleski, a member of the Sports Car Club of America Hall of Fame, and also once published how-to magazines on model-car building. Today, Auto World produces die-cast models in 1:18 and 1:64 scales. Its 1:64 scale cars are noted for their detail and accuracy, unlike many other die-cast and toy car brands that adjust scale to fit packaging.
Hawk Model Company began in 1928 as a maker of wooden aircraft models. It later produced plastic airplane kits, 1:24 and 1:32 scale model car kits, and cartoon figure kits for the animated series *Weird-Ohs*. New models were released until the 1970s. The brand was then acquired by several hobby manufacturers, and production slowed. In the 1990s, J. Lloyd bought Hawk along with Lindberg and revived it under the Testors name. Today, Round 2 owns Hawk and produces aircraft model kits and 1:6 scale automotive engines.
Johnny Lightning was launched in 1969 by Topper Toys, which stopped production in 1971. Thomas Lowe revived the brand in 1994 under his company Playing Mantis. In 2004, Lowe sold Playing Mantis to RC2, a company formed by Ertl and Racing Champions. RC2 was sold to Tomy in 2011, and Tomy discontinued Johnny Lightning in 2013. In 2016, Round 2 bought the rights to Johnny Lightning from Tomy and revived the brand once more.
Quick Facts
- Industry
- Metallurgy
- Predecessor
- <!-- or
- Founder
- Thomas E. Lowe
- Hq Location City
- South Bend, Indiana
- Hq Location Country
- U.S.
- Products
- Scale models (die-cast, plastic, slot cars)
- Brands
- AMT / Aurora / Hawk / Johnny Lightning / MPC
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Round 2 was founded in 2005 by Thomas E. Lowe, who had previously owned the toy company Playing Mantis. Lowe had a history of reviving dormant hobby brands, having revived Johnny Lightning in 1994 under Playing Mantis. After establishing Round 2, Lowe pursued the acquisition of several classic model kit and diecast brands that had been sold off or discontinued by larger toy conglomerates.
In 2008, Lowe signed an agreement to produce and market the AMT, MPC, and Polar Lights brands under Round 2, with full rights and toolings purchased outright in 2012. The company also acquired Hawk and Lindberg after those brands had passed through several owners. In 2016, Round 2 bought the rights for Johnny Lightning from Tomy, reviving the brand again after it had been discontinued in 2013. In 2015, Round 2 obtained the rights to produce and market the Racing Champions brand, reintroducing toolings formerly used under Racing Champions Mint and Ertl American Muscle.
Round 2 also owns the Auto World brand, originally founded in 1958 by Oscar Koveleski, which produces diecast models and slot cars focused on American-made cars. The company's portfolio includes a wide range of scales and product types, from plastic model kits to detailed diecast cars.
Reader's Guide
Round 2's significance lies in its role as a curator and restorer of many of the most storied names in American scale modeling. By acquiring brands such as AMT, MPC, Hawk, Lindberg, and Polar Lights, the company preserved toolings and product lines that might otherwise have been lost after decades of corporate consolidation. The revival of Johnny Lightning in 2016, after its discontinuation by Tomy, and the reintroduction of Racing Champions toolings in 2015, demonstrate Round 2's commitment to maintaining continuity for collectors and hobbyists.
The company's approach of relaunching brands under their original names, rather than subsuming them into a single house brand, has allowed each line to retain its distinct identity and historical following. Round 2's production of both plastic model kits and diecast models, in scales from 1:8 to 1:64, covers a broad spectrum of the hobby market. The company's base in South Bend, Indiana, places it in the traditional American manufacturing heartland, and its founder's prior experience with Playing Mantis provided a foundation for navigating the complex rights and tooling acquisitions that define the company's portfolio.
Did You Know?
- The company acquired the rights to Johnny Lightning from Tomy in 2016, reviving the brand after it had been discontinued in 2013.
- Round 2 purchased the AMT, MPC, and Polar Lights brands outright in 2012, after initially producing them under license since 2008.
- Auto World, a brand owned by Round 2, was originally founded in 1958 by Sports Car Club of America Hall of Famer Oscar Koveleski.
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