Early history Lewis H. Glaser, a California entrepreneur, founded a plastics molding firm called "Precision Specialties" in Hollywood in 1943. The company made a variety of products contracted for different companies, the first reportedly being a small washing machine. One of the first toy-related products were
HO scale (1:87) train sets, including locomotives, and a variety of cars along with buildings. The building line was extensive, including a farm group, a suburban passenger station, and a variety of utility structures. Many of these originals were reproduced later in other scales. The toy line was marketed later under the brand name Revell. Reportedly, the name Revell came from the French word
réveil meaning "new beginning".
Gowland and Highway Pioneers About 1950, Revell reproduced Maxwell and Ford Model T assembled toys originally designed by the Gowland Brothers in England, a company producing toys since 1932. According to noted collector Cecil Gibson, these did not sell well in England, but Revell had much better luck with the series in the U.S. The Revell box said, "By John Gowland—creator of Champ and Chu Chu". This included models of Redstone and other military test missiles and Vanguard, Jupiter and Atlas rockets. Other issues, like the Helios "Nuclear"-powered ship, "Moon Ship", a "Passenger Rocket", a "Space Taxi", and a not-so-incredible "Space Shuttle" were kits more in the science-fiction realm. One site describes the one-time 1959 issue of an envisioned space station as the "Holy Grail" of Revell kits. Infantry figures and various dioramas, especially for railroad setups, were also produced. In the later 1950s, Revell began making more automotive-related models. Beside jet engines, car engine models like the
Chrysler Slant-Six were produced. Car models tended toward a more global selection than
AMT or
MPC or other American plastic model makers, with many European brands produced, including many British makes. One interesting offering came about with a collaboration with AMT making the 1955 and 1956 promotional Buick. The models were atypical for the time in that there was full chassis detail, and bodies were cast in several pieces. Revell made these specifically ready-built for showroom display. Another kit related to pop culture was the 1956 Lincoln Futura concept car – a vehicle that, with out-of-this-world bubble windows, would eventually become George Barris's Batmobile.
The Kustom 1960s Starting in the late 1950s, model kits began to veer away strongly from stock presentations and focus on customizing, hot rodding, and racing. The 1960s solidified this direction with almost infinite variations in how a kit could be built. This trend showed both the extensive new marketing reach of the hobby as well as the pervasive individuality portrayed in American car customizing. Model companies hired big name customizers to create new and striking designs. Just as AMT had hired
George Barris and Darryl Starbird, Revell hired
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth about 1962 as their new stylist. Hawk Models would use Bill Campbell's "'Weird-Ohs" like "Davey" the wild motor-bike rider and "Digger" the dragster, and later,
Monogram would hire designer Tom Daniel. At this time, Roth created the bubble-glassed "Beatnik Bandit" (later made even more famous when produced by Hot Wheels), the double engined "Mysterion", the asymmetrical "Orbitron", the "Outlaw" (a highly styled T bucket), and the "Road Agent". Apart from wheeled wonders, arguably his most famous creation was the "Rat Fink", an anti-Mickey Mouse figure. Roth's Web site reports that in 1963 Revell paid Roth 1 cent for every one of his model kits sold, totaling $32,000. In the early-to-mid-1960s, slot car racing became a fad, and like many other companies, Revell attempted to enter the fray by using its plastic model car bodies with mechanicals underneath—fit for the track. In 1965 Revell acquired International Raceways, planning high grade race tracks that could fill whole rooms. It may have been too much too late: the competition was too keen and the slot car hobby was already starting to wane in influence. Starting around 2000, the company simplified its diecast line calling it simply, "Revell Metal", as opposed to plastic seen in the kits. These later models have mostly been earlier German vehicles, with a focus on micro-cars. Examples are the Lloyd Alexander, Messerschmitt Kabinroller KR 200, BMW Isetta, and a very authentic looking DKW Junior. Some models, like the Goggomobil T250 and the BMW Isetta came in a couple of trim versions. The Goggomobil appeared in a closed roof, austerely basic model as well as an open "cloth" roofed fancy decor version with whitewall tyres and chrome grille, which was probably not the popular model with less affluent German consumers of the real car just following World War II. The Isetta is appealing in miniature with opening front access door and 'tilt-away' steering wheel. The model also features a removable side panel next to the location of the tiny engine. The BMW was available in several colors – with and without rear luggage rack and also in a special yellow 'Bundespost' (German Mail) version. Some of the larger vehicles featured have been the mid-1950s Mercedes-Benz 180 "ponton" sedan and a variety of European Fords, mainly from the 1960s. The postwar decade cars' interiors are consistently authentically decorated in period grey and white colours typical of the austerity of the times. A couple of more modern diecast models have been a VW Scirocco, BMW 850i coupe and an Acura NSX. Generally, German Revell diecast models all have opening doors, hoods and trunks.
Recent history In 1994, Revell-Monogram was purchased by
Hallmark Cards as part of its Binney and Smith division (the owners of famous
Crayola crayons). In September of 2001 Binney & Smith completed the sale of Revell-Monogram off to Alpha International. Alpha International is a Cedar Rapids, Iowa based company that specialized in diecast and collectible products. Just a short year later, Alpha sells Revell-Monogram off to Gearbox Toys also of Cedar Rapids.. On May 2, 2007,
Hobbico, Inc. announced it had acquired American Revell-Monogram, LLC, corporate owner of the Revell name. The Revell name now stands alone in the company logo, without the Monogram name also present, though Monogram still exists as an important line of models in the Revell catalogue. Hobbico also acquired Revell of Germany in 2012, reuniting the two brands under one banner, but often models sold in the U.S. show Revell Germany as the parent with Hobbico nowhere labeled. On January 10, 2018, Hobbico, Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection. On April 13, 2018, Revell USA temporarily ceased operations while they reorganized. On April 17, 2018, it was announced that international investment group Quantum Capital Partners (QCP) would be taking over operations of Revell. Their US-based tooling was sold to Atlantis Models, based in New York. Currently, Revell USA operates in conjunction with Carrera under the joint name "Carrera-Revell". The company operates out of New Jersey and is regularly releasing new products. As of 2023, the majority of Revell products are manufactured in Poland and China. ==In popular culture==