Classic British Kit manufacturers

What makes a British kit a Classic? What Classic kit is really British? What is the SIG all about and what goes on...from initial musings, to full on campaigning. It'll all be here, interspersed with talk of Texan Bars, Alias Smith & Jones and The Flashing Blade, Footy Cards and Bath Night, before School.

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Ratch
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Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by Ratch »

I think it is generally accepted that Frog, Airfix and Matchbox are Classic British Kit manufacturers, but what others fall into this category? Is there a definitive list somewhere? And if so I'm sorry for starting a duplicate topic, but I haven't seen it :oops:
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Re: Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by bobblelink »

Eagle made a small range of 1/1200th ships in the early 1960s; I have their Graf Spee and it is rather nice- shame no-one has re-issued the moulds.
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Re: Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

That's a good question, Ratch. Between this site and the old one, there are a number of messages, usually in CBK Chat and the Manufacturers forums on each. Maybe we do need an "approved list" with links back to the various posts/topics on both sites or something like that.
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Re: Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by JamesPerrin »

The topic headings bar a few random whitterings form a list of known CBK manufacturers

http://uamf.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=49;

The focus is what you general consider a model kit that you could buy in a shop. I did start looks at car kit manufacturers and there are plenty who produced mail-order only shortrun metal/resin its. I expect the same is for trains and then we what about model ships with all their bits of wood. I think the link though covers 99.9% of what you are likely to ever come across.
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Re: Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by Ratch »

JamesPerrin wrote:The focus is what you general consider a model kit that you could buy in a shop.
Thanks for the link James 8-)
Before your explanation, I thought the definition was restricted to manufacturers who produced their kits in the U.K.
Am I reading it right? The kit does not have to be manufactured within the UK, it only needs be sold in the UK :-|
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Re: Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by mattbacon »

Am I reading it right? The kit does not have to be manufactured within the UK, it only needs be sold in the UK :-|
I think we've always tended towards Supreme Court Judge Potter Stewart's view on pornography: "I'm not going to attempt to define it, but I know it when I see it..."

No, CBKs absolutely AREN'T any kit that was sold in the UK back in the day. But we've always had a variety of views on both the "Classic" and the "British" parts, even amongst hard core SIG members. In the beginning, there were those who thought that Classic meant more than just "old", and that working features and appealing box art were also part of the mix. And we've always had a lively debate about Revell's output and its Classic Britishness. Many indubitably Classic British kits have been moulded in foreign climes over the years. Clearly any kit that was designed, tooled, moulded and sold in the UK pre-1990 is in the mainstream of CBKs, but there are plenty in the "hinterland" (Frog originals made in Russia? Even those that were never issued by Frog?) which are a bit more debatable.

Is the Revell 1/28 Camel from 1957 a Classic British Kit? Probably not by the stricter definitions, but mine has appeared on plenty of CBK SIG display tables without anyone batting an eye, so it clearly is in spirit!

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Re: Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by JamesPerrin »

To be a CBK manufacturer to company must have been British. Hence the ajar door for Revell(UK)

To be a CBK it has to have been released by a CBK manufacturer before the mid '80s

As we a primarily about nostalgia there is no point splitting hairs over the origin of the kits because as kids we didn't care. We just loved our Frog, Airfix and Matchbox kits. However some kits are more CBK others and that's all that needs to be said.
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Re: Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by Ratch »

Thanks for your replies guys - very helpful :grin:
In my own mind I had those three as the core British manufacturers 8-) Italeri, Revell and Tamiya just aren't British to me :twisted: but there are plenty of other names on the scene that I don't know the history of the company or the provenance of the kits, so my question was really about whether there was a guide as to what's acceptable ;-) I appreciate the ethos, now I'll have to do some homework :lol:
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Re: Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by Eric Mc »

Many of the Revell kits I bought in the 60s and 70s were manufactured and packaged in the UK. Some FROG kits were moulded in Japan.

At the end of the day, if it is something that fits into the era and has a UK aspect to its manufacturing or packaging - then that does it for me.
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Re: Classic British Kit manufacturers

Post by geoffg »

What about the Eagle(wall) range of aircraft in 1/96 scale, about a dozen produced in the early sixties. First models I made, died under a hail of darts stuck to the garage door. 'doh' Think when did you last see them on E bay?.
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