Some history-AMT Sunbeam Tiger
Sept 16, 2021 20:29:00 GMT -6
dogfish7 (R.I.P.), JCON, and 3 more like this
Post by gloobombking on Sept 16, 2021 20:29:00 GMT -6
I guess I can put this here since it is a sports car model and it is not really a kit review. This is some history on the AMT Sunbeam Tiger model kit that was re-issued by Round 2 a while back. I watched a review given on line by some guy that must have been born in the 80's. He had no clue as to the kits history or what or why some parts were in the kit. I would bet large sums of $$$ he never heard of Maxwell Smart or Agent 99 and never heard the phrases "Sorry about that Chief", "Would you believe?", "Missed it by that much" "And, Loving it". So........to clear up that guys total mess of a review, here is the AMT Sunbeam Tiger from start to finish. In 1967, AMT released the Get Smart kit of what was actually a Sunbeam Alpine. Since the little car had a machine gun mounted under the hood, the Alpine inline 4 engine was included so it would fit, like the TV car. Yes, the Sunbeam Tiger V8 cars were around then but this was NOT one of them. It was an Alpine badged to LOOK like a Tiger. In other words, it was a fake, like Maxwell Smart. I always liked the box art and I really wish it would have been re-issued in its original form but we get what we get.
The guy giving the review mentions a jack being included along with a pay phone for maybe a "diorama or something". I really had a good laugh when I heard that! Yep, a pay phone was included in the console for Maxwell to contact control and the "Jack" is the mount for the machine gun that went under the hood. It also had a "Radar" radio antenna and some James Bond style bumper extensions. You were even given a dummy exhaust to look like dual exhaust on a Tiger.
Later, around 1977 or 78 when Lesney had purchased AMT, the little kit appeared again but with the addition of a V-8 and some custom parts. The Get Smart pieces and the in line four were gone so I guess the Brits wanted a true Sunbeam Tiger sports car.
By the early 1980's the little car had all but vanished from the hobby shelf and when Ertl started with the "Blueprinter" series of special re-issues it made a return. It has been missing until round 2 re-popped it a year or so back but left out the Maxwell Smart parts----except for the machine gun mount and pay phone. I have not purchased the latest re-issue but I do own the Get Smart version, the Tiger and the Blueprinter issues.
The guy giving the review mentions a jack being included along with a pay phone for maybe a "diorama or something". I really had a good laugh when I heard that! Yep, a pay phone was included in the console for Maxwell to contact control and the "Jack" is the mount for the machine gun that went under the hood. It also had a "Radar" radio antenna and some James Bond style bumper extensions. You were even given a dummy exhaust to look like dual exhaust on a Tiger.
Later, around 1977 or 78 when Lesney had purchased AMT, the little kit appeared again but with the addition of a V-8 and some custom parts. The Get Smart pieces and the in line four were gone so I guess the Brits wanted a true Sunbeam Tiger sports car.
By the early 1980's the little car had all but vanished from the hobby shelf and when Ertl started with the "Blueprinter" series of special re-issues it made a return. It has been missing until round 2 re-popped it a year or so back but left out the Maxwell Smart parts----except for the machine gun mount and pay phone. I have not purchased the latest re-issue but I do own the Get Smart version, the Tiger and the Blueprinter issues.
