AMT Corporation Bodies
AMT, which stands for "Aluminum Metal Toys", was making high quality 1/25 scale plastic static models in the early 1960s. Dynamic Models Inc. was making model airplane parts and had just developed a successful line of slot car chassis components and accessories.
In 1964 these two companies entered into a joint venture in which Dynamic became a subsidiary of AMT. AMT then developed its own 1/25 scale slot car product line based on its static models, which were mostly Detroit production cars such as the Corvette, Mustang and Thunderbird. Dynamic continued with its own product lines, including a few injection-molded bodies.
In 1965 AMT developed a line of slot car kits in 1/24 scale. These were scale models of race cars such as the McLaren Elva, Hussein, Lola T-70 and Chaparral. All of AMTs offerings up to that point had injection molded Cycolac bodies, which were very tough but unfortunately much heavier than the vacuum-formed clear plastic shells which had become so popular.
By the middle of 1966 AMT relented and produced two Ready-to-Run Thingies with Vac-formed bodies they named the Bandido and Fantum I.
By early 1967 AMT decided slot cars were not in their best interest and went back to producing static models (including more than just cars), some of which enjoyed phenomenally long production runs. In a small advertisement in the July 1967 issue of Car Model, AMT made it clear that they were the "worlds largest model car manufacturer", but that the slot cars and accessories were made by their subsidiary, Dynamic Models, Inc. AMT ran this ad every month in Car Model, and beginning in September in Model Car & Track, until the beginning of 1968.
It is perhaps ironic that after getting out of the lot car business at least in part because it didn't fit their injection-molded model paradigm, that AMT's subsidiary and joint venture partner Dynamic Models, nc., who as mentioned above also started out making injection-molded bodies, ould go on to be one of the two most successful vacuum-formed body manufacturers.
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