Aurora

Abe Shikes and Joseph Giammarino established Aurora as an injection-moulding job shop in 1950. In 1952 they hired John Cuomo as a salesman and began plastic model-kit production at their Brooklyn plant. The first kits were 1/48-scale F9F Panther and Lockheed F-90A aircraft. Early kits used simple construction and detailing, and Aurora’s low-priced range grew to include aircraft, ships, tanks, vehicles, and other subjects. The factory moved to a larger West Hempstead facility in 1954 as demand increased.

Aurora added World War I aircraft and helicopter kits in 1956 and began issuing airliners around 1958. In 1963 it purchased Comet’s kit line, reissuing some subjects with new box art and adding civil aircraft to its range. The company also sold kits internationally, including through Playcraft in Britain. During the 1960s, Aurora expanded into monster, movie, and television figure kits. Its slot-car business included Model Motoring and the AFX range.

The original owners sold Aurora in 1968. Charles Diker gained control through stock purchases in 1969, and Nabisco bought the company in 1971. Aurora continued to make kits, including revised World War I aircraft and new subjects in the 1970s. In 1977, Nabisco sold Aurora and kit production ended; the kit moulds went to Monogram, which reissued some of them. Aurora moulds later appeared in further reissues under other names.