Maker record
Monogram
Monogram was an American maker of model kits, founded in Chicago in 1945. Its early products were balsa-wood kits for ships and aircraft; it later added plastic kits, including cars, planes and boats. The company’s early plastic range included the Midget Racer and Hot Rod, while its later products included military aircraft kits, fantasy cars and snap-together models. Mattel acquired Monogram in 1968, and in 1986 Monogram Models merged with Revell to form Revell-Monogram.
- Founded
- 1945
- Countries
- United States
- Locations
- Chicago · 1945
- Founders
- Jack Besser · Robert Reder
The story of Monogram
Monogram Models began in Chicago in 1945, making balsa-wood kits of ships and aircraft. Its founders, Jack Besser and Bob Reder, had worked for Comet Kits. The company’s early kits included models of wartime ships and aircraft. In 1949 it introduced the Speedee-Bilt and Super Kit aircraft series, which combined balsa construction with some molded cellulose-acetate details. Monogram entered plastic kit production in the early 1950s; the Midget Racer and Hot Rod were among its first all-plastic models. The firm went on to produce aircraft, military subjects, cars, boats and novelty hot rods.
In the 1960s Monogram expanded its car range with fantasy designs by Tom Daniel and developed detailed 1/48-scale military aircraft kits. In 1968 it introduced Snap-Tite, a line of snap-together models assembled without glue, and Mattel acquired the company that year. Monogram continued making automotive and military kits under Mattel, adding licensed subjects such as Superman and Snoopy. Mattel sold Monogram Models in 1984. Two years later, Monogram and Revell were merged to form Revell-Monogram, bringing the competing model-kit companies under shared ownership.
