1925 ROLLS ROYCE, a kit by MOTORKITS, being fun for David Holcombe

Excellent post David with great pictures. Thanks for the history of Motorkits. I,ve built a substantial number of these and found them easier to build well than John Day or Mikansue from the same time period. Yes, I did have to use a drill for adding parts fairly often but other than that, good fit and low speed level.

You did nice work building this model. I enjoyed your summary of the history of these early white metal models.

Another great build!  Tanks, David!  Those solid wheels are unique and look great on that old Rolls! 😎 

When questions arise about small artisan ranges, I head to my small library, in this case Michel Sordet's Ma Collection. According to that, Motorkits originated in 1975, with the first four brought in from Varney. I had a few of these, the only remaining one being No. 6, the MG TD. I've pictured it before, but here it is again. The RHD MG kit was modified as LHD, like my own car, and I made the windshield appear in a fold-down position. I swapped the position of the rear license, whittled the taillights to a round shape (like all 1953 TDs). and added crude (by today's standards) left side and dashboard rear view mirrors.

Max Kernick's Abingdon Classics worked a deal with Motorkits to make up to 250 of their No. 8 MG M-Type Mideget with a part added to represent the top erected. There was never an Abingdon number but the packaging took credit for the model (still has Motorkits on the base).

Your Rolls Royce is Motorkits No. 12, assuming the instruction sheet did not tell you. MaCo says it was issued in 1976. Several years ago Neo made a nice model of a similar car that preceded the Phantom I, the 1920 Silver Ghost 45/50:

Thanks, gentlemen, for your kind comments.  Special thanks to Harv for the additional information.  I added it to the instructions sheet.

Thanks for your pictures and history of the company David. I always enjoy your posts. The manufacturer's background really adds  volumes to the build. I find it interesting that a lot of these kits seem to originate from the 1970's. As a kid and into my early teens, I remember making many model cars, most of them plastic released by major manufacturers and done in large volumes. I don't remember very many white metal cars kits from the late '50s or early '60s. While metal cars existed in the '20s and '30s, I wonder if any were offered as kits back then?

@kenspear   Good question, Ken. I started with the Revell Highway Pioneers of the early 1950's.  Of English origins through the Americanized firm of Gowland & Gowland, these plastic kits made Revell a force in modeling kits.  

  The old Pennsylvania firm of Hubley (1894 origins) made rather realistic metal toy cars at least as early as the 1920's, all the way through the 1970s. One popular toy was a (nominally) 1941 Cadillac sedan that sometimes came decorated as a taxi. These were offered as toys, however, and not in kit form.

About 1960, however, a change occurred as Hubley became known for its detailed metal car kits, which were unique in a market of dominantly plastic offerings. Hubley even set up its Scale Model Division for these products. These metal kits, issued in various scales, were more expensive than plastic models, and, when finished, were naturally quite heavy. Complexity in detail was often seen – with opening hoods, doors, moving phaeton panels, and detailed engines and chassis.

Perhaps because of the complexity of casting a metal model, Hubley's range of marques for the kits was not that wide – basically a 1:20 scale range of Ford Model A's  and 1932 Chevrolets, a 1:22 scale range of Packards, and two 1:18 scale Duesenbergs. The small range was made up for, though, in the number of variations for each car model. For example, there were 7 Ford Model A body styles alone, including a Sedan, Station Wagon, Coupe, Roadster, Roadster Pickup, Victoria, and Phaeton. The 1932 Chevrolet kits were made in phaeton, roadster, and coupe versions. Another venerable model was the 1930 Packard, offered in Sport Phaeton, Dietrich, Roadster, Victoria, and Boat-tail variations, while the Duesenberg SJ was available as a Speedline Phaeton and a Town Car. Completing a Hubley model required a bit more dedication from the modeler as metal parts sometimes had to be filed and sanded in preparation for painting, and it was recommended screw holes all be pre-tapped. In the later 1960s, Hubley kits were sold under the Gabriel brand name. (This information largely from WIKIPEDIA)

  Sorry for my "too much" information, Ken.  I like these older models. 

@d-m-holcombe I had the Hubley Packard roadster as a child. Being a tad too young to tackle the build, my parents made it for me.

@kenspear The white metal kit revolution geared up in the early 1970s, largely as a response to the decline in detail by the large scale diecast manufacturers, responding to the success of Hot Wheels. Well, mostly. Some makers, like Wills Finecast, had been making white metal kits in the 1960s.

Posted by: @kenspear

... I don't remember very many white metal cars kits from the late '50s or early '60s. While metal cars existed in the '20s and '30s, I wonder if any were offered as kits back then?

Ken - interesting questions.   Tootsietoy had a Bild-a-Car kit in 1934 - see https://www.tsrfcars.com/toys-tootsietoys_greatest_models.htm . I don't think Dinky did anything like that.  Their unpainted kits came out in circa 1960-70s...  Then, Solido in France had early kits by at least 1933 (Azema, 1991), as well as in the 1960s.  Similar to the Tootsietoy, they sold the chasses and bodies for the owner to put together as Boites a Transformation!

@karl   Good information from a special source, Ken.  Here's a snapshot of the 30's part of my Tootsietoy shelf.