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1951 – 2026 · A hobby turns 75
In 2026 we celebrate three quarters of a century of passion, precision and nostalgia - with five legendary classics, reissued from the original tools.
The story
When Revell in 1951 with the Highway Pioneersseries brought the first plastic kits onto the market, a niche idea became a worldwide hobby for generations: the Plastic model making. Since then, true-to-original miniatures of airplanes, ships, vehicles and tanks have been created using plastic, glue and patience.
In 2026, this hobby will be 75 years old - and Revell is bringing back five real icons for the anniversary: made with the original tools of their time and packaged in the nostalgic design of the first editions. A piece of lived model building history for every showcase.
Origins
The Plastic model making, as we know it today, was coined by a man in 1951: Lewis Glaser, the founder of Revell. What he started as a small workshop in California became, within a few years, a worldwide hobby for generations.
The man who made model making a mass hobby
Lewis Glaser brought plastic model making into children's rooms all over the world - and made Revell the brand that still shapes this hobby today.
Lewis H. Glaser founded the company in Venice, California, in 1943, initially as “Precision Specialties”. In 1951 he took the plunge into plastic kits and hit the nerve of the times with the licensed “Highway Pioneers” series. Together with bestsellers such as the battleship USS Missouri (1953), Glaser transformed model making from an expensive niche product into an affordable mass hobby. His idea: true-to-original models in series, packed in lavishly illustrated boxes that told stories even on the shelf. In doing so, Lewis Glaser shaped plastic model making as we still know it today - and laid the foundation for 75 years of Revell, which we will celebrate in 2026.
Historical context: Plastic model making as a mass hobby will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2026 - counting from the first Revell plastic kits of the “Highway Pioneers” series in 1951.
The anniversary collection
Made from original tools and strictly limited – each of these kits tells a piece of model building history.
Civilian ships
A giant of industrial history, made with the original tools from 1963. With a length of 56.7 cm and the classic 1960s packaging, it is an absolute highlight for collectors.
Vehicles · easy-click
The forefather of all Porsche sports cars on a large scale of 1:16 – built without glue thanks to the easy-click system. Limited edition.
Young and vintage cars
British roadster flair as a time capsule: built with the original tooling from 1964 and packaged in the classic first edition design.
Airplanes · First World War
The Red Baron's triplane - one of the oldest aircraft models in Revell's inventory, made from tools from 1957.
Military vehicles
One of the kits that started the hobby: the M4 Sherman from the original molds from 1955, in a nostalgic packaging design.
Time travel
The original tooling years of our historic anniversary classics.
One of the kits with which plastic model building began - in the box scale 1:40.
One of the oldest aircraft models in Revell's inventory, in a large scale of 1:28.
A giant of industrial history - 56.7 cm long in a scale of 1:388.
British roadster flair, built with the original 1964 tooling.
From the archive
A nostalgic journey through seven decades of Revell – from 1956 to today. Each cover photo is a piece of model building history.
Join in
Travel through the decades with the controller and find the catalog that got you into model building.
Strictly limited
The anniversary classics are only available in limited quantities. Get your favorite before it's sold out.
