1951 – 2026 · A hobby turns 75

75 years of plastic model making

In 2026 we celebrate three quarters of a century of passion, precision and nostalgia - with five legendary classics, reissued from the original tools.

To the classics View catalog titles

75 Years of model building

5 Classic

1955 Oldest tooling

Limited edition

The story

Build it yourself for 75 years

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.

Original tools (tooling) from the 50s and 60s
Strictly limited anniversary editions for collectors
Classic retro packaging design of the first editions
From the entry-level click model to the level 5 professional piece

Video

Origins

How Revell everything started

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.

from 1951

Lewis Glaser · Revell

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.

from 1956

Revell in Germany

From Bielefeld to Bünde

1956 the subsidiary in Germany, initially in Bielefeld. 1957 the move to a former cigar factory in Bünde. From the distribution of kits from the USA and Great Britain, it became the European center for development, production, and sales.

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 history

How plastic became a hobby

From the Toy Fair in New York to the cigar factory in Bünde to Star Wars in the display cabinet.

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1951

From finished car to kit

At the beginning of the 1950s, finished Revell cars were still on display at the New York Toy Fair. Model builders preferred to assemble the parts themselves. Lewis Glaser hesitated. Woolworth included the kits in its inventory regardless. In 1951, they were called Highway Pioneers, and in stores, “Revell Quick Construction”: historical cars in 1:32 scale. In 1953, the USS Missouri followed as the first model developed in-house, and a year later, the Miniature Master Pieces arrived with new, elaborately illustrated boxes. Ships, aircraft, and soon space travel as well.

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1956

If it's a model, it's a Revell.

Revell Germany was founded in 1956, briefly in Bielefeld, and from 1957 in a former cigar factory in Bünde. At first, the model kits came from the USA and Great Britain. Then, they became proprietary models for the German market: the F-84 Thunderstreak, the Sikorsky S-55 in the colors of the German Air Force, and the first Lufthansa aircraft. In the mid-1970s, distribution extended through Western Europe, and from 1978 also to Eastern Europe.

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1990

Models that hang

In-house development in Germany produced kits that remain famous to this day: BMW R 75/5, Bismarck, Space Shuttle, Titanic, VW Beetle, and later the Airbus A380. The Trabant arrived in 1990 for reunification and became the most successful model car kit in the company's history. Over two million copies of the Titanic have been sold. In 1995, for the first time, more than five million kits were sold in a single year.

Today

Click, wood, building blocks

The Click System assembles pre-colored parts without the need for glue or paint. Since 2010, the range has also included remote-controlled cars, aircraft, and boats under the Revell Control brand. Wooden construction kits like the Tiny Adventures Book Nooks and the Flowers line appeal to other audiences, while Build & Play is aimed at children aged four and up, and the Brick System at adult fans of building blocks. Licenses range from Star Wars and Top Gun to Harry Potter and Disney.

Curiosities

When model building makes headlines

A Disney chipmunk, horses in a box, the Beatles in 1:8 scale. And a submarine that made it all the way to the US Congress.

1957

Perri the Squirrel

The first licensed kit was a chipmunk from a Walt Disney film. Film and television characters did not become a regular part of the product range until decades later.

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1964

Horses in a box

The first horse model kits. Back then, the modeling world consisted almost entirely of airplanes, ships, and cars. With the horses, Revell wanted to appeal to girls as well.

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1965

The Beatles

John, Paul, George, and Ringo in 1:8 scale, in the midst of Beatlemania. Also intended for girls and young women. The license was expensive, and production lasted only one year, primarily in the USA. Today, the figures are sought-after collectibles.

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1996

Soccer Isetta

Started as a PR idea: BMW Isettas in the livery of Bundesliga clubs. Dortmund and Schalke editions were limited to 5,555 units each and sold out quickly. Afterwards, some fans even had real Isettas painted in their club's colors.

1999

Werner, Blue Bear, Perry Rhodan

At the end of the 1990s, German cult figures stood alongside cars and ships. Four spaceships from Perry Rhodan, plus Werner's "Satte Literschüssel" and the ship from Captain Bluebear. There was no real-life model for the Literschüssel. It was the first Revell model kit to be created entirely from a comic.

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

2004

Kick-O-Mania

Approximately 30-centimeter-tall, fully articulated figures of soccer stars like Oliver Kahn or Alessandro Del Piero. By 2006, about 900,000 units had been sold. Shortly before the World Cup, the freighter P&O Nedlloyd Mondriaan lost containers in a storm off the Dutch coast. DFB figures, including Lukas Podolski, were subsequently washed up on the beaches of Terschelling and Ameland. One is now in a beachcomber museum on Texel.

2011

Wooden Leonardo

In collaboration with the National Museum in Milan: wooden construction kits based on inventions by Leonardo da Vinci, including the aerial screw. The laser-cut models were subsequently also featured in museums and schools.

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1960

The Polaris submarine

In the midst of the Cold War, for $2.98: a detailed model of the new Polaris nuclear submarine, with a side that opened to reveal the interior. Admiral Hyman G. Rickover brought up the kit during a US Congressional hearing. Whether it actually contained classified information remains unproven to this day.

1983

F-19 Stealth Fighter

Scale 1:32. The stealth aircraft did not officially exist yet. The shape was based on speculation from the specialist journal International Defense Review. The CIA still inquired where Revell had obtained it.

Luftwaffe

Faster than the speed of sound

Revell Email Color was used to paint German Air Force fighter jets for special liveries. The paint has therefore also flown at supersonic speeds.

Facts and milestones

The largest assortments are aircraft and vehicles.

2 million+

Titanic

The best-selling plastic model kit in Revell history.

1990

Trabant

The most successful model car kit. Released at the time of German reunification.

1951

Highway Pioneers

The first plastic model kits: historic cars in 1:32 scale. Woolworth sold them as Revell Quick Construction.

1953

USS Missouri

The first model that Revell developed and produced entirely in-house. 1:535 scale battleship.

€169

Bismarck Platinum

2016, scale 1:350. In the box: three photo-etched fret sheets, turned brass parts, and a real wood deck.

No. 1

Contact Professional

The best-selling item in the current range is glue. Needle-thin cannula, for the really small parts.

One classic per category

Cars VW T1 Bus
Aircraft Spitfire and Bf 109
Military Leopard
Licenses Millennium Falcon

It's all a question of scale

The Red Baron's Fokker Dr.1 has been in its original molds since 1957 and is reissued upon demand.

71.8 cm

Bismarck · 1:350

659 pieces. Gun turrets, anti-aircraft guns, lifeboats, cranes, and two Arado seaplanes.

1.32 m

Gato-class submarine · 1:72

Released in 2006. One of the largest Revell models, and it can be converted into a functional RC submarine.

1:144

Airbus A380

At this scale, even a large commercial aircraft fits into the display case. The small parts require steady hands.

From the Archive

Boxes from the archive

Original boxes from 1957 to 1999.

1957

Miniature Masterpieces

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1959

Westinghouse Atomic Power Plant

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1959

H.M.S. Victory

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1963

Model Racer

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1964

Blaze King

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1964

Atlas, Snark, Regulus

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1968

Apollo Spacecraft

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1972

U.S.S. Constitution

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1973

Gorch Fock puzzle

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1979

F-16A

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1979

Pirate Ghost Ship

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1980

Unglaubliche Flugmaschine

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1980

Porsche Turbo Rally

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1980

Porsche 928

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1981

F-14A Tomcat

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1986

Bo 105 PAH Hornet

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

1999

Captain Bluebear

Photo: ©Sarah Böke

The anniversary collection

Five classics. Reissued.

Made from original tools and strictly limited – each of these kits tells a piece of model building history.

Limited EditionLevel 4

Tooling 1963

Civilian ships

Great Eastern

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.

Maßstab1:388

Teile222

Alter12+

Länge56.7cm

£27.00

Back up

Limited EditionLevel 2

Vehicles · easy-click

Porsche 356 B Coupé (Click system)

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.

Maßstab1:16

Teile127

Alter10+

Länge> 25cm

£45.00

Back up

Limited EditionLevel 5

Tooling 1964

Young and vintage cars

MGB Roadster

British roadster flair as a time capsule: built with the original tooling from 1964 and packaged in the classic first edition design.

Maßstab1:32

Teile64

Alter13+

Länge12.4cm

£23.00

Back up

Limited EditionLevel 4

Tooling 1957

Airplanes · First World War

Fokker Triplane DR.1

The Red Baron's triplane - one of the oldest aircraft models in Revell's inventory, made from tools from 1957.

Maßstab1:28

Teile60

Alter12+

Länge26cm wingspan

£23.00

Back up

Limited EditionLevel 4

Tooling 1955

Military vehicles

M4 Sherman

One of the kits that started the hobby: the M4 Sherman from the original molds from 1955, in a nostalgic packaging design.

Maßstab1:40

Teile64

Alter12+

LängeBox scale

£23.00

Back up

Time travel

From tool to legend

The original tooling years of our historic anniversary classics.

1955

M4 Sherman

One of the kits with which plastic model building began - in the box scale 1:40.

1957

Fokker Triplane DR.1

One of the oldest aircraft models in Revell's inventory, in a large scale of 1:28.

1963

Great Eastern

A giant of industrial history - 56.7 cm long in a scale of 1:388.

1964

MGB Roadster

British roadster flair, built with the original 1964 tooling.

From the archive

Our catalog titles over the years

A nostalgic journey through seven decades of Revell – from 1956 to today. Each cover photo is a piece of model building history.

1956Die Anfänge des Modellbaus

1957/58Die Anfänge des Modellbaus

1959Die Anfänge des Modellbaus

1960Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1961Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1962Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1963Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1964Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1965Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1966Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1967Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1968Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1969Space Age – Raketen & Sportwagen

1970Hobby-Boom der 70er

1971Hobby-Boom der 70er

1972Hobby-Boom der 70er

1973Hobby-Boom der 70er

1974Hobby-Boom der 70er

1975Hobby-Boom der 70er

1976Hobby-Boom der 70er

1977Hobby-Boom der 70er

1978Hobby-Boom der 70er

1979Hobby-Boom der 70er

1980Große Vielfalt der 80er

1981Große Vielfalt der 80er

1982Große Vielfalt der 80er

1983Große Vielfalt der 80er

1984Große Vielfalt der 80er

1985Große Vielfalt der 80er

1986Große Vielfalt der 80er

1987Große Vielfalt der 80er

1988Große Vielfalt der 80er

1989Große Vielfalt der 80er

1990Motorsport & Lizenzen

1991Motorsport & Lizenzen

1992Motorsport & Lizenzen

1993Motorsport & Lizenzen

1994Motorsport & Lizenzen

1995Motorsport & Lizenzen

1996Motorsport & Lizenzen

1997Motorsport & Lizenzen

1998Motorsport & Lizenzen

1999Motorsport & Lizenzen

2000Build Your Dream

2001Build Your Dream

2002Build Your Dream

2003Build Your Dream

2004Build Your Dream

2005Build Your Dream

2006Build Your Dream

2007Build Your Dream

2008Build Your Dream

2009Build Your Dream

2010Moderne Klassiker

2011Moderne Klassiker

2012Moderne Klassiker

2013Moderne Klassiker

2014Moderne Klassiker

2015Moderne Klassiker

2016Moderne Klassiker

2017Moderne Klassiker

2018Moderne Klassiker

2019Moderne Klassiker

2020Modellbau heute

2021Modellbau heute

2022Modellbau heute

2023Modellbau heute

2024Modellbau heute

2025Modellbau heute

Join in

Do you remember your first Revell catalog?

Travel through the decades with the controller and find the catalog that got you into model building.

Choose your year

1985

1956 2025

Strictly limited

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The anniversary classics are only available in limited quantities. Get your favorite before it's sold out.

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