MPC
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Official Site: round2corp.com/product-category/mpc/
Wikipedia: Model Products Corporation Page Sections History Merchandise Images |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Model Products Corporation page on 31 January 2018, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Model Products Corporation, usually known by its acronym, MPC, was an American manufacturer of plastic scale model kits and pre-assembled promotional models popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Traditionally a Michigan company, since 2011 the MPC name has been part of Round2 LLC of South Bend, Indiana. MPC's main competition was Aluminum Model Toys (AMT) and Jo-Han Models.
MPC was established in 1963 by George A. Toteff Jr. (1925-2011) and Dick Branstner with facilities in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Toteff had been one of the original employees at AMT, eventually rising to vice president in the company. There, in 1958, he had developed the first “3-in-1” model car kits based on his innovative “side-slide” injection-molding technique, which allowed the tooling of one-piece model car bodies.
MPC produced its first promotional models in 1965; the first product to appear under its own logo was a highly detailed 1/25-scale 1964 Corvette Sting Ray coupe featuring working front suspension, and including extra speed and customizing parts. Another of the company's first 'promos' was a 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 in both convertible and two-door hardtop versions.
As with other companies before it, most notably AMT and Jo-Han, MPC developed many of its kits from pre-existing promo toolings. Toteff remained on good terms with his former colleagues at AMT, and many of the first MPC products were distributed in AMT packaging. For example, the 1967 MPC Plymouth Barracuda, originally made as a dealer promotional for Chrysler, was also marketed as a kit in an AMT box. Later, for 1968 and 1969 the newly designed second-iteration Barracuda reverted to an MPC box, with no apparent AMT connection.
Original model kits quickly followed, including the 1932-33 Chevy Roadster and Panel Truck, the first 'non-classic' subjects other than a Ford to be offered in 1/25-scale kit form.
About 1970, General Mills bought MPC from Toteff, who stayed on as president. General Mills also had purchased Lionel and the MPC name and logo even appeared on early 1970s train sets next to the Lionel logo. After these two names was stated, "...of the fun group at General Mills". An example was the Silver Star train appearing about 1972, with "The Mighty Sound of Steam". In the late 1970s, General Mills created a separate identity for its toy and hobby arm, CPG Products Corporation. During this time, MPC kits were marketed as part of CPG's Fundimensions Division. General Mills's ownership lasted until 1985 when it sold off its hobby companies. General Mills then floated its remaining toy division as Kenner Parker.
In 1985, MPC was purchased by The Ertl Company, which had also acquired AMT in 1981. Ertl, in turn, became part of RC2 Corporation in 1999, and was subsequently absorbed into TOMY International, Inc. From 2008, MPC products were re-issued under license from TOMY by Round2 LLC, which ultimately acquired MPC's assets outright in 2011 (along with those of AMT and Ertl).
| Type & Item # | Name | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Model Kit - 1-0401 | The Grand Superfly | Custom Pontiac Grand Prix  |
| Model Kit - 1-0641 | Sweat Hogs 'Dream Machine' | Custom Pontiac Grand Prix  |
| Model Kit - 1-0676 | T.J. Hooker | 1:25 scale, 1978 Dodge Monaco Police Car, Golden Opportunity Kit |
| Model Kit - 1-0714 | Dodge Daytona | Golden Opportunity Kit, 1:25 scale |
| Model Kit - 1-0718 | Dodge Shelby Charger | 1:25 scale, Golden Opportunity Kit |
| Model Kit - 1-0723 | Force 440 Police Pursuit Vehicle | 1:25 scale, Dodge Monaco Coupe Police Car |
| Model Kit - 1-0739 | Viper Vette | 1:20 scale C3 Chevrolet Corvette  |
| Model Kit - 1-0743 | Laser Vette | 1:20 scale C3 Chevrolet Corvette  |
| Model Kit - 1-0755 | Turbo Vette | C3 Chevrolet Corvette  |
| Model Kit - 1-0758 | Golden Hawk Special Edition Jeep CJ | Golden Wheels Bonus, 1:25 scale |
| Model Kit - 1-0760 | Night Moves El Camino | 1:25 scale, Golden Wheels Bonus |
| Model Kit - 1-0761 | Indy Pace Car Turbo Firebird | 1981, 1:25 scale, Golden Wheels Bonus |
| Model Kit - 1-0808 | Firebird | 1980's Firebird, 1:25 scale, Golden Opportunity Kit |
| Model Kit - 1-0822 | Sundancer '69 Firebird Convertible |  |
| Model Kit - 1-0858 | Evil Spirit Dodge D-50 Ram Mini-Pickup |  |
| Model Kit - 1-0881 | Toyota Supra | 1:25 scale, Celica Supra |
| Model Kit - 1-3071 | 1971 Corvette | 1:20 scale  |
| Model Kit - 1-3708 | 25th Anniversary Corvette Special Edition | 1978, 1:25 scale |
| Model Kit - 1-3712 | '57 Flip Nose Vette Corvette Street Racer | 1:25 scale |
| Model Kit - 1-3714 | Glass Pack '60 Corvette Street Racer | 1:25 scale |
| Model Kit - 1-3715 | Voodoo Vette | C3 Corvette, 1:25 scale, Golden Wheels Bonus |
| Model Kit - 1-3718 | Dragon Vette | C3 Corvette, 1:25 scale, Golden Wheels Bonus |
| Model Kit - 1-3720 | Ghost Rider Corvette Road Racer | C3 with custom body kit |
| Model Kit - 1-3721 | 1984 Corvette | Golden Opportunity |
| Model Kit - 1-3725 | '60 Flip Nose Corvette |  |
| Model Kit - 1-3750 | The Stinger Corvette | 1981  |
| Model Kit - 1-3751 | SaberVette Custom Corvette Street Racer |  |
| Model Kit - 1-7203-250 | '72 Chevy 454 | 1:25 scale,  |
| Model Kit - 1-7222-250 | '72 Grand Prix | 1:25 scale, |
| Model Kit - 1-7230 | '72 Corvette | 1:20 scale  |
| Model Kit - 1-7530 | 1975 Corvette | 1:20 scale "Spirit of America"  |
| Model Kit - 1-7730 | 1977 Corvette |  |
| Model Kit - 1-7801 | 1978 Pacer X | (AMC Pacer)  |
| Model Kit - 1-7830 | 1978 Corvette |  |
| Model Kit - 303-149 | Chevrolet Panel Truck 1933 | 1:25 scale, A Budd Anderson Master Kit |
| Model Kit - 369-200 | 1969 Chevy SS 427 | 1:25 scale, includes turbocharged 427 engine |
| Model Kit - MPC-703 | 1970 Dodge Coronet Super Bee | |
| Model Kit - 785/12 | World War II Jeep |  |
| Model Kit - 868-200 | 1968 Fleetside | 1:25 scale pickup truck/tow truck |
| Model Kit - 968-200 | 1968 Pontiac Bonneville Hardtop | 1:25 scale |
| Model Kit - 1368-200 | 1968 Mustang 427 GT | 1:25 scale |
| Model Kit - 1369-200 | 1969 Mustang | 1:25 scale, Cobra Jet or Mach I, Jerry Harvey Drag Racer |
| Model Kit - 1569-200 | 1969 Firebird Hardtop | 1:25 scale |
| Model Kit - 1768-200 | 1968 Coronet R/T | 1:25 scale, 20-piece haulaway trailer included |
| Model Kit - 6026 | Dan Gurney's Olsonite Eagle | #48 |
| Model Kit - 6249 | 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351 | 1:25 scale, 2 in 1 |
| Model Kit - 6261 | Chevrolet Beretta GT | 1:25 scale, 2 in 1 |
| Model Kit - 6318 | 1967 Pontiac GTO | Cereal Crunchers, 1:25 scale |
| Model Kit - 6324 | 69 Firebird | 1:25 scale, 2 in 1 |
| Model Kit - 6354 | Ghost Rider Corvette Road Racer | C3 with custom body kit |
| Model Kit - 6480 | 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster | 1:16 scale custom  |
| Model Kit - MPC826/12 | Cosmic Charger | 1:25 scale  |
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MPC 500
 View MPC 500 Insert - 2,100KB |
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MPC 500
View MPC 500 Insert - 1,797KB |
