# Round 2 Batmobile to use Aurora molds!



## BatToys (Feb 4, 2002)

In their Round 2 newsletter I got today, it said the Batmobile repop will be using the original Aurora molds. That's good news. I'm glad they worked it out.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

And has Hell frozen over as well?!?


I well remember the large number of anguished threads here on the board a few years ago - it'll never happen, it can't be resolved, it will cost too much to license; oh the hearts that were broken!


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

BatToys said:


> In their Round 2 newsletter I got today, it said the Batmobile repop will be using the original Aurora molds. That's good news. I'm glad they worked it out.


 
The 1966 Aurora Batmobile Mold did indeed survive...RM has it since 1977..

Z


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## SUNGOD (Jan 20, 2006)

Where did anyone get the impression that they might not be using the original moulds? I thought from the beginning since it was announced that it would be a reissue of the old one.


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## Capt. Krik (May 26, 2001)

SUNGOD said:


> Where did anyone get the impression that they might not be using the original moulds? I thought from the beginning since it was announced that it would be a reissue of the old one.


Originally, Round 2 had intended to reverse engineer brand new molds using an original Aurora kit. My understanding is that the vintage kit that they purchased for the process was not complete.


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## Zorro (Jun 22, 1999)

Capt. Krik said:


> Originally, Round 2 had intended to reverse engineer brand new molds using an original Aurora kit. My understanding is that the vintage kit that they purchased for the process was not complete.


Waitaminnit. Round 2 purchases an original Aurora Batmobile so that they can reverse engineer it to make molds for mass production and doesn't realize until it's too late that the kit is incomplete? And that realization is what then leads them to work out a deal with R/M to use the original Aurora molds - which wasn't in the cards to begin with - which is why they bought the original Aurora in the first place? 

Man! I _love_ what you can learn on the internet! :freak:


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## sprayray (May 13, 2009)

Hmmm things that make you go Hmmmmmm hopefully we will see it and build it ! wish they would purchase or get the molds from revell/monogram for wonderwoman and penguin,spartacus,gladiator,men from uncle,moonbus,3 muskeeters,viking,the crusader,hercules,tarzan,green beret and rest of the monsters of the movies need i say more ????? we want these reissued guys all over will buy them i know i will !!!!!!!!!!! Hey if they repoped all the monster line which i never thought would see the light of day especially the monster rods, bride of frankenstein , why can't they re-pop the others ??? we all gots to write to them and start a poll what do you say are you with me !!!!!

Robert


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## BatToys (Feb 4, 2002)

Quote from Round 2 newsletter: 

*"This is the real thing, molded using the original tooling!* The Batmobile is a detailed all-plastic assembly kit molded in black, featuring chrome and clear parts and easy-to-assemble figures of Batman and Robin. This is the authentic, original 1:32-scale kit of one of the best-loved custom vehicles, ever."

I'm glad they are using Revell's Aurora molds. Sixties molds for a sixties kit. 
Nice knowing it will be exact.


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## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

I heard (cant remember from who) that after the TRU run of Aurora Long box kits for PL, that Revell said they would no longer do runs of kits for competing companys. I thought that was odd, as its a win win situation for Revell. The sales of x number of kits are gaurenteed when you sell them bagged to another company. Its good to hear they worked out a deal. Maybe we might see some more repops.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

otto said:


> I heard (cant remember from who) that after the TRU run of Aurora Long box kits for PL, that Revell said they would no longer do runs of kits for competing companys. I thought that was odd, as its a win win situation for Revell. The sales of x number of kits are gaurenteed when you sell them bagged to another company. Its good to hear they worked out a deal. Maybe we might see some more repops.


Totally untrue. Revell has been doing runs of kits for Model King and Stevens International for years. The big 1/96 Saturn V was one of them... the box says manufactured exclusively for Stevens International...


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## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

you just cant belive anything that's written here.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

If its on the internet it has to be true!

Seriously, I notice the reissue has chrome parts... did the original kit have chrome parts? The build ups I have seen in PL test shots show things painted silver...


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

Its pretty much been common knowledge since the 1980's that RM had the mold for the aurora batmobile...


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

I was a little kid, I seem to remember mine as all black....
I forgot about the drag chutes though...









Steve


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

falcondesigns said:


> you just cant belive anything that's written here.


I don't believe that.


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## phantom11 (Jul 12, 2007)

Hot DAMN!! I had the Aurora Batmobile when I was a kid; my dad built if for me. Always wanted a chance to build one of the originals myself, and this is the next best thing. Thank you Round 2!!!


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## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

I'm pretty gullible, I'll believe anything!


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## BatToys (Feb 4, 2002)

My faraway neighbor who works for Revell said the previous owners had stopped the practice of making kits for others but they sold Revell a few years ago. Now Revell has new owners who must have restarted the practice.

I'll ask him to let me know when they start making the Batmobile for Round 2.
He said he's not in that department anymore but that it was possible.


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## buzzconroy (Jun 28, 2002)

The original Aurora Batmobile had some chrome.

Buzz


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

I too remember when Revell stopped running kits for PL.
If I remember correctly, there was no annimosity over it. I think it was just that PL was starting to have larger runs done. Ones that were closer to what Revell would actually do on thier own. So why run them for another company when they might possibly just run them for themselves and make all the money, instead of only part of it.


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## Capt. Krik (May 26, 2001)

buzzconroy said:


> The original Aurora Batmobile had some chrome.
> 
> Buzz


I know that at least the wheels and the rocket tubes were chrome plated. I think some of the interior parts and possibly the turbine exhaust nozzle were chrome.


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

The original had chrome parts, such as the wheels and dashboard. Mine does, anyway.


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

yea the originalhad quite a fewchrome parts. I have 2 test shots from years back that are all 1 color. One is white plastic and other is light green. Both have the Aurora logo still on them . I wonder if this latest will have that removed?
Steve


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## Kit (Jul 9, 2009)

If you read that Round2 blog blurb with that photo, they say they would have to erase the Aurora logo.


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## BatToys (Feb 4, 2002)

Yes, this True Aurora looks great. Round 2 said the Aurora made Batmobile was crisper then the Chinese retools. They will correct any sink holes and remove the Aurora name which is completely understandable. 

It's great Tom Lowe went the extra mile to get us the perfect True Aurora Batmobile kit.


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## SUNGOD (Jan 20, 2006)

I wonder if there's a way that the parts where the lights would be (such as the front piece) could be moulded in clear plastic so the lights could be masked off and the surrounding areas painted/sprayed etc?


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## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

Those parts are on the plastic side of the tool,not on the clear.You will have to make some clear parts when you get your kit.alex


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Wow, every _single _kit released, someone asks for one of the solid parts to be clear! There should be a macro button for it on the forum. :lol:


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## LGFugate (Sep 11, 2000)

Since this is being made with the original molds, it's highly unlikely that any changes like clear for opaque plastic can be made, or would even be considered, especially with the need (at least on this forum) for the kit to be "original". I LOVE the idea of having this kit again, but would have no problems whatsoever if it had to be repopped, or if it were changed for the better (like some parts being clear, or the other problems with the kit's design being fixed).

December's gonna be a big month for my credit card!

Larry


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## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

John P said:


> Wow, every _single _kit released, someone asks for one of the solid parts to be clear! There should be a macro button for it on the forum. :lol:


That's because like everything else,model making is becoming a lost craft.alex


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## SUNGOD (Jan 20, 2006)

falcondesigns said:


> That's because like everything else,model making is becoming a lost craft.alex




So falcon......anyone who wants clear parts isn't a proper model maker are they?


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

falcondesigns said:


> That's because like everything else,model making is becoming a lost craft.alex


For some Freudian reason I read that as "model making is becoming a Lara Croft" :freak:


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## BatToys (Feb 4, 2002)

I like the new third modern box. (tin, retro, modern)

I'm going to buy at least 4 kits. Because I am wild that it's from the original Aurora molds. Just like 1966 again.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

I still haven't got round to building the reissues of the Batboat, Batcycle, Batplane, or Robin; maybe the Batmobile will get me going on a mini Bat-craze. 
Like BatToys, I'm happy that this will be from the original mold.


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## BatToys (Feb 4, 2002)

I hope the success of the Batmobile will inspire Round 2 to restore the Aurora Batman. 

Restore the original head, engraved chest emblem, owl and Batman name carved on tree trunk.

And restoring the Aurora Superman too would be nice.


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## buzzconroy (Jun 28, 2002)

Original Batman kit 1965


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## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

I'd like to see Batman reissued as it originally was, but I'd rather see Superman. It was much better in my opinion than the original Batman, and what they did to the molds on that one was really a ....sin..I think Batman may have actually improved a tad.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I can't see Round 2 doing much with the Batman or Superman figures since Revell owns the tooling for those. Plus you can buy resin bat heads and a new tree for Batman quite easily...


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

I have an original Batman..built up..somewhat apart but complete......Anyone wanna trade? 
PM me as this isnt the appropriate thread to be posting....But to make it appropriate i will say that I cannot wait for PL R2 whatever...to bring this to Market.Thank you


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## tlowe (Oct 11, 2005)

Guys.... to clear few things up.....I already owned a complete Aurora Batmobile (2 actually) . We were going to reverse a tool but I am friends with Jim Foster at RM. I knew they had the tools and asked him if he would run it for us. He said the kit was a huge seller and they actually had 2 sets of molds. Instead of RM running the kits for us it made more sense to just purchase one of the sets of tools from RM. I did and sent the tools to China. Now we will run it ourselves. We need to delete Aurora logo for obvious reasons. Any other questions that I can clear up? Tom Lowe


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## Kit (Jul 9, 2009)

Tom,

Great to see you back in action, and many thanks for coming in to the board.

Two questions, if you don't mind:

Any more Batman models coming?

And....is the big original Star Trek Enterprise a real project?


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## John DeBlasi (Dec 31, 1999)

Penquin, Penquin, Penquin.......please !!!


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## buzzconroy (Jun 28, 2002)

Since the mold is in the USA, why cant the kits be molded in USA ?

randy


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## Hunch (Apr 6, 2003)

tlowe said:


> Guys.... to clear few things up.....I already owned a complete Aurora Batmobile (2 actually) . We were going to reverse a tool but I am friends with Jim Foster at RM. I knew they had the tools and asked him if he would run it for us. He said the kit was a huge seller and they actually had 2 sets of molds. Instead of RM running the kits for us it made more sense to just purchase one of the sets of tools from RM. I did and sent the tools to China. Now we will run it ourselves. We need to delete Aurora logo for obvious reasons. Any other questions that I can clear up? Tom Lowe


Good to know you have a friend at RM. Maybe this friendship could lead to other great repops?
Jim


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## Capt. Krik (May 26, 2001)

buzzconroy said:


> Since the mold is in the USA, why cant the kits be molded in USA ?
> 
> randy


That's a fair question, Randy.

I'm certainly no expert on this subject but basically it boils down costs. It's actually cheaper for the model companies to ship their molds to China or where ever, have the kits produced there and then ship the finished kits to the States.

To the best of my knowledge, and again I maybe mistaken, no major American producer of model kits has their kits produced in the U.S.


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## spindrift (Apr 16, 2005)

Thanks Tom for making this come true!
BTW I think Round 2 is doing a STELLAR job with the Star Trek license and looking for ward to 2010!
Gary:hat:


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## buzzconroy (Jun 28, 2002)

Lindberg kits are made in the USA, says right on box.You would think its more costly shipping those heavy molds on a ship.
It would give Americans jobs.

Randy


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## Kit (Jul 9, 2009)

It seems unlikely anybody in the boutique model kit companies we talk about here, like Round 2 and Moebius, would go to zChina unless that was the only way to keep prices down low enough for the models we want to make sense.

It seems 25 years too late to start criticizing. The real culprits are the giant corporations like Mattel.

Round 2 seems to have workers here in the US in product development, sales, etc. They probably wouldn't have jobs if the company insisted on paying for US tooling.

Probably hard to find workers here who will come to the factory every day for the wages that would be paid if every kit were molded here.

And shipping is a lot cheaper than it used to be, I'd guess.

Lindberg seemss to have a parent company that does enough volume to spread out the costs, which Round 2 probably couldn't do. Here's an artricle about lindberg:

The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
August 9, 2009

No place like home

Aug. 9--C EDAR RAPIDS -- A toy company based in Cedar Rapids has done its part to lessen the trade imbalance, bringing back most of its work from China.

J. Lloyd International had contracted about 90 percent of its production to manufacturers in China as recently as two years ago. Now about 85 percent of its production comes from the United States, owner Jody Keener said, and the company plans to move an undetermined amount of its production to Cedar Rapids.

Product lines owned and marketed by J.

Lloyd International include some of the oldest toy and model kit manufacturers in the country -- 133-year-old Tootsietoy and Hawk, America's oldest model kit company.

Many of the products feed on the nostalgia of the Baby Boom generation for the toys of their childhood. They also include Big Wheel trikes, Crocodile Mile lawn slides and Lindberg models.

U.S. manufacturing gives J. Lloyd better control over its inventory management and shipping costs, said Keener.

"The secret of our success in the future will be taking product back from China and manufacturing it in the U.S.," he explained.

Manufacturing costs are not much greater here than in China for relatively automated high-volume production, Kenner said, and lower shipping costs help make up the difference. Most of the company's in-house manufacturing of model kits takes place at its plant in Kalkaska, Mich.

When Chinese contract manufacturers were being used, orders of 10,000 to 100,000 units and lead times of three to six months were required.

Hawk/Lindberg Models President Ernie Petit says the company plans to introduce 57 new model kits this year, at a time when the model kit industry is contracting.

Petit was retiring from Testor, a company that makes model paints, about three years ago when he was recruited by Keener to head J. Lloyd's model operations.

"In less than three years, we've grown to the second-largest mod el company in the U.S., and the only company manufacturing in the U.S.," Petit said.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Kit said:


> Manufacturing costs are not much greater here than in China for relatively automated high-volume production, Kenner said, and lower shipping costs help make up the difference. Most of the company's in-house manufacturing of model kits takes place at its plant in Kalkaska, Mich.


That's what* I *was thinking!


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## LGFugate (Sep 11, 2000)

That's all well and good if you already have the manufacturing space and equipment, which Moebius, Monarch and Round 2 do not. Being startup companies, they have no plants and such to re-use. In that light, it's probably less expensive to deal with China than to have to build all that over here first, without having some time in the market first. Lindbergh obviously has assets (perhaps it's own, perhaps thru it's parent company) that others do not.

Larry


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> > Originally Posted by Kit
> > Manufacturing costs are not much greater here than in China for relatively automated high-volume production, Kenner said, and lower shipping costs help make up the difference. Most of the company's in-house manufacturing of model kits takes place at its plant in Kalkaska, Mich.
> 
> 
> That's what* I *was thinking!


Yeah, but you obviously didn't note the "high-volume" part.
In no way shape or form are Round2, Moebius, or Monarch high volume. The 3 combined aren't even close.
IF you have facilities of your own, you need to run the machines 24 hours a day, at least 5 days a week, optimally 7 days a week. Meaning thousands of units a week from each machine you own.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

TAY666 said:


> Yeah, but you obviously didn't note the "high-volume" part.
> In no way shape or form are Round2, Moebius, or Monarch high volume. The 3 combined aren't even close.
> IF you have facilities of your own, you need to run the machines 24 hours a day, at least 5 days a week, optimally 7 days a week. Meaning thousands of units a week from each machine you own.


True enough. We all lose in the end, however, I'm afraid--at least in terms of product safety.


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## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> True enough. We all lose in the end, however, I'm afraid--at least in terms of product safety.


Huh?what's the product safety in a plastic model?The models coming from Moebius,R2,Monarch,ect. dont seem to be any different then when they were produced here.....


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## BatToys (Feb 4, 2002)

I think Tom meant questions about the Batmobile.
As long as they are making it, that's the important thing.

Tom, will you add another set of red door bat decals that are accurate to the TV show so we can build the kit two ways?

A Gotham City license plate decal? This seems like it would be simple and inexpensive to do.

The tin box art is missing the red stripe over the headlights.

I vote for a restored Aurora Batman too!


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

falcondesigns said:


> Huh?what's the product safety in a plastic model?The models coming from Moebius,R2,Monarch,ect. dont seem to be any different then when they were produced here.....


:lol: Please don't challenge the Chicoms to poison something!

Seriously, I was speaking in more general terms than just plastic. There have been lots of products contaminated with lead and other potentially poisonous substances.

Overall, honestly, I haven't had any problems that I know of from Chinese made goods though there have been lots of documented problems and some resulting suicides/executions of Chinese manufacturers due to past "mistakes."


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