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[[File:Aurora-logo.gif|right|200px|Aurora Plastics Corporation]]
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[[File:Aurora logo new.png|right|160px|Aurora Plastics Corporation]]
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'''Aurora Plastics Corporation''' was an US based company, founded in 1950, that manufactured toys and injection molded plastic modelkits. In 1969 the original founders sold the company to outside investors, essentially ending the company's existence as several parts of the original company were sold off to various other parties over the subsequent years. One of the company's most popular product-lines, the monster figure kits from several period Science Fiction movie and television productions were being re-released by [[Polar Lights]], a company especially founded for that purpose by then owner [[Racing Champions]].
  
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'''Aurora Plastics Corporation''' is an American company based in Brooklyn, New York which was founded in 1950 to manufacture toys and injection-molded plastic model kits. The company's original founders sold the company to outside investors in 1969. By 1977, the company had ceased to exist as an independent company and several of its product lines were sold off to [[Monogram]] and other companies during the 1970s.
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[[File:Aurora logo.png|thumb|left|Original Aurora logo]]
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Some of the company's most popular product lines included the "monster" figure kits from a number of classic science fiction film and television productions. These kits were later re-released by [[Polar Lights]], a company which was originally established by [[Playing Mantis]] expressly for this purpose. The name "Polar Lights" was created as an homage to the "Aurora" brand.
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In 2007, the original founders' family announced that the company had been reconstituted and was planning to release model kits under the '''A Plastics Corporation''' brand in 2012. As of January 2013, no kits have yet been made available for sale. [http://www.auroraplasticscorp.com/index.html]
   
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In 2007, the original founder's family, announced the re-birth of the original company, but as of this date it has not yet come off the ground.[http://www.auroraplasticscorp.com/index.html]
  
 
==''Star Trek'' association==
  
==''Star Trek'' association==
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Aurora's association with ''Star Trek'' was relatively short-lived spanning a period from 1966 to 1973 and consisted only of four [[Star Trek model kits]]. In that period [[AMT/Ertl|AMT]] opted for not releasing and licensing their ''Star Trek'' kits for foreign markets. Instead a deal was brokered that allowed Aurora to lease the molds of the kits from AMT and produce and market the models for the foreign market under their own name. Though the molds were the same and even the packaging was, besides the imprint, virtually identical, legally, Aurora's releases of the four models were not associated with AMT. Aurora scored a scoop in 1973 as they released the [[Spock]] model kit first.
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Aurora's association with ''[[Star Trek]]'' was relatively short-lived and spanned the period from 1966 to 1972 when it released only four [[Star Trek model kits|''Star Trek'' model kits]]. During that period, [[AMT/Ertl|AMT]] opted not to release and license their ''Star Trek'' kits in foreign markets. Instead, a deal was brokered that allowed Aurora to lease the molds from AMT and produce and market the models under their own name for foreign markets.
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===Releases===
  
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Their 1972 products were released through their British subsidiary '''Aurora Plastics Co. (UK) Ltd.''' and featured "As seen on BBC TV" markings on the sides of their boxes. Although the castings and packaging were virtually identical excepting the brand imprint, Aurora's releases of the four models were not legally associated with AMT. Aurora created and released the [[Spock]] model kit in 1972, the first ''Star Trek'' figurine model kit ever produced. In a reciprocal move, the company leased the molds of the model to AMT which released the kit in the United States a year later. AMT eventually acquired ownership of the production assets for the kit from Aurora in 1976.
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{| class="grey" style="width:100%;"
  
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! colspan="5" style="text-align:center;" id="Revell-Monogram Releases" | Revell-Monogram Releases
  
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===''Star Trek'' releases===
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{| class="grey" colspan="6" style="width:100%;"
 
|-
  
|-
 
! Item
  
! Item
Line 15: Line 22:
 
! Item No.
  
! Item No.
 
! Notes
  
! Notes
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! Boxart
 
|-
  
|-
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|rowspan="2" | {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701}}
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|rowspan="2"|{{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701}}
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|rowspan="3" | 1:635
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|rowspan="2"|1:635
 
|{{y|1966}}
  
|{{y|1966}}
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|rowspan="2" | 921
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|rowspan="2"|921
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|Original Aurora release; kit used AMT artwork with Aurora identification. Box dimensions of Aurora kit are different than AMT counterpart....Aurora printed instructions for their version of the kit as well as decal sheets and these kits DID have lighting in the saucer section...lighting is also indicated in instructions.
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|Unlike US counterparts, none of Aurora's releases came with lighting options
  
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|[[File:AMT-Aurora Model kit 921 USS Enterprise 1966.jpg|150px]]
 
|-
  
|-
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|{{y|1968}}
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|rowspan="3" | {{y|1972}}
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|Use of AMT's second set of molds; new box
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|Use of AMT's second set of molds; new box
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|[[File:AMT-Aurora Model kit 921 USS Enterprise 1966 variant.jpg|150px]]
 
|-
  
|-
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|Mr. [[Spock]]
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|{{ShipClass|D7}} [[Klingon]] [[Battle cruiser]]
  
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|{{y|1966}}
  
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|923
  
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|released as ''Klingon "Alien Battle Cruiser"''
  
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|-
  
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|Mr.[[Spock]]
  
 
|1:12
  
|1:12
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|{{y|1973}}
  
 
|922
  
|922
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|Original Aurora release
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|First released by Aurora
  
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|[[File:AMT-Aurora Model kit 922 Spock 1972.jpg|150px]]
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|-
  
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|colspan="5" style="text-align:center;" | [[File:AMT-Aurora Model kit 921 USS Enterprise 1966.jpg|125px]] [[File:AMT-Aurora Model kit 921 USS Enterprise 1966 variant.jpg|250px]] [[File:AMT-Aurora Model kit 923 Klingon Battle Cruiser 1968.jpg|250px]] [[''No picture yet'']]
  
 
|-
  
|-
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|{{class|D7}} [[Klingon]] [[battle cruiser]]
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|1:635
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|923
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|released as ''Klingon "Alien Battle Cruiser"''
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|[[File:AMT-Aurora Model kit 923 Klingon Battle Cruiser 1968.jpg|150px]]
 
|}
  
|}
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*[http://www.auroraplasticscorp.com/index.html Official website for the proposed re-established company]
  
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==See also==
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*{{wikipedia|Aurora Plastics Corporation}}
  
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* [[Star Trek starship miniatures]]
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* [[Star Trek model kits]]
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==External links==
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* [http://www.auroraplasticscorp.com/index.html AuroraPlasticsCorp.com] - official website
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* {{wikipedia}}
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[[Category:Collectibles]]
  
[[Category:Collectibles]]

Revision as of 15:34, 6 November 2015

Template:Realworld

Aurora Plastics Corporation

Aurora Plastics Corporation is an American company based in Brooklyn, New York which was founded in 1950 to manufacture toys and injection-molded plastic model kits. The company's original founders sold the company to outside investors in 1969. By 1977, the company had ceased to exist as an independent company and several of its product lines were sold off to Monogram and other companies during the 1970s.

Aurora logo

Original Aurora logo

Some of the company's most popular product lines included the "monster" figure kits from a number of classic science fiction film and television productions. These kits were later re-released by Polar Lights, a company which was originally established by Playing Mantis expressly for this purpose. The name "Polar Lights" was created as an homage to the "Aurora" brand.

In 2007, the original founders' family announced that the company had been reconstituted and was planning to release model kits under the A Plastics Corporation brand in 2012. As of January 2013, no kits have yet been made available for sale. [1]

Star Trek association

Aurora's association with Star Trek was relatively short-lived and spanned the period from 1966 to 1972 when it released only four Star Trek model kits. During that period, AMT opted not to release and license their Star Trek kits in foreign markets. Instead, a deal was brokered that allowed Aurora to lease the molds from AMT and produce and market the models under their own name for foreign markets.

Their 1972 products were released through their British subsidiary Aurora Plastics Co. (UK) Ltd. and featured "As seen on BBC TV" markings on the sides of their boxes. Although the castings and packaging were virtually identical excepting the brand imprint, Aurora's releases of the four models were not legally associated with AMT. Aurora created and released the Spock model kit in 1972, the first Star Trek figurine model kit ever produced. In a reciprocal move, the company leased the molds of the model to AMT which released the kit in the United States a year later. AMT eventually acquired ownership of the production assets for the kit from Aurora in 1976.

Star Trek releases

Item Scale Release Item No. Notes Boxart
USS Enterprise 1:635 1966 921 Original Aurora release; kit used AMT artwork with Aurora identification. Box dimensions of Aurora kit are different than AMT counterpart....Aurora printed instructions for their version of the kit as well as decal sheets and these kits DID have lighting in the saucer section...lighting is also indicated in instructions. AMT-Aurora Model kit 921 USS Enterprise 1966
1972 Use of AMT's second set of molds; new box AMT-Aurora Model kit 921 USS Enterprise 1966 variant
Mr. Spock 1:12 922 Original Aurora release AMT-Aurora Model kit 922 Spock 1972
D7-class Klingon battle cruiser 1:635 923 released as Klingon "Alien Battle Cruiser" AMT-Aurora Model kit 923 Klingon Battle Cruiser 1968

See also

External links

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