Template:Realworld
Original logo
Aurora Plastics Corporation was an US based company, founded in 1950, that manufactured toys and injection molded plastic model kits. In 1969, the original founders sold the company to outside investors, essentially ending the company's existence in 1977 as several parts of the original company were sold off to various other parties over the subsequent years (amongst others to Monogram). One of the company's most popular product lines, the monster figure kits from several period science fiction movie and television productions were re-released by Polar Lights (that company's name being an homage to the name "Aurora"), a company especially founded for that purpose by then-owner Playing Mantis.
In 2007, the original founder's family announced the re-birth of the original company, but as of 2010 it has not yet occurred. [1]
Star Trek association
Aurora's association with Star Trek was relatively short-lived, spanning a period from 1966 to 1972 and consisted of only four Star Trek model kits. In that period 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 (the 1972 releases through their British subsidiary Aurora Plastics Co. (UK) Ltd. and with the specific mention of "As seen on BBC TV" on the side of the boxes). 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 managed to score a scoop in 1972 as they, building upon their experience of producing figure kits, released the Spock model kit, which also was the first Star Trek figurine model kit, first and reciprocally leased their molds to AMT (who released the kit a year later), before the latter acquired them in 1976.
Star Trek releases
| Item | Scale | Release | Item No. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS Enterprise | 1:635 | 1966 | 921 | Unlike their US counterparts, none of Aurora's releases came with lighting options |
| USS Enterprise | 1:635 | 1972 | 921 | Use of AMT's second set of molds; new box |
| Mr. Spock | 1:12 | 922 | Original Aurora release | |
| D7 class Klingon battle cruiser | 1:635 | 923 | released as Klingon "Alien Battle Cruiser" |
External links
- AuroraPlasticsCorp.com - official website for the proposed re-established company
- Aurora Plastics Corporation at Wikipedia