Discover Revell
The corporate history of Revell is also the story of a great passion that took hold of America in the mid 1940s. Founded in 1943 in the US state of California, Revell Inc. started up production in Venice, not far from Los Angeles. Plastic toys, accessories for dolls' houses and toy washing machines were the top sellers at that time. It was not until 1947 that the company's founder, Lewis H. Glaser, hit on the idea of assembling a scale model car from several plastic parts. This marks the birth of plastic model building. As early as 1956 the enthusiasm for the new hobby crossed the Atlantic and revolutionized the leisure time activities of countless hobbyists and collectors.
That was the year the German subsidiary, Revell Plastics GmbH, was founded in Bielefeld. Just one year later, the company's headquarters were relocated to the neighbouring town of Bünde. Initially, only kits imported exclusively from the USA and Great Britain were sold in Germany and neighbouring countries from a warehouse that had once been a cigar factory.
In 1971 the first in-house kit - a 1:8 scale BMW R75/5 - was developed. In the mid 1980s the company then set up its own development department complete with production line. By the mid 1970s the company's sales network already covered all the Western European countries. Since 1976 the model kit range has been supplemented by an extensive programme of accessories. Following success in the Western European markets, the sales network was soon extended to encompass the whole of Eastern Europe. Ten years later saw the forward-looking addition of airbrush products and die-cast models. Since 1987 all Revell-Monogram models have been marketed by Revell GmbH.
With the two worldwide renowned Crayola (1995) and Grand Champions (2002) brands, the sales business was also consistently extended to include young girls as a target group. In November 2004, after ten years of successful distribution, Revell terminated its contract with the Crayola brand, replacing it with its own MagCliks line. In 2008, however, the jewellery lines of the successful successor brand had to be abandoned as a result of amended EU legislation (magnets in toys). Revell now consistently continues its success story of producing creative brands for girls with the Me-Sue line. Since the start of 2009 GeeGee Friends has been the new toy line capturing the hearts and imagination of young equine enthusiasts.
Introduction of the Kick-O-Mania brand in 2005 scored a direct hit in the boys target group. Dedicated soccer fans of all ages were absolutely delighted with Revell's 30 cm tall play figures of their international soccer idols. One year later, in time for the FIFA World Cup being played on home ground, Revell launched action figures of the national squad complete with kit.
The epixx figure sets and the Mystrix magic sets introduced in 2007 complete the offering in the toy sector. Despite broadening the spectrum of its brand portfolio over the years, plastic model kits continue to constitute the company's mainstay and core business.
Revell's global success is reflected in the impressive figures in the plastic model kit business: in 1995 over 5,000,000 kits were sold for the first time in one single year. To date several hundreds of thousands of Fokker Dr. 1 kits have been purchased. In sizes of 1:72 and 1:28 and as mini kits, the "Baron of the Skies" series is one of the most popular kits Revell has ever produced. Worldwide the most successful plastic model kit, however, is the Titanic: over two million replicas of the legendary steamship have been sold to date. These figures are all the more impressive when one considers that in the early days just a few thousand models annually left Bünde on their way to all corners of the globe.
A review of some typical product highlights of the past ten years illustrates the fascinating variety of the Revell world of model kits.
One of the very first products to be made is as popular today as ever: the Bismarck, one of the largest and most famous of the German battleships, has been part of the range since the 1960s and this year is being replaced with a new spectacular edition. For its research Revell was able to refer to old plans and take advantage of the latest underwater photography. Model kit history also includes a small sailing ship that left Revell's "shipyards" in 1960 as the Peter Pan pirate ship. In 1969, the year of the moon-landing, the complete Apollo-Saturn range caused something of a sensation. The space series was extended with the NASA Challenger and Atlantis programmes.
At the start of the 1980s Revell was the first manufacturer to produce 1:25 scale plastic model kits of trucks. In 1998 the Titanic was not only a huge hit on the cinema circuit but also a highlight on the shelves of toy retailers. And it remains a firm favourite even today. Another box office hit is representative of the company's successful licence business and the easykit product line launched a few years ago. An outer galactic modelling experience is provided by the snap kits from the latest film of the Star Wars Saga "Revenge of the Sith". Fast-paced topics from the motor racing world, such as the DTM (German Touring Car Championship), made an instant impact – on young modellers in particular.
Thanks to the excellent contacts to the licensors and partners in the industry, in 2003 it was possible for Revell to present the Airbus 380A even before the maiden flight of the original!
With the Revell Control brand newly introduced in 2009, the company has significantly reinforced its focus in the hobby sector. The remote-controlled helicopters and aircraft in the impeccable Revell appearance took off from the word go. In developing these products, it became clear that the quality standards from the plastic model kit sector combine perfectly with the technical standards of model aircraft flying. The optimum combination of quality, originality and excellent value for money makes the products interesting for newcomers and experienced hobbyists alike. In 2010 the range will be extended on a broad basis by adding further segments and incorporating new technologies.
The company has also changed as a result of the gradual extension of its product range. Success has made Revell an even more interesting proposition for investors. In 1990, following a change of ownership at the end of the 1970s and in the mid 1980s, Revell Plastics GmbH went public and has since operated as Revell AG. In 1994 Binney & Smith Inc., USA acquired the Revell Group. Seven years later, there was yet another change of ownership and Revell was taken over by Alpha International Inc., USA. Just one year later, today's owners, the Revell Group, L.L.C. USA, acquired the company's shares. In 2003 , Revell AG became Revell Holding GmbH Co. KG. Finally, on 6th September 2006 the two companies Revell GmbH & Co. KG and Revell-Monogram LLC separated and are now operating entirely independently.
The long and successful history of the brand serves as motivation for the future. Also in the years head Revell will continue to provide the best requisites for leisure time activities that are both meaningful and creative.
