Have Airfix FORGOTTEN those things called CARS?

[DavidJC]

A key to success is to plan ahead and how the item is engineered to share as many parts as possible. If several cars share the same engine, why not having all parts in a single sprue. This can also be done with military vehicles, even some airplane parts, as external load and pilots for planes who share them, etc.

There are limitations in tool designs of course in tool-making but to be fair I would imagine tool-makers do have all that in mind when designing kits. I'd bet there is much consideration as to what parts for any one kit are moulded in any one sprue for maximum efficiency. Like any business they need to maximise profits and I can't imagine anything but the deepest of thought going in to making a tool to do just that, although, naturally that has to be balanced for ease of use by the end user as well. 

[MG Writer]

A key to success is to plan ahead and how the item is engineered to share as many parts as possible. If several cars share the same engine, why not having all parts in a single sprue. This can also be done with military vehicles, even some airplane parts, as external load and pilots for planes who share them, etc.

There are limitations in tool designs of course in tool-making but to be fair I would imagine tool-makers do have all that in mind when designing kits. I'd bet there is much consideration as to what parts for any one kit are moulded in any one sprue for maximum efficiency. Like any business they need to maximise profits and I can't imagine anything but the deepest of thought going in to making a tool to do just that, although, naturally that has to be balanced for ease of use by the end user as well. 

In the car kit world, I can think of a few instances where the maker has been clever with using some extra sprues to deliver more than one variant. For example, Tamiya's classic Mini comes as Austin, Morris, Monte Carlo and a saloon car racer. The Aoshima MGB came in classic chrome bumper road car, bumper less race car with factory hardtop and a later 'rubber bumper' variant. The American car kit makers have included "custom" parts for many years. There are I am sure many others too. 

[Braille Dave]

All of the above is lovely but still misses the point rather... There has to be a sound business case for new kits and I suspect that model cars don't fit within Airfix's brand space anyway.

 

I did a quick bit of market research, basically scanning the modelling magazines- I figured that with the cost of production for magazines, that would be an indicator (Sorry WH Smith!). I couldn't see one specifically for cars.... There are ones specifically for railway (and indeed different ones for different scales!), military vehicles, aircraft, radio controlled aircraft, radio controlled boats...

 

 Although actually, I would quite like to see a 1:24 Jeep, Landrover or Bedford MW, to go with the 1:24 aircraft....

[vimal_indrasoma]

 Car modelling is very big over in the states - they have a stack of mags on the subject, you can get many of them on Zinio and PocketMags.

[nmcabecadas]

Most issues I see in the industry isn't about technical limitations, but the lack of a long term plan. Planning ahead isn't easy and the initial investment can be bigger, but it pays latter. Making more smaller sprues can represent a lower profit now, but if the same sprues can be included in another kit within a few years, then can reduce costs and increase the profit. There are models where this is possible, as tanks or armoured cars who share hulls or turrets, cars or vehicles who have several versions, as many Land Rovers, or aircrafts who had many versions and can share the fuselage, complete or just a part, or wings, as the Bf 109.

[MG Writer]

All of the above is lovely but still misses the point rather... There has to be a sound business case for new kits and I suspect that model cars don't fit within Airfix's brand space anyway.

 

I did a quick bit of market research, basically scanning the modelling magazines- I figured that with the cost of production for magazines, that would be an indicator (Sorry WH Smith!). I couldn't see one specifically for cars.... There are ones specifically for railway (and indeed different ones for different scales!), military vehicles, aircraft, radio controlled aircraft, radio controlled boats...

 

 Although actually, I would quite like to see a 1:24 Jeep, Landrover or Bedford MW, to go with the 1:24 aircraft....

Depends on your branch of WHSmith! There is an Auto Modeller mag in mine, and cars get built in Airfix and Tamiya magazines on a regular basis. There is even a slot car magazine.

[roy_fitzsimmonds]

But surely you are all DANCING with excitement at the re-boxing of the ancient old Aston DB5???

Roy.

[MG Writer]

But surely you are all DANCING with excitement at the re-boxing of the ancient old Aston DB5???

Roy.

Yep. Just can't wait. Not.

[Braille Dave]

Still only one mag, as opposed to the following:

 

4 for solely aircraft modelling, additionally there are another three for Radio control and flying models

 

6 for solely military modelling, in addition another two for wargames.

 

11 for railway modelling

 

2 for R/C model boating

 

And, 3 for model engineering.

 

This list doesn't include general modelling magazines like Airfix Model World, Tamiya & Finescale, or mags from organisations like MAFVA.

 

Even allowing for duplicate (that is one person buying multiple magazines) they would have to have substantial circulation figures to keep publishing, and sufficient advertising revenue. So it would be a fair indicator of the size of the particular market.

 

So would it be a market big enough for a company to get a return on it's investment?

[roy_fitzsimmonds]

But Airfix have their OWN magazine - how often do model cars feature in as opposed to anything else?

Has there ONCE been a centre-spread of ANYTHING except aircraft?

Even the annual Airfix calendar is stuffed full of 'planes and not a single car.

Airfix are alienating their OWN products!

How is that good business sense when they don't even promote their own stuff?

[Jonathan Mock]

If you want more car articles, write one for them Roy.

[Ratch]

But Airfix have their OWN magazine

But its not Airfix's magazine. It is published independantly by Key Publishing and merely carries the Airfix name.

[vimal_indrasoma]

 Kalmbach Publishing, who do Finescale Modeller, also produce a wide range of Auto and Railway Modelling mags. Car modelling is very big over in the states I believe they also have a YouTube channel with new product reviews and so on.

[roy_fitzsimmonds]

If you want more car articles, write one for them Roy.

I did - it was published in issue 'Nov 2011'

A while ago now...

[Braille Dave]

Airfix are a commercial company and will go where the market takes them- As I was trying to demonstrate with the post on magazines, the market for car modelling in the UK (and by extension, Europe- many of the magazines I mentioned upthread are european publications) is not that large- whether it is large enough to support the cost of research, brand licencing, development, design, engineering, marketing and manufacturing is the question... The answer I suspect is 'not'. Remember that Airfix will have a fair bit of order history- if car kits are not ordered by stockists, then Airfix won't make them- Stock sitting on shelves is money tied up, doing nothing but generating a tax bill. 

 

The US is a different market- as Vimal says car modelling may be more popular there- (It is noticable that Kalmbach don't list their car modelling mags for circulation in Europe- it may be that there isn't enough advertising revenue to support a european edition, which probably supports my assertions in paragraph one). The problem is that Airfix is not a global player, with the level of market penetration (and financial base) which that implies, in the same way that Tamiya, or even Revell are-  Airfix is a re-launch company, albeit with a huge brand awareness and loyalty, but with an unfortunate legacy. In that situation it needs to concentrate on the things it's good at and is known for.

 

....To be honest, its latest offerings in the car world have hardly been well received, anyway. If that was me- I'd be wondering if it was a market that would support any more effort.

 

And finally, can I just say that using capitals is the equivalent of shouting, Roy. While your passion for your particular genre is notable, and admirable- your attitude to others, is not so admirable. 

[Ratch]

 Spot on Dave. Airfix know their market and if cars were selling they'd be investing in more tooling. Those with a passion for this genre may argue about chosen subjects and scales, but these would be a high risk investment.

[Matt Bacon]

 Spot on Dave. Airfix know their market and if cars were selling they'd be investing in more tooling. Those with a passion for this genre may argue about chosen subjects and scales, but these would be a high risk investment.

Doesn't seem to stop Revell Germany regularly tooling up brand new European car kits which have limited appeal in the US. Of course "car kits don't sell" if you don't have any in your range...

bestest,

M.

[Ratch]

 Good luck to Revell, it doesn't seem to work for Airfix.

Airfix aren't exactly standing still, relying on old staples to fill the coffers. There's lots of investment in new tooling and they've obviously identified products that will make the business grow.

[peebeep]

Matt, if the products that Airfix retain on their catalogue are sufficient to keep the company profitable and develop new products I would think they will stick with subjects and genre that they know will work. I suspect Dave's point on what traders actually order in quantity is a telling one.

[Jonathan Mock]

 Spot on Dave. Airfix know their market and if cars were selling they'd be investing in more tooling. Those with a passion for this genre may argue about chosen subjects and scales, but these would be a high risk investment.

Doesn't seem to stop Revell Germany regularly tooling up brand new European car kits which have limited appeal in the US. Of course "car kits don't sell" if you don't have any in your range...

bestest,

M.

 

Some companies have better markets to sell certain subjects into than others. Kit catalogues are, ultimately, reflections of what retailers order. If stuff isn't selling, chances are it will disappear from a kit catalogue.

[DavidJC]

I've been arguing long and hard about Airfix being a commecial company with profits to make in one dedicated thread and others as a by-the-way.

 

I stand by that. I don't doubt if Airfix thought they'd make money in selling car kits then they would. I would imagine their market research suggests that car production just won't do it for them. However, as I've been at pains to say many times, that doesn't have to stop them producing off-beat/less well-known subjects even if they make a loss, so long as other kits are making sufficient profit to subsidise the others.

 

I've read posts on here alluding to Airfix's awful car kits of the 70s, not least the Aston Martin. Whoever it was, you are right. Nostalgia value aside, they were dreadful kits. That is an unwanted reputation Airfix have to shake off, else it will be another reason why people will not buy a new-release untried, untested Airfix kit, even if it does compete with the best. Once Airfix has gained a positive reputation, then perhaps they can look at new car kits. It can't be denied that Airfix are gaining a new, positive reputation, but so far that's been on the back of its aeroplanes which are the big sellers.

 

An excellent point has been made above in that Airfix are re-inventing themselves. There is no way in this day and age Airfix would have been able to compete, far less survive, on the awful models of the 70s. Inaccurate, clumsy, poor fitting - who'd buy them in place of the precision - the real precision - of modern kits from the Far East?

 

There is still work to be done on Airfix's part but my goodness what an impact they've had. Who can deny that over the past few years they've produced some beautiful kits that have been accurate and assembled well? Based on that I have bought more new-tool Airfix kits.

 

Once Airfix are at the top, then is the time for them to be able to look at other lesser-known planes and look at cars for our car-modelling friends.

[roy_fitzsimmonds]

If my caps text comes over as shouting - it's meant to.

Apologies if anyone thinks it's rude, but yes, it's how I feel about the zero-effort Airfix seems to be making regarding the car model fraternity.

I appreciate there are no doubt more sales in aircraft, but it doesn't mean car modellers don't exist, or don't matter.

So - apologies for shouting, but yes, I'm aggrieved.

[DavidJC]

Hopefully then Roy in a couple of years when the new Airfix has the confidence they will start to produce some car kits for you and the other car modellers out there.

[Matt Bacon]

I don't think Airfix is afraid to experiment and try things that traders are not ordering in quantity. Look at the DEEEEPPPP discounts on, say, the 1/350 Daring and Lusty, or the 1/48 Merlin, in the Black Friday sales -- does that suggest that those kits are walking off the shelves in hobby stores? Yet they still got tooled up. Jon -- are you suggesting that Airfix has only its home market to go at and is somehow not competitive in the other European markets that Revell sells in? Anyway, the evidence of all the UK retailers I visit regularly in person (let's say Hobbycraft, Guiseley, to pick a real-world, mainstream example amongst several), and online sellers, is that Revell's 1/24 car range are thought to be attractive products. About 1/3 of the Revell shelf space at Hobbycraft (in itself, slightly smaller than the Airfix shelf space, but not by much) is taken up with car kits and car "Starter sets" (and one of the things taking up aircraft shelf space is the C-54, which accounts for quite a lot on its own, never mind the massive Star Wars display, which is separate). They also have a Tamiya section, about the same size as the Revell section, which is more or less half and half cars and AFVs, with a scattering of motorbikes like the Ducati Panigale. So, I'm sorry, but based on actual real-world evidence, I don't buy the assertion that car kits are not attractive to retailers...

The Airfix guys have told me that they wouldn't make cars in 1/24 unless they could create a "range", so it's not a matter of tooling up one car and dipping a toe. It's a major commitment. Still, it ain't hard to think of four iconic British cars (making Airfix the obvious company to bring them to market) with worldwide reputations, that are currently either unkitted or the only kit is old and tired. If Airfix brought them out in 1/24 they would sell globally, and for years, if not decades. If Ebbro (a Japanese company) can make a highly detailed 1/24 state of the art kit of a Citroen DS19 (A French car) and make money, surely Airfix could make a profitable...?

Do you really think that retailers are crying out for a Defiant in 1/48, but not for a new-tool Jaguar E-Type? A James Bond licensed DB5? And did it have to be Revell doing a Mini Cooper, rather than Airfix in both "Paddy Hopkirk" and "Italian Job" boxes?

bestest,

M.

 

[feanor]

Ayup Roy...

You did see this didnt you ?

From you..

... You obviously haven't noticed the dire offering to car modellers.

The ancient, awful Aston Martin DB5.

Reboxed and foisted out as 'new' for 2015.

Appalling.

 

From me...

 Well, they HAD to equal the reissue of the comet Racer didnt they, LOL. (only joking Admin !) endquote.

 

I have to say, that as a member of a group where this Aston is 'important' to build, Until I do, I'll have to reserve judgement. But given the usual comments  from the usual suspects above, and given how Airfix seem to respond to your pain, (or not really it would seem,) I'm afraid Roy,  Until some hitherto hidden uprising for Astons of any flavour erupts,  you're on a hiding to nothing.