Revell got its start in the U.S. in the early 1940’s, starting as a toy manufacturer, and eventually transforming into plastic kits.  In 1956, a subsidiary was formed in Germany known as Revell Plastics GmbH.  It operated very independently from Revell USA, though legally it remained a subsidiary.  Starting in the early 70’s, Revell Germany began to invest in its own molds, and model kits were imported into the U.S. by Revell USA.  In the 1970’s Frog ceased operations, and Revell Germany purchased all the molds for German WWII kit subjects (the rest going to Novo in Russia).

In the early 80’s, Revell was purchased by the French toy company Generale du Jouet.  In 1986, Revell was again sold to a U.S. company based in New York, Odyssey Partners, who also bought Monogram, and merged the two into Revell-Monogram LLC.   In the early 1990’s, Revell Germany acquired Matchbox, and its range of plastic kits.

Revell-Germany became a fully independent company in 2006.   In May 2007, Hobbico Inc purchased Revell-Monogram, and in 2012, Hobbico acquired Revell Germany.  Sadly, in January 2018 Hobbico Inc declared (U.S.) Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and in April 2018 Revell USA ceased all operations.  Revell Germany was purchased in its entirety by the German Venture Capital company Quantum Capital Partners (QCP), who also purchased the Trade Marks, molds and selected other assets previously under the Revell-Monogram label.  The company name changed to Revell GmbH.

QCP and Revell GmbH has now set up a new Revell USA to act solely as an importer of all Revell kits to the U.S.A. and North America.   It is basically a warehouse operation, with a small marketing office, and very little else.  It’s primary function is to import kits from Germany, and distribute them forward to regional distributors, from which your local hobby shops will now acquire their stock .  All company ownership, decision making, new product development etc is based in Germany.

So, the good news is that all those new and re-released Revell  kits we keep reading about should soon be available again locally.   Revell  has recently developed a 1/144 scale Antonov An.224 ‘Mrija’ 6-engined heavy transporter kit with targeted release in late November 2018.

The recent airliner re-releases that are anxiously awaited include the Boeing 747-8F in U.P.S. markings, and the Airbus A.380 in British Airways markings.   It is also anticipated that previously released airliner kits showing on the Revell GmbH web site will also soon return.

As soon as U.S. retail pricing is announced, our site will be updated and new stock will be ordered.  Stay tuned!