Aurora Plastics Corporation
Aurora Plastics Corporation was an American toy and hobby manufacturer best known for affordable plastic model kits, licensed monster figures, and Model Motoring slot cars.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Aurora Plastics Corporation was an American toy and hobby company established in March 1950 by engineer Joseph E. Giammarino and businessman Abe Shikes. It began as a contract injection-molding operation in Brooklyn, New York, before developing its own consumer products. The company entered the plastic-model business in 1952 after hiring salesman John Cuomo and built a distinctive position by offering smaller, simpler, and less expensive kits than leading competitors such as Revell and Monogram. Its early aircraft models established the basic business, while later products expanded into automobiles, military vehicles, ships, figures, television and film subjects, and electric slot-car racing. Aurora’s first model kits were 1:48-scale aircraft, including the Grumman F9F Panther and Lockheed F-90. Additional aircraft followed rapidly, creating the group later associated with the “Brooklyn Eight.” The company’s approach emphasized accessible assembly and broad retail distribution rather than highly detailed engineering aimed only at experienced modelers. During the 1950s and 1960s, aircraft remained a central product category, covering historic airplanes, World War I and World War II subjects, early jets, helicopters, and larger or smaller kits selected according to the practical size of the finished model. The company broadened its appeal through automotive kits and character-based products. By the middle of the 1960s, Aurora offered numerous 1:32-scale automobiles, including European sports cars, American automobiles, racing cars, and classic vehicles. Its most commercially important expansion came through figure and media licenses. A Universal Studios agreement led to a highly successful series of plastic kits depicting classic monsters, beginning with Frankenstein in 1961 and later including characters and subjects associated with King Kong, Godzilla, and other horror or science-fiction properties. Aurora also produced kits connected with Batman, Marvel and DC characters, Star Trek, Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Mod Squad, The Invaders, Land of the Giants, and other television, film, and comic-book properties. Aurora also became a major force in slot-car racing. In the late 1950s it acquired rights to the Model Motoring system from the British manufacturer Playcraft. Its first HO-gauge racing sets appeared in 1960. Early cars used a distinctive vibrator drive, but the company replaced that mechanism with the Thunderjet pancake motor in 1963. Thunderjet, A/FX, Tuff Ones, and later Magnatraction products helped make Aurora’s compact slot cars widely popular among young hobbyists. The company reported selling more than 25 million cars by 1965, although the cited historical account does not provide a separate financial source for that figure. Aurora’s later diversification was less successful. Its Cigarbox miniature-car line, introduced in 1968, entered a crowded market just as Mattel launched Hot Wheels and competed with Matchbox. The line was discontinued by 1970. Aurora’s founders retired near the end of the 1960s, and outside investors acquired the company in 1969. Nabisco purchased it in 1971, but the business continued to struggle. In 1978 Nabisco sold Aurora to Anglo-American toy group Dunbee-Combex-Marx for a reported $11.5 million; Dunbee-Combex-Marx later ceased operations in 1980, effectively ending Aurora as an operating manufacturer. The Aurora name retained substantial value among collectors. From the late 1990s onward, companies including Playing Mantis through its Polar Lights division, Moebius Models, Atlantis Models, and Monarch Models reissued or adapted selected Aurora subjects. These later releases were not a continuation of the original corporation, but they preserved the company’s influence in science-fiction, horror, television, aircraft, and classic model-kit collecting. Members of the Giammarino family also attempted to revive the Aurora brand, but the referenced history indicates that these efforts did not result in a sustained relaunch.
History
Aurora Plastics Corporation was founded in March 1950 in Brooklyn, New York, by engineer Joseph E. Giammarino and businessman Abe Shikes. Its initial business was contract injection molding. The company moved to West Hempstead on Long Island in 1954, and in 1952 began producing its own plastic model kits after recruiting salesman John Cuomo. Aurora’s first kits were 1:48-scale aircraft models. The company quickly expanded its aircraft range and became known for selling comparatively simple and inexpensive kits to younger hobbyists. This strategy distinguished Aurora from competitors such as Revell and Monogram, whose products often targeted more experienced model builders or offered greater detail. Aurora’s early aircraft group included the F9F Panther, Lockheed F-90, Curtiss P-40E, Messerschmitt Bf 109, North American F-86D, Lockheed P-38L, Mitsubishi Zero, and other subjects. Aircraft remained a core business through the 1950s and 1960s. Aurora produced historic aircraft, military planes, jets, helicopters, ships, tanks, and other vehicles in multiple scales. It also developed a substantial automotive range, including sports cars, European vehicles, American cars, and Indianapolis racing subjects. Many automobile kits used a compact 1:32 scale associated with slot-car and toy-car play. The company’s best-known products were its figure and licensed media kits. Aurora licensed Universal Studios characters and released Frankenstein in 1961, followed by additional monster subjects. The range eventually included figures and vehicles linked to King Kong, Godzilla, Ghidrah, Rodan, Dracula, the Mummy, and the Wolf Man. Aurora also licensed properties from television, film, and comics, including Batman, Star Trek, Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of the Giants, The Invaders, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Mod Squad. Box art by illustrator James Bama contributed to the visual identity of several releases. Aurora entered slot-car racing after acquiring rights to the Model Motoring system from British toy manufacturer Playcraft in the late 1950s. The first Aurora HO-gauge racing sets appeared in 1960. Early cars used a noisy vibrator mechanism; in 1963 Aurora introduced the Thunderjet pancake motor, followed by improved A/FX and related chassis. These cars became popular because they were compact, serviceable, and easy for hobbyists to modify. The company’s slot-car business was a major commercial success during the 1960s. The firm also attempted to compete in the small-car market. Its Cigarbox line debuted in 1968, shortly after the arrival of Mattel Hot Wheels and during Matchbox’s strong market presence. The cars were packaged in cigar-like yellow boxes and were somewhat larger than conventional HO scale. The range was discontinued by 1970 amid intense competition and Aurora’s broader financial difficulties. Aurora’s expansion into toys and games was not consistently successful. In 1969 the founders retired and outside investors acquired the company. Nabisco bought Aurora in 1971. During the Nabisco period, Aurora received negative publicity over Monster Scenes, a product line depicting horror scenarios that included torture equipment and a scantily clad female victim. The line drew criticism from newspapers and the National Organization for Women. In 1978 Nabisco sold Aurora to Dunbee-Combex-Marx for a reported $11.5 million. Dunbee-Combex-Marx also owned the Scalextric racing system and Frog model-kit brand, but it could not reverse Aurora’s losses and ceased operations in 1980. Although the original corporation disappeared, Aurora’s product designs remained influential. Playing Mantis’s Polar Lights division reissued several classic kits in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Moebius Models, Atlantis Models, and Monarch Models later reissued or developed products based on selected Aurora subjects, especially science-fiction, horror, television, film, and animal-diorama themes. The Giammarino family also explored attempts to bring back the Aurora name, but the referenced history does not identify a successful, lasting corporate revival.
- 1980
Original operations end
[1]Dunbee-Combex-Marx ceases operations, ending Aurora’s original corporate manufacturing activity.
- 1978
Aurora is sold to Dunbee-Combex-Marx
[1]Nabisco sells Aurora to Dunbee-Combex-Marx for a reported $11.5 million.
- 1975
Ghidrah and Rodan expand the monster range
[1]Aurora adds further Toho-related monster subjects, including Ghidrah and Rodan, to its licensed figure offerings.
- 1971
Nabisco acquires Aurora
[1]Nabisco purchases Aurora as the company attempts to broaden its toy and games business.
- 1969
Founders retire and ownership changes
[1]Aurora’s founders retire and the company passes to outside investors.
- 1968
Cigarbox miniature cars launch
[1]Aurora introduces Cigarbox cars to challenge Matchbox and emerging Hot Wheels products.
- 1967
Licensed Batman products appear
[1]Aurora introduces kits based on the 1966 Batman television series, including the Batmobile and character products.
- 1965
Automotive and slot-car businesses expand
[1]Aurora offers a broad range of 1:32-scale automobile kits and is reported to have sold more than 25 million slot cars by this point.
- 1963
Thunderjet replaces the vibrator drive
[1]Aurora introduces the Thunderjet pancake motor for its slot cars, improving performance and helping establish the system’s long-term collector appeal.
- 1961
Frankenstein kit launches
[1]Aurora releases its first major Universal Monsters figure kit, beginning one of the company’s most recognizable product families.
Products and positioning
Accessible, inexpensive plastic modeling and toy products aimed particularly at younger hobbyists, with strong appeal from recognizable licensed characters and easy-to-use slot-racing systems.
Plastic scale models · 1952
Aircraft model kits
Aircraft were Aurora’s first major product category and remained a backbone of the business. The company produced accessible kits covering early aviation, World War I and World War II aircraft, jet fighters, bombers, helicopters, and other military subjects. Scales varied according to the size and intended retail format of each model, allowing large aircraft to remain practical for younger builders. The Famous Fighters range helped give the aircraft business a recognizable identity.
Plastic scale models · 1965
Automotive model kits
Aurora’s automotive kits included European sports cars, American cars, classic vehicles, concept cars, and Indianapolis racing subjects. Many were produced in compact 1:32 scale, connecting the line to the company’s broader toy and slot-racing interests. Examples included the Triumph TR3, MG-TD, Jaguar XK120, Austin-Healey 3000, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, Ford Thunderbird, and several racing cars.
Licensed character model kits · 1961
Universal Monsters figures
Aurora’s licensed monster figures became its most collectible product family. The range began with Frankenstein in 1961 and expanded to other Universal horror characters and related subjects. Some releases were unusually large, including a roughly 19-inch assembled Frankenstein. Aurora later issued monster vehicles and subjects associated with King Kong, Godzilla, Ghidrah, Rodan, Dracula, the Mummy, and the Wolf Man.
Licensed entertainment merchandise · 1967
Television, film, and comic-book kits
Aurora licensed numerous entertainment properties for character, vehicle, and scene kits. The portfolio included Batman, Star Trek, Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of the Giants, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Mod Squad, The Invaders, and Marvel and DC characters. Many products depicted dramatic confrontations between heroes and monsters, aliens, or other threats, making them part model kit and part display scene.
Slot-car racing · 1960
Model Motoring slot cars
Aurora’s Model Motoring system used compact HO-gauge cars and electrically powered tracks. Early cars employed a vibrator mechanism, while the Thunderjet pancake motor introduced in 1963 offered a more practical and serviceable design. Later Thunderjet, A/FX, Tuff Ones, and Magnatraction variants supported different performance characteristics and generated a strong modification and racing culture among hobbyists.
Miniature cars · 1968
Cigarbox cars
Cigarbox was Aurora’s late-1960s attempt to compete in the small miniature-car market. The cars used plastic bodies with metal chassis and were sold in distinctive yellow boxes styled like small cigar packages. The range included unusual subjects such as the Ford Galaxie 500, Buick Riviera, Mako Shark Corvette concept, Cheetah Chevy, Lola GT, Porsche 904, and Formula 1 cars. Competition from Matchbox and Hot Wheels contributed to its short life.
Controversies
1971
Controversy over Monster Scenes
Aurora’s Monster Scenes line depicted horror settings that included torture devices and a scantily clad female victim. Newspapers criticized the products, and the National Organization for Women publicly objected. The episode generated unwanted publicity during the period when Aurora was owned by Nabisco.
Brand decisions
1978
Sell Aurora to Dunbee-Combex-MarxM&ABackground
Aurora had been loss-making for several years while owned by Nabisco.
Action taken
Nabisco sold the company to Dunbee-Combex-Marx for a reported $11.5 million.
Aftermath
Dunbee-Combex-Marx failed to restore Aurora’s performance and ceased operations in 1980.
Reported acquisition price. $11.5 million (1978 acquisition)
1968
Launch Cigarbox miniature carsProduct launchBackground
Aurora wanted to compete with Matchbox in the small-car market as Mattel introduced Hot Wheels.
Action taken
The company released miniature cars in distinctive cigar-like yellow packaging and later offered improved versions under the Speed Line name.
Aftermath
The line was discontinued by 1970 after facing strong competition and Aurora’s worsening financial condition.
- Mattel — Mattel’s Hot Wheels launch intensified competition in the segment.
- Matchbox — Matchbox was Aurora’s principal target in the miniature-car market.
1963
Replace vibrator cars with Thunderjet pancake motorsGeneration changeBackground
The original Model Motoring cars used a noisy vibrator-drive mechanism.
Action taken
Aurora introduced the Thunderjet pancake motor as the principal drive system.
Aftermath
The new chassis helped establish Aurora’s slot cars as popular, repairable, and highly modifiable hobby products.
1958
Move into slot-car racingStrategyBackground
Aurora sought to extend its hobby business beyond static models.
Action taken
It acquired rights to the Model Motoring slot-car system from Playcraft.
Aftermath
Aurora launched HO-gauge racing sets in 1960 and developed one of its most commercially successful product categories.
1952
Enter the plastic model-kit marketProduct launchBackground
Aurora began as a contract injection molder and sought a proprietary product business after hiring salesman John Cuomo.
Action taken
The company launched its own line with 1:48-scale aircraft kits and used simple construction and low pricing to reach younger hobbyists.
Aftermath
The model-kit business became the foundation for later aircraft, automobile, figure, and licensed-property lines.
- Revell — Revell was identified as a principal competitor in plastic modeling.
- Monogram — Monogram was identified as a principal competitor in plastic modeling.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Nautic Partners acquires Aurora Plastics[2]
Reported:
Private equity firm Nautic Partners acquired Aurora Plastics, a U.S.-based supplier of PVC compounds with operations in Quebec. The acquisition amount was not disclosed.
Sources2 sources
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