Product Miniature Company

Product Miniature Company, commonly abbreviated PMC, was an American manufacturer of pre-assembled plastic promotional models and toys. Founded in 1946 by brothers William Edward “Ed” Ford and Paul Ford, the company began operations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and became one of the early American producers to introduce molded-plastic vehicle models to automobile dealerships. Its products were marketed under the “Tru Miniatures” name and included cars, trucks, buses, banks, tractors, construction equipment, and other promotional or retail objects. PMC emerged during the formative period of the American promotional-model industry. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, its principal competitors included Banthrico, National Products, AMT, SMP, and Jo-Han. Whereas Banthrico and National Products concentrated heavily on metal models, PMC and Jo-Han were among the first companies to place plastic promotional vehicles in dealerships, preceding AMT’s comparable plastic work by roughly a year. Early PMC models were generally molded in cellulose acetate, a material that could warp with age. The company later used styrene for some commercial toys, but much of its classic promotional output belongs to the earlier era of warping plastics. Automotive contracts were central to PMC’s business. International Harvester was a recurring customer, with pickups, delivery vehicles, tractors, bulldozers, and trucks appearing in the range. General Motors, particularly Chevrolet, became another major account. Chevrolet models made by PMC included sedans, Bel Airs, Corvettes, Cameo pickups, police and fire-service variants, and bank models. The company also produced selected Plymouth, Ford, Mercury, Nash, Opel, Volkswagen, Trailways, Diamond-T, and Oscar Mayer vehicles. Most automobiles were close to 1:25 scale, although some Plymouths and late Ford models were produced at approximately 1:20 scale. PMC’s work combined promotional accuracy with toy-oriented features. Some vehicles were fitted with friction or remote-control mechanisms, while others were designed as display pieces or banks. Chevrolet models increasingly used authentic General Motors colors, and the names of those colors were sometimes printed on the models. Packaging commonly featured colorful illustrations and the phrase “A Tru-Miniature.” Product execution varied by period: early International Harvester trucks could look bright and toy-like, while later Chevrolet and Ford products generally received more realistic paint, interiors, chassis, and trim. The company reportedly moved from Milwaukee to Pewaukee, west of Milwaukee, in 1958 or 1959. Vehicle promotional production continued through the late 1950s and appears to have ended around 1960, with the 1959 Ford Ranchero, Country Sedan wagon, Mercury Park Lane convertible, and Opel Rekord among its final offerings. During the early 1960s, competing manufacturers, including Hubley, gained additional promotional contracts, while PMC molds or simplified versions of earlier products continued to appear in retail channels. Vehicle production is generally described as ending around 1965, although the company is reported to have remained in Pewaukee and later produced other plastic promotional products rather than vehicles. The available historical record does not establish a current operating status, ownership structure, website, or modern executive team.

Product Miniature Company was established in 1946 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by brothers William Edward “Ed” Ford and Paul Ford. It entered a promotional-model market that was then dominated in part by metal products and was still developing its relationship with automobile manufacturers and dealerships. PMC’s early contribution was the use of molded plastic for dealership promotional vehicles. Its first models appeared around 1947, approximately contemporaneously with the early products of Ideal Models, the company that later became Jo-Han. Alongside Jo-Han, PMC helped establish plastic as a viable material for promotional models before AMT became a major force in the category. The company branded its products as “Tru Miniatures.” Early production used cellulose acetate, which allowed relatively inexpensive molding but was vulnerable to distortion over time. PMC and SMP were unusual among promotional manufacturers in continuing to rely heavily on warping plastic through much of the 1950s, by which point many examples of the material were already becoming historically distinctive to collectors. In the early 1960s, PMC also produced some toys in styrene, a more stable plastic. International Harvester was one of PMC’s most consistent customers. The company made International pickups, dump and stake trucks, moving vans, Metro delivery vans, Farmall tractor-related products, Diamond-T tractor-trailers, and an International TD-24 bulldozer. Some items were intended as showroom display models rather than strictly as dealership promotions. A 1947 International pickup may have been among PMC’s earliest products and among the earliest plastic promotional vehicles produced in the United States. International products were often molded in vivid colors and had a strongly toy-like appearance. Certain versions included friction motors, remote-control equipment, opening doors, or display-post provisions. PMC’s Plymouth range included Cranbrook sedans and Suburban station wagons produced from approximately 1950 through 1954. Several were larger than the company’s usual 1:25 scale, measuring close to 1:20. The models could be sold as coasting toys or fitted with friction motors, and the Suburban featured an opening rear tailgate. Ambulance and taxi variants demonstrated PMC’s practice of adapting basic castings for different retail or promotional uses. Chevrolet became PMC’s principal automotive customer in the early 1950s. Chevrolet products made from 1951 through 1958 included Fleetline and standard sedans, Bel Airs, convertibles, the Chevrolet Corvette, Cameo pickups, police cars, fire-service vehicles, and bank models. The bank format incorporated a coin opening and removable trap in the chassis. Chevrolet’s expectations appear to have encouraged greater precision, more realistic finishes, and the use of actual company colors. The 1954 Corvette, for example, was available with a removable hardtop and a PMC “spin-torque” motor. Some 1955 Chevrolet products were also offered in remote-control form. The company produced a smaller number of products for other manufacturers and organizations. These included Nash Ambassador models, Trailways buses, Volkswagen Beetles, Opel Rekords, Ford Country station wagons, the Ford Ranchero, and a 1959 Mercury Park Lane convertible. Trailways products could include functional features such as an opening passenger door, changeable destination signs, opening side panels, and removable luggage. Oscar Mayer Weinermobile models appeared in several periods, including versions associated with 1954, 1992, and 1996. In 1958 or 1959, PMC moved from Milwaukee to nearby Pewaukee. The 1959 Ford Ranchero and Country Sedan appear to have been among its last conventional promotional vehicles, while the Opel Rekord may have continued briefly because the full-size vehicle changed little into 1960. Hubley subsequently secured Ford station-wagon promotional work, contributing to PMC’s retreat from the dealership-model market. Simplified retail versions of older PMC designs continued to circulate through discount and dime-store channels into the 1960s. Vehicle production is generally placed at about 1965, although the company is reported to have remained in Pewaukee and later shifted toward other plastic promotional products. The surviving record does not provide enough information to document later ownership, leadership, product catalogs, or present-day operations.

• 1965

  Vehicle production ends approximately

  [1]Product Miniature Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Automotive model production is generally reported to have ended around 1965, after simplified retail versions of earlier products continued to appear.

• 1959

  Final Ford-era promotional vehicles

  [1]Product Miniature Companyen.wikipedia.org

  PMC produced late Ford products including the Ranchero and Country Sedan, as well as a Mercury Park Lane and Opel Rekord in the surrounding period.

• 1958

  Move to Pewaukee

  [1]Product Miniature Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company moved from Milwaukee to Pewaukee in approximately 1958 or 1959.

• 1954

  Corvette promotional model

  [1]Product Miniature Companyen.wikipedia.org

  PMC produced a Chevrolet Corvette model with a removable hardtop and an optional friction-style mechanism.

• 1951

  Chevrolet range expands

  [1]Product Miniature Companyen.wikipedia.org

  PMC developed Chevrolet promotional sedans, Fleetlines, and bank models, helping make Chevrolet a core customer.

• 1947

  Early plastic promotional models introduced

  [1]Product Miniature Companyen.wikipedia.org

  PMC began producing early plastic promotional vehicle models, including products associated with International Harvester.

• 1946

  Company founded

  [1]Product Miniature Companyen.wikipedia.org

  William Edward “Ed” Ford and Paul Ford founded Product Miniature Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

An early American specialist in molded-plastic promotional vehicle models, positioned between dealership advertising merchandise and mass-market toys.

• Promotional model vehicles · 1947

  Tru Miniatures

  PMC’s principal branded line of pre-assembled plastic promotional models. The range covered dealership-oriented cars, trucks, buses, and special-purpose vehicles. Packaging commonly used colorful vehicle illustrations and identified the contents as a “Tru-Miniature.” Scale was usually approximately 1:25, although selected products were larger.

• Automotive promotional models · 1951

  Chevrolet promotional models and banks

  A major PMC product family made from the early 1950s through the late 1950s. It included Chevrolet sedans, Bel Airs, convertibles, Corvettes, Cameo pickups, police and fire-service vehicles, and coin banks. Later examples generally had more accurate paint and detailing than the company’s earliest toy-like trucks.

• Truck and equipment models · 1947

  International Harvester models

  PMC produced a broad group of International Harvester-related products, including pickups, dump and stake trucks, moving vans, Metro delivery vans, Farmall tractor combinations, and TD-24 bulldozers. Some were promotional display pieces, while others were sold as toys with friction or remote-control features.

• Automotive model toys · 1950

  Plymouth Cranbrook and Suburban

  Large-format Plymouth models produced approximately from 1950 to 1954. The Cranbrook and Suburban were commonly close to 1:20 scale, and the Suburban included an opening rear tailgate. Versions included coasting, friction-powered, taxi, and ambulance adaptations.

• Automotive promotional models · 1959

  Ford Ranchero and Country Sedan

  Late-period Ford products representing some of PMC’s final dealership-oriented vehicles. The 1959 Ranchero and Country Sedan were produced in a larger scale of roughly 1:20, with painted promotional versions and simpler retail versions appearing afterward.

• Bus models · 1952

  Trailways buses

  PMC produced Trailways bus models, including a GMC 4102 or 4103 and a later Thru-Liner. Features reported for different versions included an opening passenger door, changeable destination sign, opening side panels, and removable luggage.

• 1960

  Retreat from automotive promotional productionStrategy

  Background

  By the turn of the 1960s, competing manufacturers had gained important dealership contracts, including Ford station-wagon work, and harder plastics were changing the economics and durability of model production.

  Action taken

  PMC appears to have stopped developing regular new vehicle promotional models and concentrated more on simplified retail toys and other plastic promotional products.

  Aftermath

  Older castings continued in simplified retail forms for several years, with automotive production generally ending around 1965.

  Source

• 1958

  Move from Milwaukee to PewaukeeStrategy

  Background

  PMC relocated its operations west of Milwaukee during a period when its business remained focused on plastic promotional products and toys.

  Action taken

  The company moved to Pewaukee, Wisconsin, in approximately 1958 or 1959.

  Aftermath

  The Pewaukee location is reported to have remained associated with the company, while vehicle promotional production later declined.

  Source

1. 1Product Miniature Companyen.wikipedia.org