I'll always remember the kindness of this Company. Back in the 90's, I had a Monogram 'special edition' 1/35 Sherman M4A1 76W and needed new tracks for it. I contacted Italeri out of the blue and a set of old style Sherman tracks were on the way that day. I lost the person who bought me that kit years ago but the Sherman with those tracks from Italeri is still in my collection. Thank you, Sirs.
A 1960's Airfix childhood, by 1970 when ESCI were producing the best 1/72 scale figurines, Italeri in ascendence and Tamiya really rising to prominence my playtime had shifted to more dynamic and exciting pursuits. Not until the early 1980s did I buy models again, at which time both ESCI and Italeri were arguably at the peak of their competitiveness. Although I've moved on in these times to 1/48 and 1/35 pretty much exclusively in respective air and armour genres, I pickup up a lot of their 1/72 scale armour in 1982 & '83 when I was tabletop wargaming, and it really was a cut above in scale. Epic for the era. Even today, whilst they're not Dragon, Eduard, Tamiya or Zvezda when it comes to the latest slide moulded tooling, many of their kits stand up very well dressed up in their warpaint, particularly in 1/72. e.g. Me 210 A1
My first Italeri kit was, IIRC, the Semovente 75mm tank destroyer back in the early to mid 1970s. I do remember being impressed with the detail and overall quality. Not quite up to Tamiya, but really close. And I always thought William Tell was a British dude. So I learned something else new today.
My best model in in my youth was Italieri F-16 c/d with lantrin pod. It take me over a week to decide to build it one or two seat version. 😁 Grate memories.
I found Italaerei 1/35 armor kits in the early 1980's , before they changed the spelling . They offered subjects not available at the time . The Italian WWII M13/40 tank and Semovente assault gun were cool kits . Their M47 Patton was as good as any Tamiya kit I had built at the time . It was my favorite kit . I am currently building their D-Day DUKW .
I like Italeri because they have a large range of R.A.A.F. aircraft with many being special kits for the Australian market that have an extra sheet of decals with a small colour sheet with the colour scheme of the aircraft. They also make it easy to know if a kit has R.A.A.F. decals with a prominent sticker on the box top
@@Android-rz8mb . It's most annoying when your country is forgotten by the model manufacturers. When I was young it was extremely difficult to find an Australian aircraft. Now there's plenty but if I was young now I'd have the issue of not being able to afford them.
@@Android-rz8mb . I just paid $350 for an Alley Cat Boomerang and I'm going to have to buy another so that I can have one to make because I only make what I've two of. It cost me $660 for a Vintage Fighter Series P-40 and I'll probably never see another of those
martin wilk Frog company and airfix of old use to make World War II aircraft of Australia and even Holland’s Fokker fighter plane its too bad no one has picked up these molds..... I still have a vengeance and boomerang fighter with Australian markings and I’m holding onto these kits now for about 30 years.....
@@Android-rz8mb . Yes, I too have those old kits but when I was young none of them were available to buy. I am too young to have seen Frog kits on the shelf. I'm fifty three and I didn't get pocket money until I was thirteen and that was 1980. There weren't many Aussie kits in the eighties that I came across. I now have kits that were in the market back then that I never actually saw at the time. Back then I struck the same issue I have now in that if I saw a kit I wanted by the time I'd saved up the money someone else had bought it. Just last week I saw a Wingnut Wings SE.5a I wanted to buy and it sold before I received my money and then all those kits on ebay were purchased within hours of each other and now no one has one for sale
I loved building Italeri kits back in the late 70s. My most memorable builds were the Opel Maultier Blitz half-track and PAK 40 anti-tank gun. These were under the Testors/Italeri logos. In 2016 I brought the Testors/Italeri 1/72 F-21A Kfir I had just completed to the IPMS Nats in Columbia, SC. To my surprise, I won second place. It was a kit that fought me every step of the way, but my insistence to get it finished to the best of my abilities paid off. Thanks for the video, Max & enjoy your pizza!
As a kid I had at least 10 Italeri 1/35th scale Opel Blitz. Tried to rebuild every variant i saw, like Flakvierling, Radio car, Nebelwerfer, Ambulance, Workshop Truck, etc. Even made the feeble attempt to build a Maultier. Luckily they came out with a Maultier, so i could build the next six or so Blitz. That was fun, thanks, Italeri 👍!
growing up in the 70's I could not afford Tamiya , but Italaerei/ Italeri were always in the 5 and dime and discount stores for a more affordable price , I thought the detail was better as well , Tamiya however seem to be better engineered . my first kit was the Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) No motorization holes and some interior made it very cool .
I remember the Italeri kits being in the 5 and dime stores as well. They were not bad kits at all. They were more detailed than the 1/32 Monogram armor kits at the time, but harder to assemble. That was due to the accurate detailing and small parts. I still have quite a few Italeri armor, and some aircraft kits in the un-built armada. I still build one now and then. Some years back, I bought NOS the 1/35 German Pak 40, and the Russian 76.2 AT gun. Those sit on a shelf in my workshop, where they can easily be seen. It takes me back to the late 70`s, when I bought both of those same kits from the 5 and dime, and built them over my summer vacation. A much simpler time.
I’ve built a few Italeri kits, mostly jeeps with trailers ! I did an (“LCVP”), and that was very impressive kit ! It came with the jeep and trailer along with enough men to fill it to the gills ! I’ve done a Dodge ambulance all Korean War, I’m impressed with the jeeps because, of the frame, engine, transmission, body, hood, suspension, (“the detail is superb”) ! And the price wasn’t too bad either ! A little high but, still excellent quality ! One of the jeeps has trailers The other I use as an (“ambulance jeep”) with the (“Extension to hold three gurneys with wounded”) ! Two over the hood and the engine and one beside the driver ! The Dodge ambulance should hold four ! But I’m also using a Korean war deuce and a half from Tamiya with a photo etched kit ! I’m also building a helicopter from another company but, I have the official helicopter, jeep, and swamp from MASH and come to find out the quality of the Jeep from the MASH Series was not as good a kit as the one I’ve got ready to display as it could’ve been ! Turns out the jeep with the swamp along with the helicopter are kinda easy to fine but, “the deuce and a half” that has the Col. is almost nonexistent and if you find it on eBay they’re for asking for an arm and leg ! 🌊🐺
I have made many Italeri kits and I loved them for things like having some cockpit detail in planes and all. Most of their cars were curbside though. And at one time, if you wanted to build an M110, M109 or M108 in 1/35 scale, the Italeri kits were the only ones around. Don't forget that at one stage, they were also partnering with Dragon models as their European distributor. (in the early to mid 90s)
Italeri makes a nice 1/72 scale Fairchild C-119 "flying boxcar." Way better than the old C-119 Aurora kit. I like the way you point out the Italeri, Testor's, Hawk connection!
I have the Italeri "Black Thunder" Road Train Truck ( Mack Superliner) number 727. It was a fun kit to build. I just recently bought the Revell Australian Road Train Trailer (# 07525) and after it was built, I coupled it to Black Thunder. They look awesome together!
Another excellent video. The end credits are definitely what sets them apart from the herd. I've always enjoyed these models and still have a number in my collection to build yet. A good model at a good price.
Another informative and interesting movie, thanks Max! Italeri is the 'bright side' of value for price modelling, never dared to put really out-dated kits into its boxes (unlike others). And I can confirm kindness: back in 1987 my F-15's wing melted at casting, have written a very basic english, childish letter to the address on box (Calderara di Reno) and a new sprue arrived, with no questions. And decals were always good! ESCI reboxings also good...
I had build several Italeri modern fighter jets. The most often criticized short comings include missing or even wrong details, raised panel lines in some of their kits, some minor fitting issues and insufficient warning signs decals. While those fitting issues are generally not difficult to overcome, the missing or wrong details really take off your effort and patient. While the decals provided always fewer than it should, the quality of the decal itself is superb. What I like most about the Italeri kits are they never "over-engineering", rather simple assembly, convincing shape and look. Usually I wouldn't recommend Italeri kits to anyone else. But I just keep buying them myself. Overall, with relatively low price, Italeri seldom disappointed me.
I built a ton of their kits from the late 70s to the 90s, 1/72 planes and 1/35 military. Some of their early planes were absolutely top level, like the Ju-188 and Do-217. Detailed cockpit, very fine molded small parts (like the MGs), well above the quality of the same time Airfix and Revell kits. The 1/35 military kits were IMHO a mixed bag, comparing to Tamiya. Some were more detailed, like the M40 Semovente, some were a little less. They were cheaper (in Europe anyhow) and most of their product line were different. Made a lot of kits that nobody else, like the Katyusha rocket launcher, or the 105mm US howitzer - both were very nicely detailed ones. I couldn't say anything about their historical accuracy, when I built them there were no internet or an abundance of reference materials. One thing is maybe missing form the history, that AFAIK they made some of the venerable Peerless-Max kits as well. I'm not sure about that, but the same sleeve that Airfix had also sold in the late 70s (M3 Scout car, dodge, 1 1/2ton truck, M6 AT dodge, etc.), had in their catalogue as well. Some of them are there even now, like the CWT 15 truck, the CMP FAT and the Bedford gun portee. To tell you the truth, I've never seen any original Peerless kit and just read that Airfix used their molds so it can be accidentaly, but tweleve kits of the same line are hardly "accidental".
Thanks Max! I have been waiting for your video on Italeri. This is one of my more favorite kit makers and I have been waiting to hear about their history. It is also good to know they are still going strong (as best we currently know). I built several of their kits as a kid and thought they had good quality.apparently they must have been actual Italeri kits. Thanks again Max for putting this series together on all the model companies. I have really been enjoying it. You are doing a great job.
I built the Italeri C-119 Flying Boxcar (for money actually) and enjoyed it quite a bit. Trickiest part was getting the paint to match the shape of the trim decals. I copied the decals 1:1 and used that to cut the masking, worked great. As per hobby stores, there was most of a year where the Italeri kits were cheaper than their Testor's equivalents! I sold a lot of Italeri that year.
🚲 The Opel Blitz and German sidecar motorcycles were awesome. Tamiya's truck today doesn't even have the words Opel Blitz on the grill or the box. But my fav is the Pz4. Used to be so impressed with their correct sized roadwheels. Never thought that kit would go away, and now I'm realizing everything goes away.⌛
My all-time love is the Italeri Opel Blitz. A cornerstone in the Italeri history, I think. My first articles in the local modellbuilding where the improvements of the flaws in the windows, headlights and radiator of the amazingly delicate and accurate cab in 1985 or so, and a trailer made of 2 cargo bays. Hope to ever shake hands with the mouldmakers! In fact if I ever get to visit them in northern Italy my visit cannot be complete without actually viewing and (god forbide) touching that holy piece of metal. Thanks for the nice film, Max!
You play the piano very well. Okay gang it is The March of the Swiss Soldiers from the William Tell Overture from the opera William Tell by Rossini. It is NOT The Lone Ranger Theme. However I grew up with Hi Ho Silver Away and even I still think of the "Ranger" when I hear this music played. Italeri has really increased in price up here in the last to years. probably because the distributor has changed again. Italeri makes some great 1/35 ship kits and I have the Vosper MTB 74 St. Nazaire kit. An awesome kit just waiting to be built. I have a couple of older Italeri kits to go with my 1/35 armour and they are nice but a little less than Tamiya in detail.
Too late, was already enjoying some pizza. Double pepperoni and mushroom, backed by double bacon and mushroom, with a mushroom pepperoni and onion chaser. Didn't think of The Lone Ranger until you mentioned it...
I grew up with the Italeri kits in the 70s and the 80s and they were well engineered and detailed I’m not seeing the same level of detail with the Italeri kits in the late 2000 but I still like them as a model kit.... I built there panzer iv H newly released and found the panzer IV s of the 1970/1980 were better engineered......
Yep. Same here. PIV was great model, with open hatches and very nice crew figures. Same for Elephant, PIV family (stugs etc), Puma, Commando jeep, Hetzer... (and I can go on and on :) ). Only tricky parts - vinyl tracks. New models are not so good in my opinion. And it is a little bit surprising when nowadays you have all CAD power to make realy good models.
Currently building their M4A3E8 "Fury" kit, it's excellent. Got their 1/72 F-104G sitting in the paint booth, waiting for the correct tint of grey to arrive to turn it into a late Dutch F-104G rather than the early one depicted in the instructions. And nearly done with their 1/48 OH-13S, with some custom modifications. That one's a bit of a mixed bag, the model itself is fine, but it doesn't reflect the picture on the box (different markings, and the crew positions shown on the box are incorrect for an operational helicopter, clearly the drawing was made by someone familiar with aircraft operations, not helicopter operations). Far better quality than most of the Revell kits I've made over the years, let alone Heller or Airfix. And don't even get me started on the many eastern European model brands that are flowing into Europe now that even today are no match for what the likes of Revell and Airfix put out in the 1970s.
@@jwenting "Fury" is Academy model repack so far as I know. Current Airfix models are far better than old ones. And there is a lot of eastern european brands, which are at the top currently. Eduard, ICM, IBG just fromthe top of my head.
@@hynol could be, would have to check the sprues. What eastern European brands I've tried I was disappointed with. But I admit I've not tried all of them.
I had the Panzer IV, it was amazing, only model tank that I have ever seen that you can push and the tracks would roll and all the wheels would turn and the suspension would rock. Better than any of the Tamiya kits my friends had, including the motorized ones.
The one Italeri kit I want is the 1/35 scale Vosper style PT boat, which I plan to modify into the PT-73 from McHale's Navy. Just as soon as I can drop over a hundred bucks on a model PT boat, along with all the accesory parts for the modifications. I'm not holding my breath on this one.
My favourite kit form Italeri is the Macchi MC 200. Also, their factory is about 40 km from my home, so it just feels right to buy their kits. :) Edit: thanks for the wishing at the end of the video. The same to you and your country, sir!
My first Italeri kit and a favorite over the years was their M4A1 Sherman with 76mm gun. While I don't have the corporate background, Italeri had an effect on the armor "scale war" of the early 1970s. Tamiya had standardized on 1/35th scale for their rapidly growing line of armor/military kits. Monogram's early (1960-ish) military kits were in 1/35th, but in the early 1970s Monogram started a new series that was in 1/32nd scale. Renwal had always been 1/32nd, and Airfix had gone from their traditional 1/76th scale to a new line of 1/32nd armor kits and figures )both soft plastic and styrene "multi-pose). Revell had always produced their military tanks and trucks in a standard 1/40th scale. When Italeri started their new line of tank kits in the 1970s they went with Tamiya's 1/35th scale and they added weight to the flood of Tamiya products pushed 1/32nd out of the mainstream armor model scales.
It was in 1973 I picked up my first Italeri kit. It was the Italaerei Lavochkin LA 5 in 1:72 and my mom had to pay for it because it cost more than the current Airfix and Revell kits for a small single engine fighter....I loved the kit and treat it like gold....back then I felt it was a very accurate kit and in later years when I was older went on to buy many of their kits....and with today's kits I like them a lot. Their newer tooled Macchi C.202/205 are pretty nice but I still like their older Supermodel releases...👍 back in the 70's The Squdron Shop used to advertise their Supermodel kits in their mail order catalogs and also in plastic models and aviation magazines....
Wow Max thanks for the memories, like most boys who grew up in the mid to late 50"s I built a lot of model cars and some airplanes then Girls and cars became the order of the day and the models were forgotten then about 1973 after the birth of our second son I ran across the Italerei Opel Blitz and just picked it up because it looked cool on the box, built it on the kitchen table and painted it with a brush, I have been hooked on model building form then on, still have it in my display case. The Panzer 4 F1/G and H came out shortly after and I think that those kits hold their own with the new kits coming out today.
In the 70s my older brother and I would build nothing but Revell and Monogram kits. Then one day in 1979 or 80 he came home an Italeri Leopard kit and I couldn't believe the difference in detail. Built a few Italeri kits (really loved the PZ IV since it allowed me to choose form 3 versions) for a few years before I discovered Tamiya kits in 1982.
My favorites were the 1/72nd glider and glider tug kits: AS-51 Horsa, Gotha Go-242/244, Waco CG-4A, Messerschmidt Me-321 B1, Messerschmidt Me 323 (the powered variant of the Me-321), and the Heinkel He-111Z. I was surprised that Italeri never made the Luftwaffe's DFS-230 assault glider or the RAF's GAL Hamilcar. I assumed that the 'corporate champion' of gliders and glider tugs either left the company or died. (Luckily, Frog made the Hotspur training glider.) I'd like to comment on your pronunciation of the company name. In Italy,It was pronounced Ee-ta-ler-i with the emphasis on the first syllable... That aside, keep up the good work! I enjoy watching your videos.
I bought the G55 and wondered what Aliplast is and I thought it had something to do with italeri because of the logo and then RU-vid recommended me this video. Thanks for the information
They make some great kits, their most of their auto line actually came with a drivetrain, imagine that! Lol . They make and /or source good for the money kits. Just pick the right ones .They seem like they're the first to do a lot of subjects too, kudos
I literally just bought an italeri model in person and I’ve literally never looked up anything model related on RU-vid and i found this in my reccomendations, RU-vid is odd.
No mention of the many 1/24 scale truck kits they made throughout the 1980s and beyond? Later they would share moulds with Revell, use elderly chassis under newer cabs and stop including engines, but for several decades they were at the top of their game.
Good on you Max. Very interesting as usual. I have built a few Italeri kits. My favorite was their American Super Liner that looked like it was a Mack truck but Italeri could obviously not get/afford a license from Mack so there was absolutely no mention of Mack in the kit. And sadly no Bulldog hood ornament. My kit was kitbashed into Mack from the Disney/Pixar Cars films. It took to kitbashing very well. Lots of detail and great fit (At least the parts I did not alter.) They even do a DAF truck with New Zealand company, MainFreight, decals. That is always a good way to appeal down-under to us Kiwis.
I’ve been trying to watch all of max models sites. Catching up. It’s May 25 2020. Memorial Day. Thanks to the men and women who served our country. Myself. US ARMY, OHIO NATIONAL GUARD. I have a couple of ITALARIE KITS. 1/72 scale B-25b/c Mitchell. Hopefully make a Doolittle raider. It’s a great kit . Thanks for letting me comment.
I remember building their 1:720 "Admiral Kuznetsov" back when I was a kid in the '90s. It was the set that prompted me to go and buy an airbrush system because I wanted it to be as best as I can make it and I didn't feel confident to do it justice with just paint and a brush. Turned out to be quite alright considering my limited skills and talent. Another set I had was the 1:72 "MiG 37B Ferret E", which for some reason I decided to "digitize" by measuring with a ruler and transfer that data into a POVRay file. None of those builds exist anymore unfortunately.
I had pizza for dinner before watching this! :) I build 1/48 and always find the half ass their kits. The Gripen has so many basic errors, their A-10C is a C in decals only and so on. They make some much neat stuff but it always seems they fall short. Guess the keep the aftermarket people in business. Thanks for the video.
I'll had a lot of the Testor kits.my fav was the Leopard 1,and I liked them. I just today ordered their new F86 E "no2799" so we'll see if I enjoy Italeri.
I remember my first Italeri, or Italaeri kit as it was then. A JU52. My second was the Horsa glider , I was making it when my Grandfather called in, he was VERY interested in it, he was one of the troops involved in operation 'Coup de Main' otherwise known as the Pegasus bridge raid. And flew there in a Horsa. He told me he had flown in the Horsa, Hadrian, Hamilcar and Hotspur gliders. I have three out of the four in kit form, just need the Hamilcar.
Hello , thanks for sharing. Italian food is very good and healthy and you can also eat pastas ...smile. In my stock i have an Italeri "Operation Cobra 1944" kit 1/72 to build. In this video i I would have loved to heard the italian national anthem "fratelli d'italia". All the Best
Cool! If it werent for your video, I would not have been aware that Italeri purchased Protar. A quick look at their 2020 catalog shows that they will be re-issuing the 1/9 BMW R100G/S 1985 Dakar winner and a Yamaha Tenere 660 from 1986, listed for July (C-19 willing). As a GS rider, I have been looking for the Protar and smaller 1/12 Tamiya Dakar bikes for some time, but put off by the crazy Ebay prices.
Tamiya is the official importer for Italeri, which explains their long and close relationship. And not every model company could stand up to Tamiya's idea of qualitiy. Italeri did, some German model company could not, as the quality of their car kits, which were reboxed by Tamiya was not kindly refered to by the modeling world, to put it mildly.
Another great video, thanks Max. Hey guys if you have a thing for William Tell Overture you need to check out Glenn Campbell's version. Yeah, that Glenn Campbell, it will put a smile on your face. And i am proud to say Hawaiian Pizza was invented in my home town. Its great.
Its interesting how Italeri and Tamiya co-operate together. I got a diorama kit recently. It was in a tamiya box with their 1/35 scale German mortar crew and the Italeri ruined church window.
Great video! Italeri is a fine model company, and I'm glad they are still going strong. They made kits of many Italian aircraft which might otherwise have never become available. As for the William Tell Overture, I actually did not immediately think of the Lone Ranger when I heard it....I know the tune itself regardless of the Lone Ranger....but I was under the mistaken impression that some German composer had written it.
I built so much Italeri armor! BTW, I just made pasta with Italian sausage sauce, no need for pizza tonight (though as a Ciceronian I'm always down for pizza!). The music made me think of Tonto, Scout...and apples.
@@maxsmodels , if you ever end up in Cicero, IL check out Freddy's. I've been eating there for 50 years. Their slices to go are amazing, and I have sampled pizza from coast to coast. Nizario's in San Francisco makes a pretty mean slice too, if you enjoy thin crust.
In the 80's, while in the Marines, I built a Testors Fw-190 D-9 model as well as a Testors Ch-46D Sea Knight. I wonder if those were made by Italiari..?
Quick question for anyone. I remember seeing in the back cover or back pages of Finescale Modeler, some really expensive ($100+) extremely well detailed (including engine wiring) of vintage cars models, like Duesenbergs This was from the 90's and I've lost the magazines decades ago. Any clue what company this was or if they weren't that great?
Think I found it.... it kinda does look like a Hubley (Gabriel) 1/18? scale die-cast metal. I manged to find one, just one small pic of an old ad and went from there.
Dear Mr Max, Country Joe and the Fish did the best version of the Bill Tell overture in the movie “The Electric Western” (there was another name in the title). “Where did you learn to draw like that?” A “ I learned to draw in my spare time”. Boom boom, ring a bell ?
Greetings Sir, love your vlogs, just a quick observation the G55 you show is a Macci 202 Veltro I am sure I have miss spelled it, I might be wrong but it looks like the G55 and 202 Veltro are shown as same, keep up the great work. Cheers.
They brought out the Canadian Military Pattern 15cwt truck and Gun Tractor kits as well as the British gun portee kit and the WWII US 3/4 ton truck and some others I think that had originally been done by Peerless-Max. Still the only game in town I think if you want to build one.
Wonder Woman doesn't have an invisible jet. She can fly just like Superman, but she sits down when she does it, and makes piloting gestures with her hands and feet. It's hilarious to watch her prepare for "takeoff". She "radios" the "tower" and the whole nine yards. It's too much!
When I was playing WOT I wanted one of their models because of the code; didn't do it and no longer play WOTs because of superior WarThunder. Now that Mercedes 🤔.
They should make more WoWS model since that game has a lot of cool fictional (if sometimes nonsensical) ship design. I'd definitely buy those, code or not
