AMT's USS Enterprise from 1966, the first Star Trek model kit
The development of Star Trek model kits began shortly after Star Trek: The Original Series began to air in 1966. AMT acquired the license to produce plastic model kits based on the series and announced their plan to produce a kit of the USS Enterprise.
The model's resounding success at retail prompted AMT's development of a follow-up kit, resulting in the creation of the D7-class Klingon battle cruiser, released as model kit in 1968. It was specifically designed for AMT by Matt Jefferies. The D7 design was soon featured in the third season of Star Trek by the show's producers. These two models were the only Star Trek models AMT released while The Original Series was still in production. The only other company, besides AMT/Aurora, that produced model kits while the series was in production, though only just barely, was the Japanese company KSN Midori, in the guise of two differently sized USS Enterprise kits, for the Japanese market only.
Over the next decade, and after The Original Series had wrapped, AMT would expand upon the line to include the Romulan Bird-of-Prey, a Spock figure kit, and scaled versions of Star Trek props. Originally, AMT chose not to license the Star Trek name outside of the US. Aurora Plastics Corporation, another noted model kit company, leased AMT's molds and released the models outside of the US. The Spock figure kit originated from Aurora but a reciprocal leasing agreement gave AMT the exclusive rights to release the figure in the US. AMT bought the Spock figure's tooling from Aurora in 1976.
At the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, AMT was acquired by Matchbox (or rather its parent company Lesney Products & Co. Ltd.) and began to expand its range to include the refit-Enterprise, the K't'inga-class battle cruiser, and the long range shuttle. AMT continued to release kits based on the Star Trek films following its acquisition by the Ertl Company in 1981. AMT/Ertl subsequently gained the licenses to produce model kits based on The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine but Revell-Monogram was able to outbid them for the license to produce ships from Star Trek: Voyager. AMT/Ertl's original Star Trek line came to an end in 1999.
Following AMT/Ertl's merger with Racing Champions, the company tried to revive the Star Trek line with four re-releases in 2005. The line's revival strongly improved after 2008 when the AMT division was acquired by Round 2 LLC and was given a new and unique AMT branding.
Since the 1990s, a limited number of other companies including GEOmetric Design, Tsukuda Hobby, Polar Lights (acquired from Racing Champions by Round 2 in 2007), Platz (through an one-time-only sub-license from Polar Lights), Bandai, and De Agostini (Japan) have been officially licensed to produce plastic Star Trek model kits. Excepting Polar Lights, most of these licenses were extended on an one-time-only basis for either a limited time (Tsukuda, Bandai), a particular kind of kit only (GEOmatric Design's figurine kits, De Agostini's single ship partwork model kit) or special occasions (Platz[1]). In 2016, Moebius Models became the last known third-party model kit company to be extended a temporary, to the alternate reality films restricted, licence to manufacture and release such Star Trek model kits. Of their planned four inaugural releases however, only two were eventually released in 2018. [2]
As of 2020 though, Revell Germany (spun-off from Revell-Monogram in 2006, becoming a fully European-owned independent company) and Round 2 LLC (current owner of both AMT and Polar Lights) are the only two known fully licensed model kit companies to actually release Star Trek model kits on a regular basis, Revell Germany doing so far less frequently than its two American counterparts do, with AMT limiting itself to re-issues of their kit releases predating their acquisition by Round 2. The status of the US Revell-Monogram Voyager license, was until 2021 unclear as no Star Trek model kit has been released by them since 1997, nor are any likely to follow as the last Monogram owner Hobbico declared bankruptcy in June 2018. [3]
However, that uncertainty came to an end in July 2021, when Polar Lights released a differently scaled and retooled USS Voyager model kit, indicating that the Voyager license had in the mean time been acquired for the North-American home market by Round 2 as well, meaning that all official Star Trek model kits – save one – were as of 2021 produced under a single roof for the first time since Revell-Monogram acquired the original Voyager license around 1994. The European license however, still resides with the German Revell branch, which was spun off from Monogram in 2006. Revell-Germany incidentally, has gained the distinction of becoming the first to release an officially licensed Star Trek model kit based on the alternate reality films, that of the alternate reality Enterprise in 2013 – and only joined by Moebius Models five years later as aforementioned. Unlike those from Moebius Models however, the Revell-Germany model kit is under the license stipulations formally forbidden to be sold on North-American soil, as are all the other Revell-Germany Star Trek kit (re-)releases for that matter, including the very same Voyager reissue ones as previously released in North-America by former parent Monogram. (see: main article)
By 2021, Revell-Germany and Eaglemoss Collections were the only two other companies left anywhere else in the world still retaining an official license to produce Star Trek model kits beyond Round 2 LLC itself. Contrary to the Revell-Germany releases though, the British single one-off specialty kit from Eaglemoss is allowed to be sold in North America. The licensing of Star Trek model kits is traditionally the purview of Paramount Consumer Products and its predecessors, and the different treatment of the German-produced kits and the single British one is but one of many examples of the department's confusing policies, sometimes frustrating fans and customers, including model kit collectors. Former VAM producer and fan Robert Meyer Burnett became one of the Star Trek alumni who publicly voiced his frustration at these department policies in a February 2017 Word Balloon podcast interview (currently posted on YouTube), where he related the lengths he had to go through to get his hands on a copy of the Revell-Germany alternate reality Enterprise model kit.
Star Trek model kits, both the official ones as well as the below-mentioned "garage" kits, have been covered extensively in a wide range of hobby magazines and book titles concerning themselves with the subject, and of which the British Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models publication has, until recently, especially warranted attention.
Quick to point out kit (canon) inaccuracies as had already been the case with the very first 1966 Enterprise kit and the subsequent AMT releases – which has to this date forced them to frequently retool the masters for kit re-issues – more adult kit modelers are in general sticklers for accuracy, regardless of the subject matter and unsurprising considering the amount of time they are required to spend on their builds. Recognizing and acknowledging the phenomenon among Star Trek modelers, it was especially Bandai and Polar Lights who took their customers' need for accuracy to heart with the praised 2003-2004 kit-line in Bandai's case, whereas Polar Lights took it up a notch even further with their critically acclaimed 1:350 scale model kit line, launched in 2003. It has also served as a rationale why Polar Lights has apparently been appointed as the lead company for truly new Star Trek model kit releases by owner Round 2.
A Taiwanese collector's model and miniature collection
A major source of frustration and chagrin for an entire generation of Star Trek modelers had until the late 1990s been the complete lack of good actual studio model reference material for their builds, particularly in regard to painting, deeming the usual artistic interpretations featured as box-art of little to no use. Even though AMT had some pictures (precious few though, as far as modelers were concerned) of the actual studio models featured on the box covers and sides of their 1980 The Motion Picture kit releases, they did not continue do so afterwards, with the exception of the 1992 K't'inga-class and three of the four 1993-1996 Deep Space Nine kits – even though they had sometimes and very sparingly featured studio model photography on the box sides of other kits as had been the case with the 1989 3-Piece "Adversary Set", featuring the real color of the original D'deridex class model. Incidentally, AMT had used the production-used D7 class model (actually one of AMT's two tooling masters for kit production, but usurped by the strapped-for-cash Original Series production for filming purposes) as box-cover art for their aforementioned 1968 kit release, becoming the very first and for twelve years the only time an actual studio model was used as such, but strong studio light flooding blurred out the model's original paint scheme in the picture, precipitating a decades-long misconception in Star Trek-lore, not in the least among modelers, of what the real color of the D7-class was.
Revell-Monogram became the first company to realize the added value of actual studio model imagery for modelers as visual aid, as emphatically stated on their boxes, and was consistent in its use as box-cover art – but, excepting Maquis raider and Kazon shuttle kits, not on the box sides where pictures of the completed model kits were used instead – of their 1995 Voyager kits, though dispensing with it afterwards for the reissues and new releases, featuring photographs of completed model kits instead (conceivably for copyright reasons, i.e. having to additionally pay the franchise for picture use - see also below), considered equally useless by modelers.
Until then modelers had to make do with low-resolution blurry motion picture stills, taken under studio conditions on top of that which not rarely could lead to confusion and misconceptions (as had been the case with among others the D7-class, Galaxy-class and D'deridex-class, in the latter case somewhat ironically as AMT's photo on the box side of its 1989 three-piece kit had been the first-time publication of the model's true color which only added to the confusion of modelers who up until then only knew the two different on-screen and publicity versions), as good studio model reference material was still extremely hard, if at all, to come by on the early 1990s internet, nor was any available yet in print beyond a stray single equally low-resolution picture published here and there over multitude of more generic publications, be it licensed or unlicensed. Only put online by William S. McCullars in 1997, the very first more detailed Star Trek studio model reference website became the in modeling circles renowned, but now defunct, "The IDIC Page", where the featured behind-the-scenes photographs, provided and taken on personal title by production staffers and exhibition visitors alike, of the studio models were especially valued by the Star Trek modeling community. [4] [5] To an extent, the one year earlier established specialized Starship Modeler website has taken over from The IDIC Page by later incorporating a reference section featuring pictures of the actual studio models, including several from other science fiction franchises as well. The very first specialized print publication on the subject concerned the 1999 Japanese Star Trek: Official Guide 4 - Mechanics reference book release, though that book has remained a rarity outside Japan.
Still, model kit companies have by and large continued to underestimate the modeler's need for accuracy, those from imaginary franchises in particular, and persevered for marketing purposes with the use of for modelers next-to-useless, albeit flashy, imagery as box-art, with the noticeable exceptions of Bandai and some of Polar Lights' later kit releases. Lack of reference material on the other hand, is hardly an issue of note for modelers anymore, as far more of it has by the late-2000s become available, both on the internet and in print, and greatly aided by the advent of both production-used CGI and High-Definition/Resolution motion picture productions, the former incidentally, increasingly used as not only box-cover art by Polar Lights for their kit releases, but also used for illustrative purposes in print publications, especially those from GE Fabbri and its successor Eaglemoss Collections.
Licensed model kit release chronology[]
1966 | 1968 | 1969 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1979 | 1980 | 1984 | 1985 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1999 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
| Kit | Manufacturer | Model number | Scale | Notes | Pic. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise | AMT | S921 | 1:650 | Issued with rudimentary lighting option |
| |
| Aurora | 921 | International release; limited rudimentary lighting option | 
| |||
| 1968 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise | AMT | S951 | 1:650 | Retooled and renumbered; new box; enhanced lighting option; varying plastic colors were used | 
| |
| Klingon Battle Cruiser | S952 | Issued with lighting option | 
| |||
| 1969 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise | KSN Midori[2] | 150 | 1:1250 | 
| ||
| 350-5 | 1:915 | The "propeller and wheel" version | 
| |||
| 1972 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise | Aurora | 921 | 1:650 | AMT's retooled molds used; new box | 
| |
| Mr. Spock | 922 | 1:12 | International Aurora original release | 
| ||
| Klingon Alien Battle Cruiser | 923 | 1:650 | International release under deviant title; no lighting option | 
| ||
| 1973 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise | AMT | S951 | 1:650 | New enhanced decal sheet (sister ships) | 
| |
| Mr. Spock | S956 | 1:12 | US release; use of Aurora's set of molds | 
| ||
| 1974 | ||||||
| 'Galileo 7' Shuttlecraft | AMT | S595 | 1:35 | 
| ||
| Exploration Set (3-piece set) | S958 | 1:2 | Contains tricorder, phaser, communicator | 
| ||
| 1975 | ||||||
| 'Galileo 7' shuttlecraft | AMT New box format |
S595 | 1:35 | Reissue | 
| |
| Exploration Set (3-piece set) | S958 | 1:2 | Reissue | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise Bridge | S950 | 1:35 | Included scale figures of Kirk, Spock and Sulu | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise | S951 | 1:650 | Retooled; no lighting option from this issue onward | 
| ||
| Klingon Battle Cruiser | S952 | Reissue; no lighting option from this issue onward | 
| |||
| Space Ship Set (3-piece set) | S953 | 1:1600 | First 'mini kit'; contains in-scale Enterprise, Klingon battle cruiser, and Romulan Bird-of-Prey | 
| ||
| Mr. Spock | S956 | 1:12 | Reissue | 
| ||
| Romulan Bird-of-Prey | S957 | 1:650 | 
| |||
| Klingon Battle Cruiser | Estes Industries | 1274 | 1:700 | Flying model rocket | 
| |
| USS Enterprise | 1275 | Flying model rocket | 
| |||
| 1976 | ||||||
| Space Station K-7 | AMT | S955 | 1:7600 | Includes in-scale model of the USS Enterprise | 
| |
| 1979 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise | Matchbox-AMT[3] | PK5102 | 1:650 | European reissue of S951 | ||
| Space Station K-7 | PK5105 | 1:7600 | European reissue of S955 | |||
| Romulan Bird-of-Prey | PK5106 | 1:650 | European reissue of S957 as "Romulan Space Ship" | |||
| 1980 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise (refit) | AMT/Lesney | S970 | 1:537 | Star Trek: The Motion Picture release | 
| |
| Matchbox-AMT | PK-5110 | European release, different box art | 
| |||
| Klingon Cruiser | AMT/Lesney | S971 | 1:537 | K't'inga-class battle cruiser | 
| |
| Matchbox-AMT | PK-5111 | European release, different box art | 
| |||
| Vulcan Shuttle | AMT/Lesney | S972 | 1:187 | 
| ||
| Matchbox-AMT | PK-5112 | European release, different box art | 
| |||
| Mr. Spock | AMT/Lesney | S973 | 1:12 | Retooled version of 1968 release; no international release | 
| |
| 1984 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise (refit) | AMT/Ertl[4] | 6675 | 1:537 | Repackaged for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, tooling updated to reflect appearance of filming model | 
| |
| USS Enterprise | 6676 | 1:650 | 
| |||
| Space Ship Set (3-piece set) | 6677 | 1:1600 | 
| |||
| Vulcan Shuttle | 6679 | 1:187 | 
| |||
| 1985 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise (refit) | AMT/Ertl | 6675 | 1:537 | Repackaged for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; same model no. | 
| |
| Vulcan Shuttle | 6679 | 1:187 | Repackaged for Star Trek III (though the model never appeared in that film); same model no. | 
| ||
| Klingon Cruiser | 6682 | 1:537 | K't'inga class reissue under new numbering scheme | 
| ||
| 1987 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise-A | AMT/Ertl | 6693 | 1:537 | Repackaged for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | 
| |
| 1988 | ||||||
| 3 Piece USS Enterprise Set | AMT/Ertl | 6618 | 1:2500 | "Mini kit" featuring three Enterprises: NCC-1701, -A, and -D | 
| |
| USS Enterprise-D | 6619 | 1:1400 | 
| |||
| 1989 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise | AMT/Ertl | 6676 | 1:650 | Reissue, new horizontal format box | 
| |
| Space Ship Set (3-piece set) | 6677 | 1:2200 | Reissue with new packaging | 
| ||
| 3 Piece Adversary Set | 6858 |
1:4064 1:4976 1:1371 |
"Mini kit" featuring the Romulan Warbird, the Klingon Bird-of-Prey, and the Ferengi Marauder | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-A | 6876 | 1:537 | Star Trek V: The Final Frontier release; included a Galileo 7 shuttlecraft at 1:230 scale | 
| ||
| 1991 – 25th anniversary | ||||||
| 3 Piece USS Enterprise Chrome Set | AMT/Ertl | 6005 | 1:2500 | 25th Anniversary Special Edition | 
| |
| Galileo II Shuttlecraft | 6006 | 1:35 | 25th Anniversary Special Edition reissue with new decals, horizontal format box, and retooling of windows. | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise Command Bridge | 6007 | 1:35 | 25th Anniversary reissue with new decals and retooling of figures. | 
| ||
| Original Edition Klingon Cruiser | 6743 | 1:650 | 25th Anniversary reissue with new stand | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-A | 6957 | 1:537 | Special Edition with lights and sound effects | 
| ||
| Klingon Battle Cruiser Flying Model Rocket | Estes Industries | 1274 | 1:700 | 25th Anniversary Special Edition reissue of 1975 in new box | 
| |
| USS Enterprise Flying Model Rocket | 1275 | 25th Anniversary reissue of 1975 model in new box | 
| |||
| 1992 | ||||||
| Klingon Battle Cruiser | AMT/Ertl | 6812 | 1:1400 | Vor'cha class | 
| |
| Klingon Cruiser | 8229 | 1:537 | K't'inga class repackaged for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-A | 8617 | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country reissue of 6876 with inscale Galileo type shuttlecraft; first release batch also included Galoob's Enterprise-D toy | 
| |||
| Captain Jean-Luc Picard | GEOmetric | VST01 | 1:6 | First of GEOmetric's vinyl figures | 
| |
| Lieutenant Worf | VST02 | 
| ||||
| Lieutenant Commander Data | VST03 | 
| ||||
| 1993 | ||||||
| USS Rio Grande | AMT/Ertl | 8741 | 1:72 | Federation Runabout first seen on Deep Space Nine | 
| |
| Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge | GEOmetric | VST04 | 1:6 | 
| ||
| Counselor Deanna Troi | VST05 | 
| ||||
| Commander William T. Riker | VST06 | 
| ||||
| Guinan | VST07 | |||||
| Doctor Beverly Crusher | VST08 | |||||
| USS Excelsior | Tsukuda Hobby | SVM-14-9800 | 1:1000 | Vinyl kit | 
| |
| Klingon Bird-of-Prey | SVM-15-9800 | 1:350 | Vinyl kit | 
| ||
| 1994 | ||||||
| USS Excelsior | AMT/Ertl | 6630 | 1:1000 | 
| ||
| Captain Kirk | 8773 | 1:6 | Vinyl kit | 
| ||
| Dr. McCoy | 8774 | Vinyl kit | 
| |||
| Deep Space 9 | 8778 | 1:2500 | 
| |||
| Locutus of Borg | GEOmetric | VST09 | 1:6 | Vinyl kit | 
| |
| Ferengi | VST10 | Vinyl kit | 
| |||
| Romulan | VST11 | Vinyl kit (female officer) | 
| |||
| Gowron | VST12 | Vinyl kit | 
| |||
| 1995 | ||||||
| Klingon Bird-of-Prey | AMT/Ertl[5] | 8230 | 1:350 | 
| ||
| Mr. Spock | 8704 | 1:6 | Vinyl kit | 
| ||
| Quark | 8719 | Vinyl kit | 
| |||
| Odo | 8761 | Vinyl kit | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise-B | 8762 | 1:1000 | Retooling of 6630 | 
| ||
| Deep Space 9 | 8764 | 1:2500 | With fiber optic lighting option | 
| ||
| USS Reliant | 8766 | 1:650 | 
| |||
| Collector's Gift Set (3-piece set) | 8771 | 1:6 | Contains the Kirk, McCoy and Scott vinyl figures | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-D | 8772 | 1:1400 | With fiber optic lighting option | 
| ||
| Mr. Scott | 8777 | 1:6 | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise Flight Display (3-piece set) | 8787 | 1:2500 | With transparent plexiglass "Flight Display" stand to make models appear to float in mid-air | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-D | 8793 | 1:1400 | Repackaged for Star Trek Generations | 
| ||
| Borg | GEOmetric | VST13 | 1:6 | Vinyl kit | ||
| USS Voyager | Revell-Monogram | 3604 | 1:677 | 
| ||
| 04801 | European release | 
| ||||
| Maquis Raider | 3605 | 1:323 | 
| |||
| 04809 | European release | 
| ||||
| Kazon Raider | 3606 | 1:458 | Two variant issues are known with box cover photos of the model at slightly different angles | 
| ||
| ||||||
| 04810 | European release | 
| ||||
| 1996 – 30th anniversary | ||||||
| "The Enterprise Incident" Legendary Space Encounter (3-piece set) | AMT/Ertl | 8254 | 1:2200 | USS Enterprise and two D7 battle cruisers; fiber optic display and episode audio clips | 
| |
| USS Defiant | 8255 | 1:420 | 
| |||
| Cardassian Galor Class Cruiser | 8324 | 1:750 | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise-D | 8400 | 1:1400 | "Plus Pack" with glue, paint and brush | 
| ||
| Cutaway USS Enterprise | 8790 | 1:500 | Box erroneously states scale as 1:650 | 
| ||
| Star Trek: Voyager 3-Piece Set | Revell-Monogram | 3607 | 1:1400 | Two releases; a "Bonus Value Pack" with glue, paint and brush, and a regular release without the extra contents | 
| |
| ||||||
| 05780 | European "Bonus Value Pack" release, no regular version known | 
| ||||
| Kazon Torpedo | 3608 | 1:35 | 
| |||
| 04813 | European release | 
| ||||
| "Mini" USS Voyager | 85-3609 | 1:3788 | "Pre-painted" US release | 
| ||
| 06900 | "Pre-painted" European release | 
| ||||
| "Mini" Kazon Raider/Fighter | 85-3610 | unknown | "Pre-painted" US release | 
| ||
| 06901 | "Pre-painted" European release | 
| ||||
| "Mini" Maquis Raider | 85-3611 | 1:1276 | "Pre-painted" US release | 
| ||
| 06902 | "Pre-painted" European release | 
| ||||
| 1997 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise-E | AMT/Ertl | 6326 | 1/1400 | 
| ||
| Klingon Bird-of-Prey | 6339 | 1:350 | Featuring "Flight Display" base | 
| ||
| 8015 | "Plus Pack" with glue, paint and brush | 
| ||||
| USS Defiant | 8398 | 1:420 | "Plus Pack" with glue, paint and brush | 
| ||
| Ambassador Spock | GEOmetric | unknown | 1:6 | Vinyl kit | 
| |
| USS Voyager | Revell-Monogram | 3612 | 1:677 | Limited Edition; included open shuttlebay; In-scale Type 8 shuttlecraft; Improved decals; 20000 pieces | 
| |
| 1999 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise-C | AMT/Ertl | 8001 | 1:1400 | 
| ||
| Snapfast USS Enterprise 1701-B, C, And E Set (3-piece set) | 8002 | 1:2500 | Contains models of USS Enterprise -B, -C, and -E | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-E | 30065 | 1:1400 | Repackaged for Star Trek: Insurrection, very slight tooling change to show captain's yacht | 
| ||
| USS Yamaguchi | AMT "Pro Shop" | 30038 | Cast in clear plastic; featuring lighting rig | 
| ||
| 2003 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise | Polar Lights | PL4200 | 1:1000 | "The Cage", and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" variant construction options. | 
| |
| Enterprise NX-01 | PL4201 | 1:350 | 
| |||
| Klingon D7 Battlecruiser | PL4202 | 1:1000 | 
| |||
| Scorpion | PL4203 | 1:24 | Featured figures of Picard and Data | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise | Bandai | 116192 | 1:850 | Issued with lighting | 
| |
| USS Enterprise-E | 116424 | 1:1700 | Issued with lighting | 
| ||
| Enterprise NX-01 | 122721 | 1:850 | Issued with lighting | 
| ||
| 2004 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise-A | Polar Lights/RC2 | PL4204 | 1:350 | Decals for NCC-1701 (refit) or NCC-1701-A; with full interior shuttlebay and several in-scale shuttlecraft | 
| |
| Bandai | 124915 | 1:850 | Reissue of 116192 with decals for sister vessels | 
| ||
| USS Voyager | 131434 | Issued with lighting | 
| |||
| 2005 | ||||||
| 3 Piece USS Enterprise Set (TV) | AMT/RC2 | 38387 | 1:2500 | Reissue of 6618 | 
| |
| 3 Piece USS Enterprise Set (Movie) | 38388 | Reissue of 1999 release | 
| |||
| Klingon Bird-of-Prey | 38389 | 1:350 | Reissue of 8230 | 
| ||
| 3 Piece Adversary Set | 38390 | Multiple | Reissue of 6858 | 
| ||
| Enterprise NX-01 | Polar Lights/RC2 | PL53028 | 1:1000 | 
| ||
| 2008 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise | AMT/Round 2 LLC[6] | AMT609 | 1:650 | Limited edition (1701 pieces); Reissue of S921; Tin box with art print | 
| |
| AMT610 | "Legacy" reissue of S921 in 1966-style packaging | 
| ||||
| USS Enterprise | Polar Lights/Round 2 | POL803 | 1:1000 | Re-release of PL4200; new numbering; two issues in 2008 each with different box art | 
| |
| ||||||
| Klingon D7 Battlecruiser | POL806 | Re-release of PL4202; two issues in 2008 each with different box art | 
| |||
| ||||||
| Enterprise NX-01 | POL807 | Re-release of PL53028; new numbering; two issues in 2008 each with different box art | 
| |||
| ||||||
| 2009 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise-E | AMT/Round 2 | AMT613 | 1:1400 | Reissue of 6326 | 
| |
| Mr. Spock | AMT624 | 1:8 | Collector's edition; Reissue of S956; Tin box with art print | 
| ||
| AMT625 | Reissue of S956 in 1973-style packaging | 
| ||||
| USS Enterprise | AMT640 | 1:650 | 'Blue' Collector's Edition; reissue of AMT609, molded in blue plastic | 
| ||
| Vulcan Shuttle Surak | AMT641 | 1:187 | Improved release, with magnetic attachment and revised detailing | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-A | Polar Lights/Round 2 | POL808 | 1:350 | Reissue of PL4204 | 
| |
| USS Voyager | Revell-Germany | 04801 | 1:677 | EU-only reissue of 1995; New box | 
| |
| Maquis Raider | 04809 | 1:323 | EU-only reissue of 1995; New box | 
| ||
| Kazon Raider | 04810 | 1:458 | EU-only reissue of 1995; New box | 
| ||
| 2010 | ||||||
| Space Station K-7 | AMT/Round 2 | AMT644 | 1:7600 | Reissue of S955 in 1976-style packaging | 
| |
| AMT645 | Collector's edition; Reissue of S955; Tin box with Tribble | 
| ||||
| USS Enterprise-D | AMT643 | 1:1400 | Announced and intended reissue of AMT 6619 (1988), but cancelled at the eleventh hour, though some review kits were already circulated | 
| ||
| AMT656 | "Special Edition"; cast in transparent styrene for lighting purposes as replacement release for AMT643 | 
| ||||
| USS Enterprise Starship Set (3-piece set) | AMT660 | 1:2500 | "Cadet Series"; contains USS Enterprise-1701,-1701-A,-1701-B | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-C | AMT661 | "Cadet Series" | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise-D | AMT662 | "Cadet Series" | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise-E | AMT663 | "Cadet Series" | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise-B | AMT/Ertl-Platz[1] | GDS8136 | 1:1000 | Japanese issue with improved decals | 
| |
| USS Enterprise-C | GDS8137 | 1:1400 | Japanese issue with improved decals | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-D | GDS8138 | Japanese issue with improved decals | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise-E | GDS8139 | Japanese AMT issue with improved decals | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise Refit | Polar Lights/Round 2 | POL820 | 1:1000 | 
| ||
| 2011 – 45th anniversary | ||||||
| Klingon Bird-of-Prey | AMT/Round2 | AMT664 | 1:350 | Reissue 8230; improved tooling; includes optional landinggear | 
| |
| Romulan Bird-of-Prey | AMT665 | 1:650 | Reissue op S957, 1975 style packaging | 
| ||
| AMT666 | Collector's edition; reissue of S957; tin box poster box-art | 
| ||||
| USS Reliant | AMT667 | 1:537 | Reissue 8766; improved tooling | 
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| USS Enterprise-B | AMT676 | 1:1000 | Reissue 8761 | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise | AMT695 | 1:650 | Includes 2 in-scale Tholian web-spinners; Includes USS Defiant (NCC-1764) decals; cast in "fluorescent" plastic | 
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| Klingon Battle Cruiser | AMT699 | Collector's edition; reissue of S952; tin box with poster box-art; cast in light-green with chrome parts | 
| |||
| AMT720 | Reissue of S952 in 1968 style packaging | 
| ||||
| USS Enterprise-C | AMT721 | 1:1400 | Reissue of 8001 with battle damage decals | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise | Revell-Germany | 04880 | 1:600 | EU-only Revell original | 
| |
| Klingon Battle Cruiser D7 | 04881 | EU-only Revell original; tooled to approximate the DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations" appearance | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise-D | De Agostini[7] | n/a | 1:900 | Planned 100-piece The Official Star Trek The Next Generation: Build the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D partwork; canceled prematurely (after seven issues) due to the economic downturn following a national disaster | 
| |
| 2012 | ||||||
| USS Reliant | AMT/Round2 | AMT714 | 1:537 | "Clear Edition"; cast in transparent plastic for lighting purposes | 
| |
| Deep Space 9 | AMT751 | 1:3300 1:2500 |
New decal sheet; cast in clear plastic for lighting purposes; includes USS Defiant model | 
| ||
| Adversary Set (2-piece set) | AMT752 | 1:1400 1:3700 |
Reissue of Klingon Bird of Prey and Ferengi Marauder from kit 6858; new decal sheet | 
| ||
| Romulan Warbird | AMT753 | 1:3200 | Reissue of one piece from kit 6858; new decal sheet | 
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| Star Trek: The Motion Picture Set (3-piece set) | AMT762 | 1:2500 | "Cadet Series"; K't'inga-class, USS Reliant, refit-USS Enterprise | 
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| Klingon K't'inga-Class Battle Cruiser | AMT794 | 1:537 | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise | Polar Lights/Round 2 | POL889 | 1:1000 | Lunchbox tin edition | 
| |
| POL880 | 1:350 | Same size as three-foot studio model; with shuttlebay and in-scale Class F shuttlecraft; avant-premiere edition and regular edition with differing box art. Both box art designs by Alex Ross. | 
| |||
| ||||||
| 2013 | ||||||
| Star Trek: The Original Series Set (3-piece set) | AMT/Round 2 | AMT762 | 1:2500 | "Cadet Series"; D7-class, Romulan Bird-of-Prey, USS Enterprise (TOS) | 
| |
| Mr. Spock | AMT810 | 1:12 | Lunchbox tin edition | 
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| USS Enterprise Bridge Set | AMT808 | 1:35 | With additional wall panel to complete bridge, and parts to compose 6 characters | 
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| USS Enterprise-E | AMT853 | 1:1400 | CGI cover art by John Eaves | 
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| Romulan Battle Cruiser | Polar Lights/Round 2 | POL897 | 1:1000 | D7-class with Romulan decals | 
| |
| Enterprise NX-01 | POL902 | 1:350 | Reissue PL4201 | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise | POL908 | 1:1000 | "Space Seed" edition; with in-scale SS Botany Bay | 
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| USS Enterprise | Revell-Germany | 04882 | 1:500 | EU-only Revell original | 
| |
| 2014 | ||||||
| Exploration Set (3-piece set) | AMT/Round 2 | AMT848 | 1:2 | 
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| USS Defiant | AMT845 | 1:420 | First reissue under new ownership | 
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| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Set (3-piece set) | AMT764 | 1:2500 | "Cadet Series"; USS Defiant, USS Saratoga and the Galor-class. | 
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| Enterprise NX-01 Refit | Polar Lights/Round 2 | POL898 | 1:1000 | Contains parts to construct either a standard NX-class or a refit NX-Class; box art by Doug Drexler | 
| |
| USS Reliant | POL906 | New tooling, not associated with the AMT release | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise | Fascinations | MMS280 | "Metal Earth" model constructed from two 4-inch sq. sheets of stainless steel | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-D | MMS281 | "Metal Earth" model constructed from two 4-inch sq. sheets of stainless steel | 
| |||
| Klingon Bird-of-Prey | MMS282 | "Metal Earth" model constructed from two 4-inch sq. sheets of stainless steel | 
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| Klingon Vor'cha Class | MMS283 | 1:4373 | "Metal Earth" model constructed from two 4-inch sq. sheets of stainless steel | 
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| 2015 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise Cutaway | AMT/Round 2 | AMT891 | 1:537 | Improved "cut-away" reissue of 8790 | 
| |
| USS Enterprise Set (2-piece set) | AMT913 | 1:1000 1:650 |
"Build 2Gether"; use of Polar Lights' set of molds for the smaller model. | 
| ||
| Ships of the Line (4-kit set) | AMT914 | 1:2500 | Pre-decorated "snap-fit" versions of previously-released kits with individually packaged ships: USS Enterprise, D7 Klingon Battle Cruiser, USS Reliant and USS Defiant | 
| ||
| Romulan Bird-of-Prey | Polar Lights/Round 2 | POL934 | 1:1000 | New tooling, not associated with the AMT release | 
| |
| USS Enterprise | POL936 | Pre-decorated "snap-fit" version of previously-released kits | 
| |||
| Klingon D7 Battle Cruiser | POL937 | In the original colors of the studio model pre-decorated "snap-fit" version of previously-released kits | 
| |||
| 2016 – 50th anniversary | ||||||
| USS Excelsior | AMT/Round2 | AMT843 | 1:1000 | NX-2000 or NCC-2000 versions; Improved molding tools | 
| |
| USS Enterprise | AMT947 | 1:650 | Reissue of AMT610 (2008) with 50th anniversary slip-over cover | 
| ||
| Klingon Bird-of-Prey | AMT949 | 1:350 | Reissue/Revised wing baffles and landing gear parts; Star Trek: III version | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-D | AMT955 | 1:1400 | Clear edition, removable saucer section | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise | Polar Lights/Round 2 | POL938 | 1:350 | 50th Anniversary Edition; Reissue w/ detailed bridge and smooth saucer parts | 
| |
| 50th Anniversary USS Enterprise Set | Revell-Germany | 05721 | 1:600 1:500 |
EU-only; contains both reality versions of the USS Enterprise; glue and paint included | 
| |
| 2017 | ||||||
| F-104 Starfighter (with USS Enterprise) | AMT/Round2 | AMT953 | 1:48 1:2500 |
"Tomorrow is Yesterday" edition; USS Enterprise from kit 6618 (1988) in a smaller scale than F-104 for a forced-perspective display | 
| |
| USS Enterprise Model Set (7-piece set) | AMT954 | 1:2500 | All seven prime universe Enterprise versions; Snap-fit reissues of Cadet Series with new Enterprise NX-01, derived from the Polar Lights molds | 
| ||
| Klingon Vor'Cha-Class | AMT1027 | 1:1400 | Reissue AMT/ERTL 6812 (1992); retooled clear Parts, metal support rod | 
| ||
| Cardassian Galor-Class | AMT1028 | 1:750 | Updated version with clear parts | 
| ||
| USS Reliant | AMT1036 | 1:537 | Reissue AMT667 (2010) | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise Refit | Polar Lights/Round2 | POL949 | 1:350 | Reissue POL880; new box art | 
| |
| 2018 – Introduction synchronized/unified box-art for all licensed kit companies[8] | ||||||
| USS Enterprise Refit | AMT/Round2 | AMT1080 | 1:537 | Reissue of No. 8617 (1992 w/shuttlecraft); new: metal support rod and updated decals (no aztec) | 
| |
| Klingon Battle Cruiser K't'inga-Class IKS Amar | Polar Lights/Round2 | POL950 | 1:350 | Star Trek: The Motion Picture 2 feet half studio scale model; new "near black" and clear mold; lighting kit separately available. | 
| |
| USS Defiant | POL952 | 1:1000 | Polar Lights original; snap kit molded in grey | 
| ||
| USS Grissom & Klingon Bird of Prey | POL957 | Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Snap kits; Polar Lights originals and first-time official model kit release of the Oberth-class | 
| |||
| USS Franklin NX-326 | Moebius Models | MOE975 | 1:350 | Original release | 
| |
| USS Kelvin NCC-0514 | MOE976 | 1:1000 | Original release; with interior shuttlebay | 
| ||
| 2019 | ||||||
| DS9 Runabout USS Rio Grande | AMT/Round2 | AMT1084(M) | 1:72 | Reissue of AMT8741 (1993) plus optional Sensor Cluster | 
| |
| Romulan Warbird | AMT1125 | 1:3200 | Reissue AMT753 (2012); dome base with metal rod support | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise-D | AMT1126(M) | 1:2500 | Snap-Kit; molded in color with Aztec Decals | 
| ||
| USS Discovery NCC-1031 | Polar Lights/Round2 | POL961(M) | Snap-Kit with metalic Decals | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise NX-01 | POL966(M) | 1:1000 | Snap-Kit; with parts for refit-configuration | 
| ||
| USS Shenzhou | POL967(M) | 1:2500 | SnapKit | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (Discovery) | POL971 | SnapKit | 
| |||
| USS Enterprise NCC-1701 | Revell-Germany | 00454 | 1:600 | Essentially an EU-only reissue of Revell 04880 (2011), this "Technik" one with light and sound effects rigs; box-art synchronized with those of AMT and Polar Lights | 
| |
| 04991 | EU-only standard reissue | 
| ||||
| USS Voyager | 04992 | 1:670 | EU-only reissue Revell 3612 (1997) | 
| ||
| 2020 | ||||||
| USS Enterprise NCC-1701 (Discovery) | Polar Lights/Round2 | POL973(M) | 1:1000 | Issued with optional lighting kit | 
| |
| Refit-USS Enterprise NCC-1701, "Wrath of Khan Edition" | POL974(M) | Reissue of POL820 from 2010 with "Wrath of Khan" damage decals; SnapKit | 
| |||
| USS Reliant, "Wrath of Khan Edition" | POL975(M) | Companion release for POL 974(M); reissue of POL906 from 2014 with Wrath of Khan damage decals; SnapKit | 
| |||
| Galileo Shuttlecraft | POL909 | 1:32 | 11 in / 23 cm, no interior, clear parts for lighting, based off AMT S595 from 1974 but newly tooled without the interior | 
| ||
| 2021 – 55th anniversary | ||||||
| USS Enterprise-D | Eaglemoss/Hero Collector DeAgostini (Japan)/Fanhome |
n/a | 1:916 | Star Trek: The Next Generation Build The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D 120-stage partwork | 
| |
| Deep Space 9 with USS Defiant and Cardassian Keldon-class Cruiser | AMT/Round2 | AMT1245 |
1:3300 |
16" wide DS9 and 2¾" long Defiant (reissue AMT751 from 2012) molded in clear ABS, 5¾" long Keldon (modified reissue of AMT764 from 2014) in white | 
| |
| USS Excelsior | AMT1257(M) | 1:1000 | Reissue AMT843 (2016) | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise Bridge | AMT1270/12 | 1:32 | Reisue of AMT808 (2013) | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise | AMT1296/12 | 1:650 | Reissue S951 (1968), albeit with modern stand and Enterprise only decals | 
| ||
| USS Voyager | Polar Lights/Round2 | POL980(M) | 1:1000 | New, improved tooling; Polar Lights original, not associated with the Revell-Monogram releases | 
| |
| POL992(M) | "Clear Edition"; cast in transparent plastic for lighting purposes | 
| ||||
| USS Enterprise TOS/Pilot Edition | POL993(M) | 1:350 | Re-release with parts for first and second pilot episodes or series version; with hangar bay and tiny bridge. | 
| ||
| 2022 – Introduction of the mandatory "Star Trek Universe" logo[9] | ||||||
| USS Enterprise-C | AMT/Round2 | AMT1332(M) | 1:1400 | Reissue in clear/translucent plastic; multiple decal options | 
| |
| USS Grissom/Klingon Bird of Prey | Polar Lights/Round2 | POL975 | 1:1000 | Identical reissue of 2018 release, but with revised box art | 
| |
| USS Grissom | POL991(M) | 1:350 | 13 ¾ inches / 35 cm. Molded in white with clear parts. Decals for 6 different ship versions. Optional rear details TNG/The Search for Spock | 
| ||
| Galileo Shuttlecraft with Interior | POL995(M) | 1:32 | Reissue POL909 from 2020 with Interior | 
| ||
| 2023 | ||||||
| Space Station K-7 | AMT/Round2 | AMT1215/12 | 1:7600 | Reissue AMT644 (2010), albeit with classic box cover | 
| |
| Klingon Bird-of-Prey | AMT1400(M) | 1:350 | Reissue AMT949 (2016) | 
| ||
| Klingon Kronos One | Polar Lights/Round2 | POL997(M) | Adaptation of POL950 K'tinga (2018) as seen in The Undiscovered Country | 
| ||
| 2024 | ||||||
| Klingon Alien Battle Cruiser | AMT/Round2 | AMT1428 | 1:650 | Reissue with revised decals; molded in color; classic Aurora 923 (1972) box art and title | 
| |
| USS Enterprise-D | AMT1429 | 1:1400 | Reissue molded in translucent white plastic; additional decals for USS Syracuse; removable saucer section with detachable captain's yacht | 
| ||
| Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan U.S.S Reliant | AMT1457(M) | 1:537 | Reissue AMT1036 (2017) molded in off-white and clear with dome base and metal rod | 
| ||
| USS Enterprise/SS Botany Bay | Polar Lights/Round2 | POL1000(M) | 1:1000 | Reissue POL908 (2013) | 
| |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Special license from new owner Round2 under the now defunct AMT/Ertl brand to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first time Star Trek: The Next Generation airing in Japan.
- ↑ Midori originals and possibly unlicensed.
- ↑ The 1979 European Matchbox-AMT releases are apparently issued on a very limited basis, conceivably only to modelkit reviewers, as these are exceptionally rare.
- ↑ Merger with ERTL resulted in reissues under new numbering scheme, with the box imprints adjusted to reflect new ownership, though the logos were not adjusted yet.
- ↑ AMT randomly inserted especially commissioned cutaway prints of either the Enterprise-A or the D in their model kits marketed for the occasion of Star Trek's 30th anniversary, starting in late 1995 and throughout 1996, and only issued on this occasion. Which print was included was indicated by a sticker on the box.
- ↑ Memory Alpha contributors are URGENTLY admonished to consult after-market websites such as eBay – where privately shot photographs of the modelkits are often featured – to verify actually released box-art, as both AMT and Polar Lights under Round2 ownership in particular, invariably solicit deviant pre-release box-art. Solicition box art may be utilized as temporary placeholders but needs to be checked post-release, and replaced with the definitive one when found divergent.
- ↑ Japan-only DeAgostini original
- ↑ The unified box-art format was also imposed on other toy and gaming companies like Modiphius Entertainment and Diamond Select Toys – by 2020 two of the few remaining merchandise franchise partners [1] – for its products and which includes starship (toy) replicas as well.
- ↑ The mandatory use of the logo was abandonded in the latter half of 2023 due to the failure of the Universe concept (see, main article).
"Garage" model kits[]
Over the years, from the 1990s onward after Star Trek: The Next Generation had premiered, several "amateur" (meaning not officially recognized), both unauthorized as well as unlicensed and often short-lived companies, dubbed "Garage kit makers" by the model kit community, sprung up, producing Star Trek model kits. These "companies" often produced lesser-known canon or fan-designed non-canon classes of starships which were typically made out of glass reinforced plastic (GRP), commonly referred to as "fiberglass" or "resin" (somewhat incorrectly, as this term also refers to more modern composite plastic materials). Fiberglass "conversion kits" to improve or customize officially-released models have also been released, along with "aztec-ing" painting templates, and custom decals.
Typically, the production run of items produced by these companies tended to be quite low, numbering in the few hundreds instead of the thousands produced by the officially licensed model kit companies, thereby becoming relatively rare and quite expensive. This was due to two reasons. First, as amateur companies, these garage companies could not afford the professional, high-grade steel molds utilized by the professional model kit companies from which the kit parts were cast. Instead, lower grade molds were used, typically made out of cheaper material such as baked clay, plastic resin, gypsum, or plaster, all of which susceptible to wear and tear far beyond of that of the ones used by the professional model kit manufacturers, meaning these molds worn out much faster. For these same (economic) reasons, garage kits tended to consist of far fewer parts, cast as solid pieces, meaning that the completed models were quite heavy compared to those constructed out of the injection molded plastic parts (vacuformed as opposed to those of the garage companies which were simply cast) of the model kits from their officially licensed counterparts. The quality of garage kits using those molds near the end of their lifespan tended to diminish as cast parts exhibited an ever-increasing number of air bubbles and excess "flash" on the parts due to widening apertures in the seams of worn-out molds. Constructing garage kits therefore required a certain amount of experience on the part of the modeler.
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Second, aside from the practical reasons keeping production runs low, there was a legal one as well. As unauthorized companies, low production runs were a means to operate under the radar of the Paramount Marketing and Licensing Department (currently Paramount Consumer Products), thereby dodging copyright legalities. It appeared however, that the official franchise has, until recently, turned a blind eye to their activities, as no litigation against any of them were hitherto known to exist, at least publicly. [6] No doubt this was due to the fact that many of them were relatively short-lived as well as the fact that virtually all of them initially produced Star Trek ships that were not produced or planned by any of the officially licensed model kit companies at the time, even if some of those ships were yet to be produced by them later on, usually at a different scale. In turn, garage companies themselves usually observed strict adherence of not producing ships that were produced by the official model kit companies (though some of them did in later years, again at different scales) and not showing any official imagery on or in their box-art or instruction sheets as well as not distributing their products directly but rather through official intermediaries. The initial lack of legal actions against them has emboldened some of the still surviving garage companies, such as Starcraft Models, to employ professional, full-fledged websites, marketing their products. However, while former franchise owner Paramount Pictures had condoned the existence of these companies, subsequent owner CBS Corporation appeared to be of a different mindset and had more recently started to crack down on these "interlopers"; the Starcraft Models website, for example, went unexpectedly dark in late 2015, and has not been up since. [7](X)
UK-based Warp Models (one of the first, and its products at the time distributed through the famed London, UK-based genre retailer Forbidden Planet), and US-based Federation Models, Nova Hobbies, and Starcrafts (the one currently known as "Starcraft Models") were among the best-known unlicensed garage kit makers. Warp Models in particular was noteworthy, as they only produced canon ships and where possible in-scale with those of the AMT product-line. For Star Trek: First Contact, John Eaves used a garage kit of the USS Enterprise-C to create gold models which were used in the USS Enterprise-E's observation lounge. [8] With the exception of Warp Models, most garage kit companies preferred to release their Star Trek products uniformly as 1:1400 scale model kits, a scale corresponding with that of AMT's 1988 Enterprise-D model kit, but otherwise rarely used by the official model kit companies as far as their Star Trek product lines were concerned.
As a format, garage kit companies not only turned out to be popular for model kits, but for 1:3900 scale gaming miniatures as well, those originating from FASA in particular, and several specialized gaming miniatures garage companies have also been concurrently in existence.
Appendices[]
See also[]
- Star Trek starship miniatures – links to many pre-painted starship models not listed above