One of the best parts of growing up in the 70s and being a fan of Star Trek were the model kits from AMT. The company, formally known as Aluminum Model Toys out of Troy, Michigan, AMT recognized the value that the Star Trek license had and secured the rights to create model kits by august 1966, a full month before the show went on the air!
Co-hosts Bob Turner and Kelly Casto talk about these kits on this episode of 70s Trek.
During the original network run of Trek, AMT released just two kits, the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Klingon Battle Cruiser. Interestingly, the Klingon ship was designed by Matt Jeffries, the designer of the Enterprise, specifically for AMT. It was released as a model before it ever appeared on screen.
During the 70s, AMT saw the growing popularity of Trek in syndication and moved to release more kits. The Galileo 7 Shuttlecraft, the Romulan Bird of Prey, Space Station K-7, th eEnterprise Bridge and an Exploration Set that contained a phaser, communicator and tricorder.
If you were a fan of the show and grew up in the 70s, chances are you probably owned at least one of these kits.
