In the late 1930s, a gentleman named Irving Lawner (Renwal spelled backward) was selling plastic kitchenware in New York City, and by the 1960s, his company was making some of the most iconic model kits of all time. These 1960s Renwal Visible Chassis and Visible V8 models are listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Buffalo, New York, and they’re asking $600, and this time there really is no shipping, bummer. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Gary for the tip!
In 1963, the Visible Automobile Chassis was introduced, and the detail is incredible on this kit. The Visible Automobile Chassis box, or part of it, is shown in the first photo as a place to hold the mostly-assembled chassis kit. They say that the chassis kit was assembled by a professional model builder friend of the seller, but it is said to have never been tested to see if the electrical assemblies function as intended. The clear transmission and rear differential are lit and battery-powered, and it sounds like those assemblies haven’t been tested yet.
The scale of this Renwal Visible Automobile Chassis is hard to gauge from the photos. This chassis model is an incredible 37.5 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 12.5 inches high! Over three feet long! That’s crazy, just picture building this kit, or better yet, where would you put it once it’s done? If this were local, I’d be on my way to pick it up right now, but this could never be packaged, shipped, tossed around, and make it halfway across the country without being damaged.
Mr. Lawner’s company, Renwal, went from making plastic knives, forks, and spoons to plastic airplanes and cars before WWII, and after the war, added plastic dollhouse kits and dollhouse furniture. Eventually, the kingpin of all kingpins was introduced in 1958: the 1:4-scale, modern OHV-equipped Visible V8 model. Mr. Lawner eventually sold the company, and it evolved into Renwal Blueprint Models, as shown on the bottom right corner of the Visible V8 box in the photo below.
Here’s a photo of what is said to be a mint-in-box (MIB) Visible V8 model kit. The company also made other kits, such as the Visible Man, Visible Woman, Visible Dog, Human Skull kits, and other non-vehicle kits. In the mid-1970s, Revell took over the marketing and manufacturing of the Visible V8 model kit, and my brother and I built one in the mid-70s. It really worked, and it was quite big compared to the 1:16-scale models we were used to building, which were typically Revell kits but also AMT, Monogram, and others.
Here’s a photo inside the Visible V8 Engine box. With hundreds of detailed parts, most of them meant to be attached to other parts, and then all moving as an assembly via a battery-powered controller. It’s a daunting task to build something like that as an adult, let alone a kid. My brother and I somehow got ours to work close to 50 years ago. I don’t have a clue how, and I don’t know if I could do it today. Here’s what one person did to display his chassis and V8 kits once he built them. I would love to have that on display, even if I were the only one looking at it every day. Have any of you heard of these model kits, or better yet, built them?
I built the V8 kit in the early ‘60’s, it took awhile to put together but it was satisfying to turn on the motor and watch all the components working just like the real thing.
I got mine for Christmas, and it took also took me a bit of time to get things right too, but it was so cool to see it working and watch those little lights come on when it hit TDC.
For me, at that age, it was always a struggle: the Visible V-8 or the Visible Woman? I was equally lacking in knowledge on both subjects…
I do remember the visible V8 and the man and woman. I don’t remember the chassis one. I would have loved that as a kid. Just seeing the model boxes brings back very fond memories of the smell of the Hobby shop from when I was a kid. ( I mean this in a good nostalgic way). These kits are great. After reading about the professional model builder, I think I may have pursued the wrong career path. Then again, I wasn’t very good at it. My older brother was terrific. He’d fix my blunders. This is a great find Gary, thank you for finding it. And Scotty thank you so much for the great write up and memories !!!
“…professional model builder…”
My first assignment after USAF basic training was to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA to study Russian for a year- a tragic mistake for all involved. I lasted six weeks, and then was used for miscellaneous jobs until my new orders came in. One day, I delivered a message to the Dean’s office. There was a pile of model kits on a shelf and a number of partially built models laying around. Being nosy, I respectfully asked the Dean what they were for. They were used as training aids by teachers in the classrooms- armored vehicles, planes, ships, etc.- all military equipment. He was frustrated because students would agree to build them, but wouldn’t finish (they were buried with homework). I basically said, “I am your guy- I won several model building contests as a teenager.”
For the next 4 months, I was a “professional model builder”. They had an account at a local hobby shop, so I could get what I needed and charge it to the school. And I could do all of my work at home, off post. This was my first experience with an airbrush and high quality paint products from Great Britain. I cranked out a number of models and then asked the Dean if he could make this my permanent USAF job for four years. It was not to be, and I shipped off to Denver for my next assignment shortly thereafter.
I haven’t built a model since, although just before my discharge, I made a complete set of drawings for a team building full size (1:1 scale) realistic mockups of Soviet surface to air missile systems. They were for use on USAF gunnery and bombing ranges as targets for the fast movers. With a little work, you can make a pretty convincing SA-2 out of a telephone pole.
Both super cool, but i would guess over many years some parts are missing or broke.
My brothers and I built over 300 plastic models as kids – I still have a dozen or so on display in my shop. I built the Visible Man model when I was a young teen, and always wanted to build a Visible V8, but the kit was always too expensive for my budget.
I finally got to build that kit with my 9 year-old grandson a few months ago. It was all “screw-together,” so no glue, and we actually completed it in one afternoon. I sent it home with him; he’s really into robots and the like and had a great time putting it together.
I had a feeling this was a coming. With the toys surfacing from our childhood, this had to be on this guys radar. I was even going to suggest one.
I too had the visible V8, 2 in fact, but never saw the chassis, or the man/woman. No, they weren’t anatomically correct. The 1st V8, I was a kid and struggled with it. Glue everywhere, and the dist. gears were funky and the flashing “plugs” never worked. I think the starter, powered by 2 D cells(?) was not the best. Once completed, it did give a very accurate view of what was going on in dads Oldsmobile motor as he cussed at the Braves( now Brewers). Then I got another as a teen, and was a much improved model, but the plugs never flashed either, but improved starter.
Fast forward to about 4 years ago. My daughter got me the “new” Haynes visible V8, which is a belt driven (grrrrr) OHC V8, and similar to a Toyota, I think. I haven’t built it yet, and has no electrics, a crank to turn it. The OHC eliminated the pushrods and lifters, and no glue either. I think of what must have gone into designing, making and selling a model like this. It’s a great find, but at $600, it’s crossed the line to collectors, who couldn’t care less how a engine works. What an about face from “our” days, hey?
My Visible V8 was powered with D Cells as I recall so I think you’re right Howard. I could never get the timing exactly right on mine either.. for some reason no matter what I did one cylinder was always off a little, so I finally just gave up and let it be. It was still cool though and I learned how car engines worked at the time, which was great since they didn’t have an auto shop in my high school. I also think their asking price is considerably optimistic btw.. I don’t imagine there are many of us left who want to learn how an old school engine works.
I built the visible V8 and visible chassis over the winters of 7th and 8th grade, built a beautiful oak display case in 9th grade wood shop to display it! The rear differential worked, you could shift the transmission, and watching the pistons go up and down as the crankshaft rotated was mesmerizing! Unfortunately the working model didn’t survive a few moves during early years as an adult but I still have the oak display case.
I just want to add. I love that Box with the kid with his Dad whos wearing a tie and a jacket and smoking his pipe whos going to work on it with him. ( Did that ever actually happen anywhere? Did some Dad somewhere wearing a jacket and tie say Son I’m going to help you assemble this model?) It was a different time for sure.
“I’ll be right back, Jimmy. I appears that I have glued my index finger to my pipe.”
Built the Visible Man, never even looked at it after I finished it. Guess I wasn’t cut out to be a doctor. Did build the Big Jag though, but really wanted the Big T kit!
Even the VAT (vinyl asbestos tile) floor tiles in the first photo look retro period-correct.
Renwal’s factory was in my home town of Carle Place, NY. As kids we were always dumpster diving for any toys or model kits that got tossed because of defects…
If you google “visible V8 model” you can find many different ones between $50 and $150, including the latest Revell kit on Amazon
I never knew about the chassis kit. My oldest brother had & built the V-8 kit. Very cool for this kid to see all the parts! The chassis is killer. As noted by another commenter I too would have liked to have that. To this day as I reach retirement age I am continually fascinated by machinery of all kinds.
A bit over the top pricy though for the chassis.
I have been building models since i was 6yrs old, I built the visable V-8 in my teens, it worked great! The visible chassie was desighned to connect to the visable V-8 and work together as a unit. I have the visable V-8 & chassie (both unbuilt) along with 60 built custom cars and 60 unbuilt model cars, Problem is now I’m 66yrs old crippled & 1/2 blind…
I remember building two of those visible V8 engines. The first one was around age 9, which was too young and the second one I built the Pistons seized to the cylinder walls, I got some glue between them. The more modern versions had a crank, no electrics.
That chassis is great! I wanted one for my birthday but decided on a Johnny Speed
remote control(corded) sports car. My older one was a Crusader 101.
I remember these, never built one though and had no idea the “chassis” was so big. And I suppose that rumor was untrue about the company’s demise after they released the ‘Visible Supermodel’.
How neat to see these show up on BF.. I didn’t know they even made a chassis, that would’ve been cool to go along with my V8 back in the day.
Got one as a teen, circa 1976. Never got it to rotate properly, and scrapped it a few years later.
Fast forward to 2017 (ish) and I bought another. It festered in the stash for 6 years until I sold it (at a loss)
Does anyone remember what the original Renwal V8 model cost in the 1960’s