CCotW: The AMT Piranhas (1966-68) – Part 1

AMT – Aluminum Model Toys – was a manufacturer of promotional models for the Detroit Big Three, as well other vehicle manufacturers. Founded in the late 1940s, AMT’s models were an essential part of a dealer’s marketing strategy in the years before the widespread adoption of television. In many cities and towns in America, promotional models would extend a dealer’s presence to prominent places around town where customers might be found.

Mid-1950s AMT models were of plastic, but the company was still called Aluminum Model Toys

The ‘Aluminum’ part of the corporate name was rapidly overtaken by the emergence of coloured plastics in the 1950s, and while moving to produce plastic models the company quietly adopted the abbreviated name AMT. The rapid development of ABS and polystyrene also allowed a large number of new plastic products to be developed, including the soon-to-be-ubiquitous model kit, to be assembled at home by hobbyists.

Early models could be built as tame or wild as one wanted

Early promotional models and model kits were made by AMT in close association with automobile company styling departments. Many early kits had three options – standard, a mild ‘custom’ and a more radical, stylized version that was a thinly veiled concept car. Many styling ideas that never reached full-scale metal found an expression in these 1/25 scale plastic models.

Hot Rod and Custom model kits began to enter AMT’s offerings in the 1960s

In the early 1960s, with the development of the custom car and hot rod scene, model makers bought the rights to famous designs by Big Daddy Roth, George Barris, Dean Jeffries, and many others, many of whom were on the AMT payroll. Deals with the automakers continued, and were enriched by the input of those famous customizers, making for some very creative model kits indeed.

At the same time, a number of plastics manufacturers were busy exploring the possibilities of polystyrene and ABS in a full-size vehicle. One of these manufacturers was Marbon Chemical, a division of Borg-Warner, which wanted a ‘halo car’ to express the possibilities of plastics at all scales of manufacture.

Marbon Chemical’s plastic car prototype, the CRV I

Marbon hired a designer named Dann Deaver to design the car. Deaver owned a small company called Centaur Engineering that built race cars, and he designed a two-piece plastic body shell that was thermo-formed out of a Marbon material called ‘Cycolac’ – an early and very durable form of ABS plastic. This body shell was then mounted on a Centaur-designed steel tubular frame.

The CRV was a great success at its introduction in 1965

The resulting prototype was called the CRV – the Cycolac Research Vehicle. It was a two-seat roadster with a rear-mounted 42hp 4 cylinder Sunbeam engine. Built in late 1964, it was a hit when presented at the annual Society of Automotive Engineers conference in January of 1965.

The CRV on tour in New York’s Central Park. A local ballerina tests the strength of the hood. The horse does not look impressed

Marbon and Borg-Warner were delighted, and authorized the development of further prototypes. Centaur Engineering became the Marbon Concepts Division, signifying its importance in the development of vehicle ideas for Borg-Warner.

CRV II was a modified design and built as a race car, and, again to Marbon’s delight, won its class in the SCCA racing circuit that year, even surviving a collision with a Jaguar during a race.

The CRV III was a car built to test crashworthiness. It was, predictably, a disaster – the impact test produced a shattered car which would only go to prove that plastics were not ready for the general public. The only piece to survive intact was the steering column, which would have impaled any unfortunate driver. The Corvair steering column was swiftly upgraded to a collapsible Toronado unit.

The CRV IV and V were sleek coupés. Note the Porsche grilles on the rear deck

CRV IV and V were new expressions of the CRV concept. They were sleek gullwing coupes which bore an interesting resemblance to Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Corvair Testudo concept of a few years beforehand. These coupes were sent to Europe to promote Borg-Warner’s extensive product line.

The CRV IV and V went on a Borg-Warner promotional tour in Europe – a great success

Further prototypes were built, both roadsters and coupes, but by 1966, despite its success, Marbon was actively looking for someone to take over their CRV program. Marbon, after all, was in the plastics business, not the car business, and the construction and testing of the prototypes was a drain on resources.

Enter AMT. The model toy company was riding the wave of model building in the mid-1960s and was looking for a way to expand their business. The CRV seemed a natural project for the company, and seemed to be a bit of elegant symmetry – the promotional model manufacturer now building its own full-scale cars, and of course, also building models of those cars to sell to hobbyists young and old.

AMT opened a shop and a sub-brand in Phoenix, Arizona to build plastic cars

AMT opened a new sub-brand, the Speed and Custom Division in Phoenix, Arizona, and hired veteran customizer Gene Winfield to run the operation. Winfield was a inspired choice. He had worked with AMT since 1962 on model kit projects, as well his own full-scale customs and movie cars. Winfield was a valuable Hollywood connection; a reliable artistic talent who was also a solid craftsman and well-connected businessman.

The Speed and Custom Division was imagined as a sort of American plastics carrozzeria, and looked forward to plenty of work from Hollywood, speciality projects from Detroit manufacturers, and now, their own line of sports cars based on the CRV.

Gene Winfield designed television and movie cars as well as hot rods and customs. Here William Shatner leans on the Reactor, a TV car that appeared in a number of shows

Marbon and Borg-Warner would continue to create the body shells for AMT’s fledgling venture. But AMT, which had a more realistic business sense about automobile manufacturing, would re-engineer the car to fit on a lightly modified Chevrolet Corvair chassis and use a rear-engined Corvair drivetrain in order to rein in costs. And, along with the engineering and accompanying restyling, the CRV acquired a new name: The Piranha.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. – a favorite television show in the US in the mid-1960s

As the Phoenix shop of AMT was coming together, Winfield heard of an opportunity at NBC. The very successful television series, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (fabulously kitschy video trailer below) was thinking of introducing a speciality car to increase young audiences, and to expand its already-successful line of tie-in products. A custom Dodge Charger had been in the works, but NBC was hesitant to give Chrysler a lot of free advertising by featuring the car.

Gene Winfield lengthened and modified a standard Piranha design (rear) to create the spy car for ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’

Winfield, sensing an opportunity, offered the Piranha as an alternative. The car had no direct tie-in with any manufacturer, and was sufficiently exotic to match the spy-mission narrative of the TV series. Best of all, AMT offered the car for free. NBC accepted the offer in exchange for AMT retaining all merchandising, and design copyrights.

It was a match made in heaven – everyone got a marketing boost, and the show was more popular than ever.

Stephanie Powers (top and above), seated on the Piranha spy car. The cast was less than impressed with its ergonomics

On the set, the principal characters were not so fond of the Piranha. Its racy profile –only 41 inches high – exotic gullwing doors and high sills made it difficult to get in and out, or even to sit in. It was much better as a prop than an actual car. Speedy exits chasing bad guys were impossible. A young Stephanie Powers, attempting to straddle the high sill in a skirt, looked at the director and griped: “you guys are crazy.” Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, the male leads, held a similar opinion after getting crowned by the gullwing doors.

The Piranha spy car had all sorts of exotic weaponry on board, but you still had to open the gullwing to shoot at the bad guys

Still, the car, though appearing in just a few episodes, had the desired effect of raising the profile of the TV show and AMT models. Both AMT and NBC were happy. A few bruised actors seemed a price well worth paying.

But AMT had greater aspirations than just being a prop in a television show. The company was to look to the race track for the future of the Piranha.

Next Week: The AMT Piranha continues its super spy mission while trying to conquer the race track as well. Stay tuned for the further adventures of our Concept Car of the Week, the AMT Piranha…