Aurora Prehistoric Scenes re-issued by Atlantis

[Halichoeres]

Atlantis Models is re-issuing two of the Prehistoric Scenes kits from Aurora (ca. 1970s). For those unfamiliar, these are plastic snap-together kits that don't necessarily require glue.



Sabertooth Tiger


Cave Bear

I haven't been able to find out whether the rest of the series will be re-issued as well.

[CityRaptor]

Interesting. I thought the molds for those two were among those that were destroyed. I wonder if they are recreated ones.

[Halichoeres]

I didn't realize any of the molds had been destroyed. I would be interested to see the Jungle Swamp kit re-issued. I have the original, but a couple parts are missing and others have broken pegs.

[Gwangi]

Neat! I would like to give the Cave bear a try.

[triceratops83]

These were great kits, I've built a couple of them. Would be great if they re-issued the others - I'd like to build the allosaurus.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

The only one I have is the big Tyrannosaurus. I wish I had bought more of those Aurora What-if kits years back.

Molds should be easy enough to recreate with the right investment. They could 3D scan or mold a version of the current ones and then cast it again.

[triceratops83]

The only one I have is the big Tyrannosaurus. I wish I had bought more of those Aurora What-if kits years back.

Molds should be easy enough to recreate with the right investment. They could 3D scan or mold a version of the current ones and then cast it again.

If I remember correctly, they re-released that big Tyrannosaurus as a glow in the dark version as well. Wish I grabbed that one.

[Crackington]

Yes that was always the received wisdom, that the molds were lost for many of the kits, apart from the ones that Monogram and Revell re-issued.

These were the dinosaurs plus the Pteranodon and the Dimetrodon and you can still get them on ebay @triceratops83

Good point on no longer needing the molds though @Blade-of-the-Moon - it would be great if they could all be released again.

Quick edit - they are being sold on UK ebay:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395253758431?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=kOlq1hkUSMy&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=y4grGFtORgq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Just ordered the Cave Bear - thanks for the tip-off @Halichoeres

[Halichoeres]

Oh that reminds me I didn't include a link. For folks in the US:
https://atlantis-models.com/prehistoric-scenes-cave-bear-1-13-usa/
https://atlantis-models.com/prehistoric-scenes-saber-tooth-tiger-1-13-usa/

[Crackington]

My Cave Bear kit arrived this morning and I will post some snaps of it during the Easter break. It looks great btw!

Atlantis website is very interesting and it looks like they may have more of the Prehistoric Scenes molds and tooling after all, they got them from Revell in 2018 amongst many other brands that Revell had bought out:

https://atlantis-models.com/about-us/

It'd be great if more get released. Fingers crossed!

[Crackington]

As promised, here's some snaps of the Atlantis Cave Bear kit, which I've enjoyed putting together. You can see the wonderful Aurora box art upstream in @Halichoeres first post, but this is the kit at first site on opening:



Here it all is laid out....



And built up - will probably paint the bear up at some point:



It really does look like they have the original molds too, as evidenced by these Aurora stamps on some of the larger parts like the bottom of the base here. I recall seeing this on the original kit I had as a lad in the 1970s:



Hope you enjoy the snaps

[SidB]

Wonderful, @Crackington . Would you be painting it?

[Faelrin]

The description of the Cave Bear from the link @Halichoeres shared:

1/13 scale. This kit was last seen on store shelves in the early 1970's. The Atlantis kit comes molded in Bear Brown with a cave scene including cave wall, nameplate and bear skulls. Model has movable head, and front and rear legs. From the Original Aurora Tooling. Snap-Together Assembly.

This is exciting news. I hope they re-release more of them. Would love the swamp one, and the cave set. My father especially will be glad for this. He grew up with these and adores them (as well as the Marx dinosaurs) to this day. Would be a perfect surprise gift for him.

Edit: I showed him. He was excited for sure. He hopes they get the Allosaurus though as that was his favorite.

[Crackington]

Thanks S @SidB - yes, I think I'll need to paint it. The only thing that went wrong with the kit is that his left ear wouldn't go in all the way and I didn't want to damage the head by forcing it. I think I can fix this with some putty and then perhaps turn the raised ear into a feature - a bloody wound received in a fight!

Your dad has great taste @Faelrin - Marx and Aurora! You can already get the Allosaurus though, as reissued by Revell. I got one relatively cheap off ebay a while back, just kept an eye out for it.

I'm planning on getting some of the kits out in the next few days and show them off with the new Ursus Spelaeus in my collection thread.

[Faelrin]

@Crackington Thanks for the heads up on that. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that one then.

[SidB]

It's great that Atlantis is re-issuing these classic Aurora pieces, @Crackington , and that the molds were salvaged/saved from oblivion. It's by no means a given that old molds survive the trial of the years and the demise of their original creators. Then too, it's good that there is still a market (yourself, for instance) for them, to encourage their continued existence and propagation.

[andrewsaurus rex]

Wasn't there a tar pit one as well?

[Crackington]

Thanks for the kind words S @SidB

A @andrewsaurus rex - yes with a poor woolly rhino stuck in it and a vulture ghoulishly looking on!

There's a good website where you can see all the Aurora (and others) kits, as well as a gallery with built up ones:  https://www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/main.html