Having built a lot of these as a kid, I am gob-smacked that this gentleman designed them, and they were not reproductions of actual cars which were raced or at least displayed in some place I wasn't. Maybe a mythical California.... I did see a few of these at auto shows, but I am so happy you made this video, and filled in some of the pieces. Hooray Tom Daniel! He created brilliant representations of automotive art.

I built so many of those models as a youth.

I built the Red Baron. Looked pretty cool too. I’m 70 now and I still remember the thrill of building that thing.

Hi Max! That's another great one of your videos! I got into Ed Roth's rods and Tom Daniel's kits a few years back and simply fell in love with these kits. It is a great way to escape the world of rivet-counting. If you hit the modelling blues, build one of those Tom Daniel designed kits and enjoy their great design. That doesn't only include the look of the built model, but also the way the parts are broken down to have an easy building experience. I have quite a few Red Baron kits from old to new to tin boxes, including two of the large kits. Thanks for this video!

Of his 75 models I am sure I built 50 of them As I turn 60 this year I was part of the Hot Rod age When I was a kid in the late 60s and early 70s my dad would take me the AutoRama shows where cars like his models were real life

Twenty years ago I was an Occupational Health Nurse in the Design Building at the GM Tech Center in Warren, Mich. The Medical Department was located in the Wood Shop where the mock-ups of concept cars are made (actually made of fiberglass and foam now, not wood). Quite fun to have access to see the 1:1 scale models that would go to the auto shows. Those guys were real artists, working 12 hour days seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Upstairs, the sculptors worked in their studios making various scale models of concept cars that the wood makers would use as their guides. As a nurse, my Medical Pass gave me full access throughout the building. Very tight security, never was allowed to talk about what I saw. Never met Tom Daniel, but was up in Don Cherry's office a few times for coffee.....ah, those were the days.

I built the "FLAP JACKS" model when I was a kid. It worked wonderfully!!!! AND... as an aside, I just love your music choices too!

Max, as a model builder I just want to say thank you. Your videos are very enjoyable, but this one, much like it's subject, lives right in my heart. No expletives can match the memories and emotions brought forth while watching and seeing the many models I built, and still treasure to this day. Well done and thanks again.

Built all sorts of kits in the early 1970s, but Red Barron and Rommel's Rod were two I absolutely had to have and they remain favorites. Great video.

Thanks for the flashback to early days of my model building. I surely enjoyed going to get a new Monogram model with Tom Daniels name on it.

Tom, I just want to say Thank you from the bottom of my heart, you allowed me to spend many of hours with my uncle Joey , which brought me joy watching him make your model’s witch he loved to do, he has long past and I’ll never forget those times

What a feel good story, I’m happy to learn these things about Tom Daniel. For all the way-out whimsy with his model designs, discipline was also an ingredient. He must have had the concerns of tooling design and engineering firmly in mind when he created them, which lead to nicely executed kits that were sensible in complexity and assembled with few issues. I don’t remember ever getting frustrated with building any of his kits.

Thanks for the history story Max. I built several of his car kits in the 60s/70s. My favorite is still The Beer Wagon. Built at least 3 of them. I have been buying up the current editions. Have another Beer Wagon, plus the Tijuana Tax, Rommels' Rod, Boot Hill Express, and Munsters to work on. They were so cool back then and they still are today. They will never become outdated.

Started building model cars in 1970. Monogram had the best kits with body colored plastic, simple assembly and larger 1/24 scale. Tom Daniel is my favorite car designer. Thanks for the Tribute.

I was fortunate enough to met Tom Daniels at a model show in Las Vegas in October 2003. I told him about all the cars I built. I did not realize at the time he designed them. We talked about Rommel's Rod I built as a kid, I asked him why I could not find another one, and he told me the story that the mold had been destroyed. I have seen the kit for sale so I wonder was the mold destroyed or recut? At least that's what he told me We talked for an hour or so he was a very gracious man. Thanks for the memories Max.

Great video! Thank you! As an adolescent and teen during the 70s, I built many of Tom's designs. Some were built multiple times with my own modifications. Many kits were a bit simplified, but they always looked good and went together well. My favorites are the Badman 55 Chevy, Sand Crab, Poison Pinto, Tarantula, and the Baja Bandito.

I made dozens of those when I was a kid. I even won a couple trophies in a local model building contest back in the 60s at the local Kresse store in Hot Springs, AR. After my parents died, we were cleaning out the house and I pulled a small box out of the closet in my bedroom. Turns out my mom had saved a number of the models that I built including the Tarantula and the Dragon Wagon. I had seen that box on my closet shelf for decades but never realized what was in it. I ended up selling the models in the estate sale. Also, I still have the original 45 of the Snoopy vs. the Red Baron song. I loved all those souped up hot rods. Today I even have a real 68 El Camino! So, thanks, Tom, for making a kids life much more enjoyable and memorable!

Wish there was a love button. Thank you for this great video. I've built many of these kits over the years. I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr. Daniel in Denver a couple of years ago in the Atlantis booth at a small trade mart show (spur of the moment as I had flown in for a meeting from Houston). So glad I did. What a nice gentleman. His very fine art work was on display in the booth. The Atlantis guys were also a pleasure to visit with. Again, thank you for a great video.

I built A LOT of those models back in the day. Monogram Models were the BEST.

Had so many of these as a kid. Only two model contest wins ever were with the vandal and beer wagon models. Thanks for the nostalgia!

I built most of Tom kits and his designs were my favorite. Love Tom.

Excellent video and thanks bringing back many fond memories of building many Monogram model car kits designed by Mr. Daniel!

as a child i remember gluing many a Tom Daniels models to my shirt my bedroom carpet my dog my cat my mother . thank you Mr Daniel for some of my best memories .

There's a time in my life that will haunt me for many lives, and maybe help in one of them. I never embraced the Fisher Body Craftsmans Guild Car Design Contest. (I'm 71 now.) I didn't know then that I would be the craftsman that I am today. If I had, and had done well in the contest, I can now see doorways open from every direction. I see how artists gained entry into dream careers early in their lives because they trained themselves to create whatever they could imagine and craft with their own hands. Thank you for your coverage of these crafting heroes. Much more than the eye can see.

What an awesome video. I bought an entirely too expensive California Street Vette a couple of years ago off eBay and enjoyed every second building it. I look forward to seeing how you top this video Max! Well done!

My small town Trenton Michigan most guys my age from 1967- 1974 all built these kits. Almost everyone had the red baron, badman, ice tee and all the rest. Long winters and basements are perfect for building models.

The opening zoom out on the multiple boxes , reminds me the joy i had back in the 70's ,everytime i opened the door of "techniloisirs" , our kit dealer ,in Dieppe, Normandy. It's still vivid now that i'm turning 53.I was a Monogram addict ,and still am

Thanks max another fine job.I do have some of his models.never been built.even the surfen wagon.in my storage case.and I did have mad max.the snoopy & the red baron song was one my favorites.when I was a teen.and I still have the old rod & customs magazines yet.thanks max.👍 👍 👍.

Another masterful job Max !! Even though I wasn't a huge fan of that type of model you do have to admire the guy, only ever built Rommel's Rod (which I must dig out of the archive/scrap box and rebuild....) but sold quite a few even in conservative Edinburgh in the early 70s !!!

Let's see...Beer Wagon, Ice T, Paddy Wagon and my all time favorite build, Rommel's Rod. I'm sure there were a few others lost to memory. Thanks a bunch for this one. Many good memories. Oh, and George Barris was famous for taking credit where it wasn't due, even from his brother Sam.

I'm in my 50th year of building models and it never gets old. I had the 'Cop Out', 'Outcast', still have, 'Paddy Wagon'. Woolworth had all the cool models.

I drooled over most of these in the hobby stores and bought quite a few.

To build a career out of drawing cars essentially is an amazing feat.

One of your best shows!

I always liked Tom Daniel's vehicles and try to buy every re pop that comes out and still have 3 originals from when I grew up. You did a great job on this video Thanks!

Even as a kid I recognized that this guy had a certainly comedic quality that was not only fun and clever but quite doable as an actual vehicle. I've built a ton of his designs. Not really surprised that he designed my favorite of all times the Dragula.

I'm totally unfamiliar with Tom Daniel but as an illustrator I am totally fascinated by his career and journey. Yet another Art Center alum that has gone on to do incredible work, for decades. I'm from another generation and his designs aren't even necessarily my particular penchant, but the skill and discipline is absolutely undeniable. I salute you, Tom! Thanks for bringing him to my attention, excellent video.

Great video, several kits there I now want.. I built the Garbage Truck in 1968 and loved that kit, I'd happily build that again. Finally last year, after 52 years, I managed to get the Beer Wagon. Being in the UK, getting hold of the Tom Daniel's kits was very difficult.

G'day , I'm 72 and live in Australia . I was about 10 when I built my first plastic model kit , It was the Airfix Santa Maria not long after that I saw Monagrams Bloodhound rocket and from then on I was always building something over the following years I built The Baron , Tarantula, and a heap of others ,...my room was getting crowded .....I realy would have loved to build that 1/12th Baron . I'm still building plastic kits ........it came in handy when we went into lockdown . But when it comes down to it , was my fire kept burning just waiting to see what Tom came up with next ..................THANK YOU TOM DANIELS Cheers Guys ....keep em coming , ok?

Thanks for bring back my childhood.

J-BAR HOBBIES in Tecumseh Michigan carries a lot of these kits. I was there March 14 2020, had quite a selection. Snoopy and the Red Baron. Yes.

Another Great video Max Red Baron, S'Cool bus ,CopOut and Vandel also the Vambulance just some of the Tom Daniels kits I've enjoyed over the years

Interesting history, wicked cool vehicles, and I like the song at the end. If I could, I would thumbs up this at least three times.

My first Tom Daniel model was The Red Baron! Must have been around 1967, when I started getting into models. I will remember the Red Baron car forever. Nice to finally see who created such a fine model. Well done, Sir!

Thanks so much for making this video. It brought back so many memories of all the TD kits I built. Well done.

Ah, the days when models were affordable.

My first model was Bad Medicine. I annoyed my mom to buy it for me at the Woolworths store in Nanticoke Pa. I was about 5 or 6 and it was ‘70 or ‘71. I had no idea how to build it so my older sister helped me build.......she had no idea either and we built is using Elmer’s glue. Hundred of models later (cars/military/sailing ships/rockets/aircraft/railroad) it is one of my fondest memories.

I remember building the Red Baron and I'm certain I built a couple of the others. And I remember when The Ballad of The Red Baron was released. I'm still a Snoopy fan!

I remember spending the better part of an afternoon putting together the Flap Jack as a kid and how crazy it looked when it was turned on.

What a fantastic video. Thank you so much for posting this. It bought back so many great memories!!!!

GREAT GREAT VIDEO! Built a lot of those models too many years ago! Loved them all Big Thumbs up on this!!

As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to model cars, Tom was the best, most creative model designer in the business.

I remember building the Red Baron car and the Flap Jack. Gotta try and find another Flap Jack now!

I built close to 40 of Tom's designs. I loved his stuff growing up in the '70's. I even had an idea for a car/kit because of the Paddy Wagon.

Wow great video, First off thank you Mr. Tom Daniels as a young kid back in the day I built many of those models. It's cool to go back down memory lane. Thanks for also making the video..

Great video, thank you! Anyone remember Hot Rod CARtoons? Similar style and I still love it.

Thanks for this! I built so many of these, at least twenty five. My Dad built my first for me (Baja Bandito), my first glue bombs were pretty disappointing after that but I got better. When I was about ten I actually drew up a set of instructions for a custom Cherry Bomb-inspired design, and sent it off to Tom Daniel! I've never had an ounce of artistic talent, but he sent me back a very nice encouraging letter and autographed photo. Wish I still had the letter but I've got the photo here somewhere...

I didn't realize how many of Tom Daniel's designs I built. I remember building Bad Medicine, Ice-T, Red Baron, Rommel's Rod, Baja Beast, Satan's Cycle, S'Cool Bus, Flap Jack, Tijuana Taxi and a few of the Snap kits, Lil' Red Baron and Thunder Bug. Great memories.

I got to meet Tom at a hobby convention and he was absolutely amazing! I actually got to spend a few hours chit-chatting with him and he signed quite a few pieces of my Tom Daniels memorabilia my goal now is to collect every Tom Daniel's kid I can get my hands on.. I am also proud to say he gave me an original piece of artwork signed specifically to me that I have hanging on my wall

My life without Tom's work and its direct effect on it, I literally cannot imagine what it would have been like. No models, hot wheels, tv shows, car shows? From 66'-74' would be completely vacant. That whole scene was my youth man. Can you dig that Daddy-O?

Awesome narration as always. I built so many of these kits when I was a kid, we just thought they were cool, so different than the factory models. With several uncles and aunts, Christmas was always a given for loading up on models. You just had to tell one of them about these kits, they all ganged up on getting one that was different.

I remember this spent my allowance on going to hobby shops

Built the VanDal about 45 years ago. Loved that it came with the mini-bike. It was a fairly challenging kit to build. I had enough experience at that time to control the glue well enough to keep it off the plexi drivers dome. This has been a fun jaunt down memory lane! Thank You!

Thank you!

Great video! I've really been enjoying these historical looks at the pursuits of my childhood. Thanks! I spent a lot of time not only building models, but also shopping/lusting in the Autoworld catalog as a kid. I got into building models because my older brother was into it. I started at about 9 or 10 and moved-on at about 13. We were both all about cars and motorcycles. My first models included the Dragon Wagon and the Garbage Truck. The T'rantula was my gateway into more realistic race cars: stock cars, drag cars, and road racers. I had no idea that so many of these models I built at the start were designed by the same person. I remember Badman as one of the cars my brother built. I really enjoyed my early building of the more whimsical models. But, once I got into building realistic race cars (and later the larger scales) there was no going back. But, early on, these fun designs were *the* thing for. me.

I've been a Tom Daniel fan since I was a kid (54 now)and have several of his kits, new and old issue in my stash. Thanks for the bio/video on his career, looking forward to more like this.

BTW. Awesome video. Brings back memories of Saturdays in the 70's, begging mom drive me the the hobby shop for a model and spend the afternoon building. Thanks...

I'd like to say this is your best video yet (being a Tom Daniel fan) but I know there's more to come exceptional video for the modeling community or any historian of fun things.

Right on! Thanks for this great story. Always loved Mr Daniels work. I built a bunch, but the Dragon Wagon and Rommels Rod were my favorites. My dad went to high school with Tom. Thanks again!

Love your work, thank you for bringing us back to our childhood!

Well done. As a kid from the "Wonder Years" I've made a few of those kits. Some came out as "glue bombs" but I kept at the hobby.and still do kits fifty years later. The "Rommel's Rod (re-pop)" is on my bench now. Keep the 60's coming. Peace man.

Had the privilege of meeting Tom Daniel about 17 years ago at a car show in Las Vegas. He liked the car I built which was a crude tribute to Dracula. Autographed the back of it for me too.

Thanks Max for another great video. One of the few car models in my display case is the Red Baron.

Idk how many times I've built the Red Baron and several other ones. I have a Red Baron in the Tin Box on the Shelf. Thanks again

Very well done!

Memories..... Wowza!!! Did that take me back to my childhood... I built many of those kits... Wish I still had them!!! Live on model builders!!!!

At one time I built all of Tom Daniel Monogram car kits. I built models from 1970 to 1975 the first kit was the harley trike but it was called the Evil Iron back then and from there is history. I had four shelves of Monogram and I loved everyone of those Kits. Even at a young age I could see Tom's wonderful hand he had in design. Thank you Mr. Daniel for inspiring me to do something creative with my life, God Bless.

Great video, I don't know how you managed to turn out high quality content so fast. Had the pleasure of chatting to Tom via email and he's a really nice guy.

Max, your video on Tom Daniel was nothing at all like I expected. It was so much better than I expected that I have no idea how to express it. Your words and voice were incredibly down to earth. I wish I could get a book or magazine listing and illustrating all the models he designed. I would love to see what other car designs he did that were not done as models. I started building models in the early sixties. By the time I enlisted in the USAF I had sixty prized models. When I came home from basic training, my older brother rescued only one sole survivor. My 5 year old brother destroyed the rest. Not a word was spoken by my parents; like it never even happened.

I Counted 15 to 17 possible models that I built from Monograms “Tom Daniel designs” including the desert fox ! Half Mercedes, half half track, all convertible ! I also did the sand crab, the copper, Beach bomb VW, the vandal wagon with the minibike came out as a ambulance too and I built both versions ! The Corvette as well ! Then there are several others but I can’t remember all at the moment ! 🌊🐺

Excellent video and so great to have Tom's legendary back story. And yes, I could let you go on all night. So many memories

Another good video.

Great vid Max. I bought my second Red Baron kit since it included the redline Hot Wheels Red Baron as a promotional inside the box, and I'd already been collecting redlines. Had fun building both of those kits. The third one I bought and still have stilled sealed, from around 1973, which makes a nice time capsule for me. I think the Paddy Wagon kit came with the redline included at some point as well. Little did I know at the time that Tom visited Monogram Models in Morton Grove, IL on Waukegan Road a couple times a year, just 11 miles from where I grew up.

I almost cried when I watched this video...because after all these years I finally know the name of the man that had probably the biggest impact on my LIFELONG.love affair with all things automotive...thank you for this...As well as learning the true designer and the builder of the munsters vehicles...amazing how that was stolen from him thank you Tom Daniel for a lifetime of beautiful work and bringing so much to the automotive industry.....and thank you for making this video.....well done....

I built a bunch of these, they were great models!

I have the red baron built in the box in my closet, along with his Vette, the cop out, unbuilt are the paddy wagon, and the second offering of the Bad Man 55 the 55 Chev street machine I have built at least 5 times, the last one was the best , I still have it, the one that I regret not having is the bad news 60 sedan delivery which later was turned into the Quick Silver, Monogram models were always my favorite, thanks for the memories!

I built many of those kits and was fascinated by the imagination that made them possible. It was hot rod art, but it also made me think that anything was possible and filled my childhood with fun.

Growing up in the early seventies we had alot of models from Tom's designs. Great memories.

The Groovy Grader...19:04. I'm not into 'fictional' kits but as a kid on Saturday mornings my Dad took me around some of his company's job sites. Today, the smell of diesel and fresh asphalt always takes me back. I saw heavy equipment up close. Dump trucks, loaders, dozers, excavators, paving machines and Graders. I bought the 'Goofy Grader' about 15 years ago on a whim. Molded in yellow with lots of chrome, 1"-wide rubber tires, 'active' front and rear suspension, rotating chrome blade. Still have it on the shelf.

I still have Tijuana Taxi, Ice-T, Street Fighter, The Munster Coach, had several others and plan to get more. At 64, I have no plans to stop modeling.

I really appreciate you posting this video brother I've been a model car builder for over 30 years and I think this video was the ball history well worth living thank you thank you

GREAT video! Years ago I had the honor of speaking with TD over the phone about his designs and he was an amazing gentleman. I have and will always remain a huge fan of him and his work.

The "Trantula" and "The Red Baron".... My favorites. So many good memories of modeling as a young man!!

while the Munsters was airing, I built a dragster from spare parts and a coffin that came with a hearse kit.

I would love to see a longer video like this , and showing some of your favorite and special models. This was a cool video , thank you for sharing. 👍👍👍✌️✌️✌️

Man this brings back memories! Particularly that T'rantula kit and it's cursed chute! Back when I was in 1st or 2nd grade (about 50 years ago) that kit came out and the local Ace hardware store (where me and all my friends got our kits from) had a fully built sample with the chute fully deployed on display. Of course every kid, myself included, wanted one. Of the 5 or 6 kids I knew who got one, NONE of us could manage to get that chute to look like it did on the store sample or the box! We all ended up just gluing the packed version of the chute onto the back of the car! Over the years when I think back on modelling that one failure always haunts me and I swear I'm gonna find another one of those kits and give it another try! (yeah, yeah, I need to learn to let things go! LOL)

The coolest kits ever. Kids today have a computer game. We had the best. Models, comics, trading cards, matchbox, B/O toys, playsets. All high quality. Worth money today.

Thanks for introducing me to the designer of my 1/24 Red Baron which I built in the 70s. It was the first kit I had to scrape chrome off for gluing. It was pure joy.

I built almost every one of his Monogram Cars and my father built a special 4 shelf display across my room that was 48' fi shelving and then when that was full I put then on every flat space in my room. They used to cost $2.38 at the model store when I was 12 no I'm 62 and these are still on the shelf at the store but cost $20.00+ One of my school buddies had acquired several of these models but had no interest in building them but wanted then to display in his room so he paid me to build them for him can't get much better than that !

I built the PADDY WAGON, and the CIRCUS DRAGON WAGON. Another great history lesson. Thanks