Airfix

[Gondor]

The 'Retro' Gazelle is a load of AI generated slop as it never WAS in that packaging!

Somewhere in The Loft I have an early Gazelle kit, and while it is in a plastic bag, the header strip surely isn't like that!

I think the idea is that it LOOKS retro, even if it isn't.

[jcf]

The 'Retro' Gazelle is a load of AI generated slop as it never WAS in that packaging!

Somewhere in The Loft I have an early Gazelle kit, and while it is in a plastic bag, the header strip surely isn't like that!

"AI"? Maybe, it looks to me like a simple graphic created in Illustrator, Corel etc. done in
a retro* style that harkens back to the graphics of the 1950s Airfix bagged kits.

*Contrary to a common perception retro does not mean old, it refers to something new that is
created in the style of a previous period i.e. a 1930s "Car of the Future" illustration isn't
"Retro-Futurism" it's period "Futurism". An illustration done now using the same style and
themes would be "Retro-Futurism".

[Nick]

Something to note is that all 5 of these kits are PEACEFUL in style. The Land Rover is now a farmers vehicle, the Gazelle has civilian markings, the Red Arrows don't have weapons, and there is no hint of a certain spy in the fast car.

I suspect that Lidl have put Airfix under pressure to provide non warlike kits for sale. Moving away from the tanks or bombers with explosions on the artwork and more towards calmer activities which go well with all the younger kiddies toys on their shelves.
Which probably explains why Lidl so often have the Airfix Quickbuild sports cars on the shelves. I did see a couple of (battered) Revell ship kits on the racks too.

I have seen comments from people now commenting that the Land Rover would look good on a railway set in a farmers field.
BUT.... the Comet and Gazelle are hard work and will not be good for getting anyone into the hobby.

[jcf]

Something to note is that all 5 of these kits are PEACEFUL in style. The Land Rover is now a farmers vehicle, the Gazelle has civilian markings, the Red Arrows don't have weapons, and there is no hint of a certain spy in the fast car.

I suspect that Lidl have put Airfix under pressure to provide non warlike kits for sale. Moving away from the tanks or bombers with explosions on the artwork and more towards calmer activities which go well with all the younger kiddies toys on their shelves.
Which probably explains why Lidl so often have the Airfix Quickbuild sports cars on the shelves. I did see a couple of (battered) Revell ship kits on the racks too.

I have seen comments from people now commenting that the Land Rover would look good on a railway set in a farmers field.
BUT.... the Comet and Gazelle are hard work and will not be good for getting anyone into the hobby.

The Land Rover was conceived as a farmer's vehicle, Gazelles have always been common on civil registers - the first production Gazelle was civil and half of the first 100 produced were civil, the Red Arrows don't perform with weapons and that Aston Martin kit, which dates to 2023, has never had anything to do with Bond.

[Rick Lowe]

The idea of 'sanitising' box artwork isn't new - Airfix did it themselves in the 70s.
I have catalogues from consecutive years, and the differences are pretty blatant...

[Weaver]

Airfix have re released some Starter Kits with a new retro artwork. These are only in Lidl and priced ar £6.99.

Red Arrows Hawk (2011)
Aston Martin DB5 (2023)
DH Comet DH.88 (1957)
Lnad Rover and Trailer (1991)
Westland Gazelle (1973)

www.lidl.co.uk/q_search?=airfix

The Hawk has already disappeared off the website, and oddly, that link doesn't work but this one does:

https://www.lidl.co.uk/q/search?q=airfix

[Weaver]

The idea of 'sanitising' box artwork isn't new - Airfix did it themselves in the 70s.
I have catalogues from consecutive years, and the differences are pretty blatant...

Disappearing swastikas mainly.

[Pellson]

The idea of 'sanitising' box artwork isn't new - Airfix did it themselves in the 70s.
I have catalogues from consecutive years, and the differences are pretty blatant...

Disappearing swastikas mainly.

Didn't the otherwise lovely Roy Cross artwork for the Jaguar GR.1 lose some bomb detonations?

[Weaver]

The idea of 'sanitising' box artwork isn't new - Airfix did it themselves in the 70s.
I have catalogues from consecutive years, and the differences are pretty blatant...

Disappearing swastikas mainly.

Didn't the otherwise lovely Roy Cross artwork for the Jaguar GR.1 lose some bomb detonations?

Not sure about that. I can't find an explosionless one online. The artwork was revised because the original was of a VERY early aircraft with a pointed nose, no RWR fairing, long intake splitter plates, underwing Sidewinders and a MATRA JL100 rocket/droptank (never an RAF weapon) on the centreline. However both versions still had the bomb explosions in the background.

I do recall combat scenes being removed from the background of some artwork, but I can't remember which ones I'm afraid.

[scautomoton]

Certainly some promotional artwork for the Hawker P.1121 originally had a mushroom cloud in the background, which was subsequently removed