AiP (Bachmann Europe)
Bachmann Europe’s plastic-kit brand, “Adventures in Plastic”. Its Thunderbirds range, launched in 2021, is largely UK reboxes of Aoshima kits, plus a newly tooled 1:144 Thunderbird 2.
Maker’s plates · 18 makers and publishers
Who made what
The toy companies, kit makers and publishers behind the items in our cabinet. Each plate lists the years we can source and links to that maker’s specimens.
Anderson Entertainment
The company Gerry Anderson founded in 2002. It produces licensed Thunderbirds products — books, audio, collectables and Blu-rays — under agreements with ITV Studios.
Aoshima
Japanese kit maker that acquired Imai’s science-fiction moulds, including the Thunderbirds kits, in 2002, and still makes Thunderbirds kits.
Bandai
Japanese toy company that produced the tie-in toys for the 2004 live-action film and became UK distributor of Thunderbirds Are Go toys in 2019.
Big Chief Studios
Maker of 1:6 scale character figures, founded in 2011 by Mark Andrews and Tony Leetham. It announced its Thunderbirds range in 2016.
Corgi
British die-cast brand, owned by Hornby since 2008. Its 50th- and 60th-anniversary Thunderbirds ranges are the main die-cast on sale new today.
Dinky Toys (Meccano Ltd)
Meccano Ltd’s die-cast brand, made at Binns Road, Liverpool. Its FAB 1 (No. 100) and Thunderbird 2 (Nos. 101 and 106) were the original 1960s Thunderbirds die-cast.
Hasegawa
Plastic-kit maker whose 1:72 F-16C Block 52 Thunderbirds kit was listed by Hannants in October 2026.
Haynes
Publisher of the *Thunderbirds Agents’ Technical Manual* (2012), in the style of its famous workshop manuals.
Hobby Master
Maker of 1:72 die-cast aircraft whose “Air Power” series includes many USAF Thunderbirds F-16s, plus the F-4E, F-100D, T-38 and F-105B.
Imai Kagaku (Imai)
Japanese plastic-kit maker whose Thunderbirds kits, launched in 1966, were a big hit in Japan. It stopped trading in 2002.
Kinetic Model Kits
Plastic-kit maker with a 1:48 F-16D Viper “Thunderbirds” Gold Series kit.
Matchbox
Took the Thunderbirds toy licence in January 1992 for the BBC2 revival and made the famous Tracy Island playset, die-cast, electronic craft and figures.
Round 2 (AMT, American Muscle)
Producer of AMT car kits — including 1:25 Ford Thunderbird kits from 1956 to 1971 — and American Muscle 1:18 die-cast.
Sixteen 12 Collectibles (formerly Product Enterprise)
Maker of large “studio scale” replicas of Gerry Anderson craft. It describes itself as the continuation of Product Enterprise, which its founder says was established in 1997.
Trumpeter
Plastic-kit maker with 1:48 Thunderbirds kits of the F-100D Super Sabre and T-38A Talon.
Virgin Books
Publisher of Marcus Hearn’s *Thunderbirds: The Vault* (2015).
Vivid Imaginations
British toy company founded in 1992. It made Thunderbirds toys for the 2000 revival and the 2005 40th anniversary, and was master toy partner for Thunderbirds Are Go.