History: 40? Editions #1 to #41? (no #13?)
              Published: 1958 to 1991
 

Background:
Auto World was started in 1958 by Oscar Koveleski and R.A. "Smitty" Smith, as a mail order source for the rapidly expanding model car market, which was spurred by the release of the first AMT/SMP 3 'n' 1 kits. The first 9 editions were "digest sized", but grew to full size at the slot boom neared the peak in 1966. My copy of the 1962 catalog shows a small amount of slot car stuff - Aurora HO Vibrators, VIP, Scalextric, and Strombecker. By 1965 1/2, there were MANY pages devoted to slot.

At the time, we lived an hour or so from Scranton, and occasionally were able to take a drive to visit the retail store. The first place I went to was the Jefferson Ave store, where the infamous Auto World "Car54, Where Are You" Ferrari was parked out front - minus the Ferrari motor, but before the Chevy V8 went in! "Smitty" waited on me. He required crutches to get around - I believe I found out later that he had Polio as a child. It was an effort for him to go back into the warehouse, so he grabbed my list out of my hand, and kind of grumbled as he went off. After he brought everything out to the counter and I paid for the stuff, I thanked him for his time. He grumbled "Sure, kid, it's my job". But I caught a little smile on his face as he turned to go back into the warehouse...

Mike Baltes was the main one who put the catalogs together. You might notice his name on the side of some of the "Cover Cars" ! The last time I visited one of the stores (at 10 North Green Ridge St), Mike told me that they had 1 of every catalog - the "Store Copy", with handwritten notes in the margins as to what sold & what didn't, and what to reorder. All of the files of material that had been used to create the catalogs were thrown out during the move from the famous 701 N. Keyser Ave location.

He also confirmed my suspicions that the "Experimental" 36D motor that they frequently gave away free with the purchase of other items they were trying to get rid of, was indeed the "mysterious" Atlas 36D motor that had been advertised by Atlas right before they folded.

Auto World had a "behind the scenes" relationship with Atlas. Oscar was a partner in Car Model magazine along with the late Jose Rodriguez,Jr, who designed the Atlas 1/32 & 1/24 slot kits and motors. When Atlas was folding, Jose told Oscar, and Auto World ended up buying 2 tractor trailer loads of merchandise. This accounts for why there was Atlas stuff on "Special Clearance" and in their "Grab Bags" for years! Regretfully, even this stuff is now gone. When I was there in the early 90's they had 3000 of the Atlas 1/32 BB Pittman-type motors left, but once we started mentioning them in VSRN, they finally sold out. Now they could sell more of them!

Oscar donated the remaining 1/32 Riggen slot track to VSRN  so that we could set up a portable track at various 1:1 Vintage Races. Only curves were left - they had sold most of the straights as part of the "Drag Strip" set (which included one of the Atlas "Experimental" motors.

Auto World Catalogs are highly prized by modelers and slot racers alike, because they offer a snapshots of the hobby through the years.