'home market only' kit releases

[rickshaw]

All
One classic example comes to mind and that is the Airfix Avro 504 in Quantas markings.

It is actually Qantas, not Quantas

Its actually, if you want to be really pedantic, QANTAS as its an acronym.  They only changed it to a word "Qantas" in the 1980s IIRC.  It remains one of the few English words without a "Qu".  Usually a good trap in Scrabble.

[buzzbomb]

One classic example comes to mind and that is the Airfix Avro 504 in Quantas markings.

Quite rare this Avro 504 model and commands premium secondhand prices.

Another one done for the Australian Market was the Frog Vickers Vimy distributed by Toltoys in Australia in the late 60's to commemerate the 50th anniversary of the flight by Keith and Ross Smith from England to Australia. I still have that model, alas in a "completed by a 9 year old" state.

[PR19_Kit]

Frog did some of their stuff in France under the 'Triang' label, notably the V bombers, and I had at least two of each of them back in the 70s. I managed to sell some of them for a small fortune  purely because they were in Triang boxes for goodness sake!

I may still have one of them in The Loft somewhere..........

[Jacques Deguerre]

I recall that Academy Europe released a Europe only version of the 1/35 scale M18 Hellcat TD fitted with the turret and gun of the M36 TD. It's not a difficult conversion to do with parts from both kits but having the extra turret was both convenient and cheaper.

I can't recall seeing AFV Club's 1/35 scale Taiwanese "Brave Tiger" M48/M60 hybrid tank available from US suppliers but I'm not sure if that's because it was a Taiwan/ Asian market exclusive or simply that there wasn't much interest on this side of the Pacific.

Come to think of it, I notice a number of kits that aren't technically home market exclusives tend to become virtual exclusives due to apparent lack of interest on the international market. Even a fairly common kits from large manufacturers aren't immune. For example, Tamiya's 1/35 scale Japanese Type 90 MBT tends to be easier to find on eBay or through Japan-based on-line retailers (Hobby Link Japan, Hobby Search) than through bigger US based sellers. Tasca's 1/72 scale Miyazaki designed "Akuyaku #1" fantasy super tank doesn't seem to be sold outside of Japan in spite of other Tasca items being available from US retailers. I recall reading of a pretty well known Asian manufacturer (possibly Wave?) who couldn't find a North American distributor interested in selling their large collection of Sci-Fi kits, although some showed interest in their "real world" subjects.