Han jobbade i många år som produktutvecklare hos Aurora och har även skrivit
standardverket om Auroras HO-bilar, "The Complete Color Guide to Aurora H.O.
Slot Cars". I "branschen" är han idag känd som "Mr Aurora", och det Bob inte vet
om epoken Aurora är förmodligen inte värt att veta.
"Mr Aurora" har även en egen hemsida
där han bland annat säljer ovanstående
bok samt även diverse gammal Aurora-
parafernalia.
Härförleden hittade jag ett gammal "zine" från 1999 där "Mr Aurora" berättar om sin
tid hos och relation till företaget, närmast en kärlekshistoria betititlad "The history of
Bob and Aurora". Här kommer den, en rafflande följetong i sex delar, skriven med
glimten i ögat, och som följaktligen även bör läsas på samma sätt. Allt är förmodligen
inte helt sant, men åtminstone nästan... Mycket nöje!
THE HISTORY OF BOB and AURORA
By Bob Beers
This is a fact filled story with a fictitious main character as the narrator. It is told the way I wish it came out. I feel very fortunate that my age of 47 (1999, red:s anm.) puts me in an ideal time frame for the story you are about to read.
Chapter One
Around 1951 two great events were beginning to unfold. Our main character, let’s call him Bob, was born and the Aurora Plastics Company was beginning to unfold even at that time. You see, Bob’s clothes were hung on plastic hangers and Aurora’s first development was a plastic hanger.
Coincidence… I think not.
Bob grew up in Bayside, Queens, NY until he was 9 years old and in 1960 his parents moved him out to Long Island. Aurora grew up in Brooklyn, NY and in 1954 moved out to Long Island, Bob went to West Islip and Aurora went to West Hempstead.
Wow, what a coincidence… I think not.
In 1960, Bob was pushing around plastic toy cars wishing they had electric motors, when the doorbell rang. Coincidence… I think not.
Bob answered it and it was the delivery agent of an Aurora vibrator HO slot set. His first of many, but alas… I digress.
Bob played day and night with his new toy and he raced and raced while his parents and neighbors complained constantly of the static on their TV’s while watching Lawrence Welk. Bob had trouble tuning the cars, and in a parallel universe, Ed also had trouble tuning his. Bob grew impatient and frustrated while Ed learned to tune his cars and grew impatient and frustrated about the red … but alas, I digress.
In the background, at Aurora, Derek Brand was designing a new chassis. Bob was wishing he had a new chassis, and just then the THUNDER of a JET passed over Bob’s house and he hurried down to Sallys Cycle and Toys just in time to see the new Aurora Thunderjet cars arrive. Bob bought several with his paper route money, and even traded in a few vibrators for a few of these new gems. Both Bob and Aurora knew they had a breakthrough product.
Coincidence… I think not.
1965 found Bob building monster kits by who else? Aurora! And by 1967 Bob had discovered girls as Aurora designed Tuff Ones and Wild Ones. Bob dated Tuff Ones, Wild Ones and even a Flame Thrower or two.
Coincidence… I think not.
In 1969, with his slot cars long forgotten at an old girlfriend’s house, Bob found himself at a crossroads in his life. You see, he was graduating high school and was about to embark on a life career. Aurora was in some of its most successful times, as was Bob. As he sat in his kitchen eating a Nabisco cookie, Aurora was being eaten up by Nabisco itself.
Coincidence… I think not.
Spännande fortsättning följer...