
Samsonite was an American manufacturer of LEGO sets which introduced the very first USA LEGO catalog for Christmas of 1961. LEGO and Samsonite created a partnership to produce and sell LEGO in the US. The result was a 9-year license for exclusive North American distribution rights. Samsonite began marketing sets under the name LEGO by Samsonite in the US in 1961 and Canada in 1962.
1963 LEGO Sets
1963 was pivotal for material and design innovation. LEGO completed its transition from cellulose acetate to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), improving color stability, durability, and clutch power. The company also launched Modulex—a smaller, precision-scaled building system for architects—produced by the new subsidiary Modulex A/S. Modulex elements were based on a 5mm grid and designed for 1:20 scale modeling, expanding LEGO’s presence into professional design and planning.