Back in November, I reported on the discovery of the original 33-inch model of the U.S.S. Enterprise (known affectionately as the “3-foot” model) that was used in the first Star Trek pilot, “The Cage,” plus a handful of later episodes. The larger 11-foot model that was built for the second pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” now sits in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., recently restored to its former greatness and more.
The 3-foot model, which sat on GENE RODDENBERRY’s desk during the 1970s, was loaned out (at Paramount’s “request”) to Robert Abel & Associates in early 1978 for use in constructing a model of the refit Enterprise for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The 3-foot model was never returned to Gene, and the fate of the model remained a mystery until October of 2023 when what looked like the missing item suddenly showed up for auction on eBay.
Fans moved quickly to inform Gene’s son, ROD RODDENBERRY, and the auction for the item was promptly taken down from eBay. In the ensuing months, the item was moved to Heritage Auctions in Beverly Hills for authentication. The team of experts who inspected the model included included Star Trek Oscar winning visual effects artist, designer, sculptor, illustrator, and a makeup artist DOUG DREXLER, Star Trek scenic art legends and Trek Encyclopedia writers MIKE and DENISE OKUDA, technical consultant GARY KERR, and visual effects supervisor/production illustrator DAREN DOCHTERMAN (who does the most accurate and uncanny Gene Roddenberry impression ever!) They verified that, yes, this is the long-lost first-ever model of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Rod had reportedly made a deal with the folks who found the model and initially tried to auction it. While the details of that arrangement have not been made public, Rod told the Associated Press, “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”
Apparently, there was once a rumor that the original model had not been loaned out and never returned but instead that a four-year-old Rod Roddenberry had accidentally destroyed the model by throwing it into the family pool! “Finally I’m vindicated after all these years,” Rod told the A.P. with a laugh.
The model was officially presented to Rod last Saturday by Heritage Auctions‘ Executive Vice President JOE MADDALENA at their Beverly Hills location. “It’s priceless,” Maddalena told the A.P. “It could sell for any amount, and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is. It is truly a cultural icon.”
Rod told the A.P. of his plans for the model: “This is not going home to adorn my shelves. This is going to get restored, and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it, and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.” While a permanent display location has not yet been announced, fans are looking forward to being able to view and study this invaluable piece of Star Trek history.
The following detailed photos of the model were shared publicly by Heritage Auctions, Doug Drexler, Gary Kerr, and others online…
Would love to know who & how the person acquired it to put it up on eBay? Maybe they figured to not draw as much attention putting it on Evil Bay. No doubt some algorithm flag it to Trekkers? For once, the algo did a good deed.
Actually, the seller didn’t realize what it was! They thought it was just an assembled replica, and it was initially listed at a ridiculously low starting bid of just $1,000. They could have listed it for 100x that and gotten over a million dollars for it!
How awesome is that?
Doug
ps Loved your Star Trek IV quote, Jonathan!
Glad someone picked up on that! 🙂
Oh, I’m sure tons of people picked up on that. I certainly did; I heard Shatner’s voice, even.
Very cool news!
Yeah I wonder if the details that were not revealed included that whomever had the model is not charged with it’s theft as should be the case since it was stolen after being loaned out. Also shout out to Axanar volunteer Don Gaffney for recognizing this when it came up for bid and notifying the proper individuals so it could be recovered.
My research showed the model sale on eBay was first reported by Alex Perry of Trekcore.com via Twitter/X. If Don was the one who contacted Rod, that’s pretty cool, too! As for being charged with theft, that’s unlikely, as the person selling it had no idea what the model was…only that it was found in a storage unit they acquired. There is nothing illegal about purchasing the contents of an abandoned storage unit after the death/disappearance of the owner.
That’s a cool story and a happy ending. Thanks for posting this.