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.
1972 LEGO Sets
In 1972 The LEGO Group officially expanded to the United States. After a licensing disagreement with the Samsonite Corporation, LEGO USA was established in Brookfield, Connecticut and Samsonite ended production of LEGO products in the United States but continued production in Canada. As far as new parts and production, 1972 saw the release of the first boat hull, wing, propeller and helicopter rotor parts as well as new parts including the 1x6 arches. The train theme continued to grow and a number of notable train sets of 1972 included set 181 Train Set with Motor, 180 4.5V Train with 5 Wagons and 724 12V Diesel Locomotive.