Tamiya

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits, radio controlled cars, battery- and solar-powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints, and various modelling tools and supplies. more...

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The company was founded by Shunsaku Tamiya in Shizuoka, Japan in 1958. The company has gained a reputation among hobbyists of producing models of outstanding quality and accurate scale detail, a philosophy reflected directly on the company’s logo “First in Quality Around the World”

Product lines

Radio-controlled vehicles

Cars (1/12 scale)

The first radio controlled car to be released by Tamiya was a Porsche 934 in 1976. Its body was based upon an existing 1/12 scale static kit that Tamiya had already been manufacturing, so the effect was that of a traditional static model kit with the added ability to be radio controlled - something Tamiya acknowledged, as all of their early kit boxes carried the wording "suitable for radio control". The Porsche 934 was a massive hit - selling over 100,000 units in its first year. The potential market for easy to assemble electric radio controlled model cars was clear, and the 934 and was soon followed up by a kit of the Porsche 935.;

The Porsche 959. Released in 1986, it was a 1/12th scale radio-controlled replica of the car that won the 1986 Paris Dakar Rally, and was one of the most complex and highly detailed R/C model kits ever made. It was soon followed by the Toyota Celica Gr.B, a replica of the Safari Rally winner, which shared the same chassis as the Porsche 959 but included a number of upgrades such as a third differential in the centre of the car, making it an even more complex kit.;

Cars (1/10 scale)

The Sand Scorcher and Rough Rider, released in 1979 and credited as the first radio controlled cars to feature off-road suspension. They were extremely true to scale, and featured suspension systems similar to that of the real Volkswagen Beetle, along with water proof-boxes to hold radio equipment. The Sand Scorcher and Rough Rider (along with the Ford F150 Ranger XLT and Super Champ) all shared many chassis components, and came to be known as the SRB's (Special Racing Buggies) and are highly desirable for collectors.;

The Super Champ, released in 1982, was the only Tamiya model to include a feature called F.F.P.D.S. (Free Floating Progressive Dampening System). This consisted of an onboard oil bottle to constantly supply oil to a large rear shock absorber, which helped maintain both pressure and lubrication in the shock through hard use. Though adding weight to the car, it worked well, and Tamiya even registered a patent for the system.;

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