which makers were around 1985/6

[gkatz]

hi all

from the era I used to drive a fox and then a thundershot i remember mostly tamiya mostly, less kyosho and very very little schumacher (the first cat)

where there any other makers back in the day that were "worth" taking notice of? I have no recollection of losi or team assiciated etc...

10x

[Twinfan]

Yokomo?  Marui?

[markbt73]

Oh man. There were probably a hundred companies making RC cars around that time.

Associated was absolutely around; they've been at it longer than Tamiya. The RC10 came out in 1984, and Associated already had half a dozen World Championship titles by then, in 1/12 and 1/8 on-road.

Losi existed; the Ranch Pit Shop in California was the site of the first IFMAR World Championships in 1985. Losi weren't making their own cars yet, but they imported Yokomos and built their own motors and other things.

Marui, as mentioned, were trying to compete with Tamiya and never quite getting there.

Parma pivoted from slot cars to RC cars in the early '80s.

Bolink were big here in the US, but I don't know how internationally known they were. Probably a lot like Mardave in the UK, locally known but not often exported.

Others, off the top of my head: AYK, Nichimo, Mugen, SG, Traxxas (yes, even back then), Jerobee, Nikko (actually made hobby-grade kits back then, not just toys), Hirobo (yes, the helicopter people), Yonezawa, Academy, Royal, and I'm sure I've missed a bunch of big obvious ones, but it's only 6 AM here...

Not to mention companies like Cox and MRC who badge-engineered cars from other companies. Even static kit companies like Monogram got in on the action.

The point is that there is a TON of history there to explore if you're so inclined. I still find stuff on eBay that I've nevr heard of, and I've been involved in this hobby continuously since 1985.

[gkatz]

1 hour ago, markbt73 said:

Oh man. There were probably a hundred companies making RC cars around that time.

Associated was absolutely around; they've been at it longer than Tamiya. The RC10 came out in 1984, and Associated already had half a dozen World Championship titles by then, in 1/12 and 1/8 on-road.

Losi existed; the Ranch Pit Shop in California was the site of the first IFMAR World Championships in 1985. Losi weren't making their own cars yet, but they imported Yokomos and built their own motors and other things.

Marui, as mentioned, were trying to compete with Tamiya and never quite getting there.

Parma pivoted from slot cars to RC cars in the early '80s.

Bolink were big here in the US, but I don't know how internationally known they were. Probably a lot like Mardave in the UK, locally known but not often exported.

Others, off the top of my head: AYK, Nichimo, Mugen, SG, Traxxas (yes, even back then), Jerobee, Nikko (actually made hobby-grade kits back then, not just toys), Hirobo (yes, the helicopter people), Yonezawa, Academy, Royal, and I'm sure I've missed a bunch of big obvious ones, but it's only 6 AM here...

Not to mention companies like Cox and MRC who badge-engineered cars from other companies. Even static kit companies like Monogram got in on the action.

The point is that there is a TON of history there to explore if you're so inclined. I still find stuff on eBay that I've nevr heard of, and I've been involved in this hobby continuously since 1985.

i dont think you can top this answer

I bumped into this archive looking for the answer on google

probably was posted already but worth the look:
https://archive.org/details/radiocontrolcaraction

[Tamiyastef]

In Europe we also had Robbe and Graupner.

Thanks for the link. Those early Radio Control Car Action magazines copied whole pages from the Tamiya RC Guide books