Revell 1:8 Scale R/C Kit... another weird one!

[beefmuffin]

I just get a kick out of seeing how so many different electronics, model and toy makers dabbled in the R/C market when it was so hot BITD. Without seeing the pics I would have trouble believing this thing was ever produced!

Hibernaculum (is there a short version???) - I searched rctoymemories.com for a link to post with this but seems to be missing! Maybe it's a new find...? (far too bold of an assumption in my opinion, between you, Mokei, Mongoose and all the other wonks we have here)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Revell-Germany-RC-AMC-Jeep-NIB-Vintage-1-8-Scale-Off-Road-4x4-Rare-Kit-NIB-/231767914719

[mongoose1983]

That is a fantastic kit that I think was popular in Germany. One super cool thing about it is the fahrer figure not included. Ben, that driver is a Mattel-made Big Jim from the 70's, one of the coolest toy figure lines to ever exist!

Big Jim figures were awesome and captured the 70's vibe like no other figure line. Here's the incredible two-face. Just look at that hairstyle, hahahaha.

If you have a chance to buy one of these Revell Jeeps Ben, or the figures, don't think twice! eBay.de is the best place to find one.

[Mokei Kagaku]

I remember Revell Europe sold this for some time. The only other RC-kit they had in the same series was a go-cart, but they also sold some rebranded Aoshima 1/16 RC-cars at roughly the same time (early '80's). I doubt that Revell manufactured the Jeep and the Go-cart themselves, but either way, the tools for the Jeep ended up with the German company Veroma (unless they made it from the very start). Veroma sold it as the "Dirty Willy" more or less unchanged (new tires obviously) until just a few years ago and the DIY/electronics chain stores Conrad Elektronik had it for many years. Veroma still has a few spare parts for it.

http://www.veroma-modellbau.eu

http://www.veroma-modellbau.eu/dirtywilly.html

Manual download: http://www.veroma-modellbau.eu/fileadmin/pdf/bauanleitungen/Bauanleitung_Dirty_Willy_215198.pdf

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5iZg9zeVTA

Technically, I don't think it was a bad model at the time it was released, but I remember the first time I saw it and what struck me were the bad proportions, and that has bothered me with this model ever since.

[beefmuffin]

LOL, "Dirty Willy"! OMG

[markbt73]

Another prime example of why I don't collect rare vintage kits (apart from the cost) - I couldn't not build that.

[beefmuffin]

Another prime example of why I don't collect rare vintage kits (apart from the cost) - I couldn't not build that.

So you mean to say, if you had one, you couldn't keep your hands off your Dirty Willy?

[markbt73]

So you mean to say, if you had one, you couldn't keep your hands off your Dirty Willy?

What boy ever could?

[beefmuffin]

What boy ever could?

LOL I'm not going to click 'like' on that one. Just can't.

What I wonder however, in light of Erich's Revell-ation above (sad trombone?), is if Revell ever considered a peppier model name using the driver's name like Tamiya did below:

I guess if they did it would be "BIg Jim's Dirty Willy"

[Hibernaculum]

I just get a kick out of seeing how so many different electronics, model and toy makers dabbled in the R/C market when it was so hot BITD. Without seeing the pics I would have trouble believing this thing was ever produced!

Hibernaculum (is there a short version???) - I searched rctoymemories.com for a link to post with this but seems to be missing! Maybe it's a new find...? (far too bold of an assumption in my opinion, between you, Mokei, Mongoose and all the other wonks we have here)

H for short

I don't have the lovely Revell R/C Cross, but have seen them come up over the years and am always surprised they don't sell more quickly than they do. But 1/8 has always seemed "a bit too big" in a way.

That is a fantastic kit that I think was popular in Germany. One super cool thing about it is the fahrer figure not included. Ben, that driver is a Mattel-made Big Jim from the 70's, one of the coolest toy figure lines to ever exist!

I never knew it was Big Jim on the box art! That is cool.

I remember Revell Europe sold this for some time. The only other RC-kit they had in the same series was a go-cart, but they also sold some rebranded Aoshima 1/16 RC-cars at roughly the same time (early '80's). I doubt that Revell manufactured the Jeep and the Go-cart themselves, but either way, the tools for the Jeep ended up with the German company Veroma (unless they made it from the very start). Veroma sold it as the "Dirty Willy" more or less unchanged (new tires obviously) until just a few years ago and the DIY/electronics chain stores Conrad Elektronik had it for many years. Veroma still has a few spare parts for it.

Revell got back into ready-to-run R/C stuff in recent years, but I am sure they are not the same corporation as they were when the Jeep was released. Most plastic model companies tend to have a turbulent history of ownership.

I would also be pretty surprised if this jeep was made by Revell. Typically as Mokei mentioned, these US/UK model companies tended to rebrand foreign-made R/C models. Similar thing with brands like Matchbox, Corgi and Humbrol, who all released (ready to run) R/C toys and models.

I actually wondered if the R/C Cross Car was manufactured by Robbe, based on it's blocky design, minimal suspension and use of metal. It looks more German hobby grade, than Japanese hobby grade. But Robbe did some entirely different Jeeps...

The trouble with Robbe is they have a long history, and many models, but they were barely known outside of Europe (or Germany).

I've been buying Robbe catalogues just to try to get my head around what they produced. As well as the fact their company is like, half a century older than Tamiya (don't worry, that earlier time wasn't spent making R/C models). Adding to the complexity is the fact Robbe used to rebrand some Kyosho models too.

But you're right Ben - when the boom was on, many toy companies "had a go" in R/C.

I mean, even real life tractor companies like Massey Ferguson were rebranding R/C models from Japan...

H.

[mongoose1983]

And what about this 1:28 Atcomi Mitsubishi Pajero that downsized and made a monster mudbog truck out of the Tamiya model from 1984?

[Hibernaculum]

Atcomi was a Japanese brand in the 80s (I think the company behind it was Asahi), and that little 1/28 Pajero is not something I've seen before. But the company did make some reasonably nice stuff - mostly on roaders. Though I was most enamoured with the Tandy/Radio Shack Turbo Beetle (original release: Atcomi Super Beetle) and would rate this my favourite Atcomi, due to my beetle-bias

http://rctoymemories.com/2012/12/28/tandyradio-shack-turbo-beetle-1987/

[Mokei Kagaku]

I actually wondered if the R/C Cross Car was manufactured by Robbe, based on it's blocky design, minimal suspension and use of metal. It looks more German hobby grade, than Japanese hobby grade. But Robbe did some entirely different Jeeps...

The trouble with Robbe is they have a long history, and many models, but they were barely known outside of Europe (or Germany).

That model was actually manufactured by the Italian company Garbo! So another case of rebranding! Robbe sold a lot of Garbo and SG stuff, as you surely know. In fact, I had the Suzuki Jeep (which I got for free from the distributor). It was a simplified EP-version of their 1/8 GP competition buggy. Basically a sound construction, but extremely poor fit of parts and though the drivetrain might have been OK for the GP-version, it was so inefficient that most of the power of the included 550 motor was lost in the friction of the drivetrain. Finally topped by a vacuum-molded ABS-body in light brown that was so thin that it was translucent, wrinkled and cracked in several spots when first taken out of the box. A terrible product!

The CJ-7 Jeeps however are genuine Robbe products and I really wish the body would have more correct proportions as it otherwise has potential (the chassis hasn't).

As for Robbe as a company, it went bankrupt just days after last year's Nuremberg show and is now completely gone (with the tiny company Aviotiger selling old stock and quadcopters). I've read quite a few articles about their bankruptcy and as I live in Germany and have had a pretty big interest in the market for decades and thus a few contacts in the German market too, it was pretty clear for years that Robbe was on their way to bankruptcy. The changing market, partially poor products, high prices, Robbe (and Graupner) being an extra (and cost adding without any real benefit) link in the chain from manufacturers to consumer, way too many employees, mismanagement and everchanging product strategy and so on. As a symbol of the last management's megalomania, a way too large and expensive booth at the 2015 Nuremberg fair and the announcement of their partnership with Kyosho, at a time when bankruptcy was evident and unavoidable. Wonder how they reacted at Kyosho when they just a few days later discovered that Robbe was actually dead at the time of the handshake at the fair?

Anyway, I feel sorry for the employees and after getting the Robbe catalog practically every year since the late '70's (though buying very few of their products), from a nostalgic viewpoint it's a bit sad that Robbe is gone. Apart from that, Robbe had become a dinosaur and in my humble opinion, it's a tiny loss that their gone.

[StrokerBoy]

There's definitely several Willy fans amongst that lot...

[Hibernaculum]

That model was actually manufactured by the Italian company Garbo! So another case of rebranding! Robbe sold a lot of Garbo and SG stuff, as you surely know.

Yes, I had forgotten about this actually. SG - the only one that's ever really been on my radar is the Coyote. My knowledge of Garbo is vague though, being more a petrol-R/C brand combined with the fact I don't know if any of their models ever reached these shores (I'm not aware of any). I do know former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa used to race Garbo though

I had no idea Robbe had gone bankrupt either, as only a few months ago - middle of this year - I was reading their website. It can't have been much more than three months ago. And there was no sign of any problem at the time, but there you go - another company bites the dust. After something close to a century in business (the longest of any R/C-involved company I can think of).

Wonder how they reacted at Kyosho when they just a few days later discovered that Robbe was actually dead at the time of the handshake at the fair? Anyway, I feel sorry for the employees and after getting the Robbe catalog practically every year since the late '70's (though buying very few of their products), from a nostalgic viewpoint it's a bit sad that Robbe is gone. Apart from that, Robbe had become a dinosaur and in my humble opinion, it's a tiny loss that their gone.

Ultimately it was a company with a vast array of products over the years, but very few of them known outside Europe. I mean, I have met some serious collectors, with not a single R/C car from Robbe (though I have a couple). And as you suggest, in recent years perhaps there was little in the way of inspiring products from them.

Still, they did last for a very long time, and I imagine that at least within Germany there would have to be some serious fans of their vintage models. They did have some unusual and cool items that caught my attention over the years. (I may also be somewhat sympathetic to their variable quality, being interested in both toy and hobby grade models).

Anyway, thanks for the info Mokei.

[Mokei Kagaku]

I had no idea Robbe had gone bankrupt either, as only a few months ago - middle of this year - I was reading their website. It can't have been much more than three months ago. And there was no sign of any problem at the time, but there you go - another company bites the dust. After something close to a century in business (the longest of any R/C-involved company I can think of).

Robbe filed for insolvency on Feb 6th 2015, 5 days after the 2015 Nuremberg Toy fair closed, and the management was accused of "Insolvenzverschleppung" (deliberately and illegally delaying to file for insolvency), so though as far as I know nobody was actually convicted, there are reasons to believe that technical insolvency was a bit earlier. This opinion is generally supported by German media who covered the case, the union (of the Robbe employees) and by a lot of people of the trade (probably most with even just basic insight in the German market and Robbe as a company).

Unlike Graupner, who employed Ralf Helbing (founder of GM Racing) as general manager after their bankruptcy and thus has a general manager with decades of experience and knowledge in the model market, Robbe chose to employ a certain Phillip Janssen as general manager about one year before insolvency, when their financial situation was already very tough and "locust investors" stacked up to 100% ownership. Mr. Janssen had no experience from the model market and no knowledge about model building and operation, but quickly got known for his flashy suits, expensive company car, lack of substance, lofty statements and opinions about the market that hardly any experienced person of the trade shared with him. To keep it short; he had no idea whatsoever, but was probably the last person in the world that would acknowledge that he was totally unsuitable for the job.

That didn't stop him from announcing the cooperation with Kyosho together with Kyosho management at the Nuremberg fair at a time when he must have known that insolvency was only days away or more likely, technically already a reality. In my opinion, he/Robbe must have massively mislead Kyosho management, which as a foreign (non-German) company probably didn't realise what was perfectly clear to just about everyone in the German model market. In advance of and during the fair, a lot of people questioned how Robbe could afford such a big booth or even exhibiting at the fair at all and what was going on at Kyosho and how they could possibly consider a cooperation with Robbe. This was reflected in the many comments on Robbe's FB profile and numerous German model building forums long before the insolvency was announced by Robbe themselves.

Anyway, the insolvency administrator cooperated with the union to save and refinance the company after the insolvency in February. Sadly, but as expected, they failed and final bankruptcy was announced in the beginning of May.

Confirmation of filing for insolvency here (from Hessian TV on Feb 9th, but informing that Robbe announced insolvency three days earlier):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAUsIWAQ0iQ

Confirmation of final bankruptcy and closing here (May 7th):

http://www.lauterbacher-anzeiger.de/lokales/lauterbach/keine-hoffnung-mehr-fuer-robbe_15304020.htm

Apart from Aviotiger, who took over major parts of old stock and still offers Robbe motors, batteries and certain electronic products and added their own range of quadcopters, UK-based Ripmax took over Futaba distribution for Germany (and I think some other parts of continental Europe) and the model company Krick bought the stock and the production tools for Robbe's own boat kits.

[beefmuffin]

There's definitely several Willy fans amongst that lot...

Big Jim and his posse of chiseled male models are always thwarting evil villain Dr. Leather Daddy's plans.