Category Archives: Vintage

Yasumasa Matsui has been appointed as Tamiya Co., Ltd. Model History Research Advisor


“I became Research Advisor for Tamiya Corporation Model History.
I will not only do what Tamiya asks me to do but will continue to actively make proposals and hold discussions.
I will continue to make steady and dynamic efforts to summarize the history of Tamiya.
Tamiya’s history, which is well-known worldwide, will be compiled steadily and dynamically.”
Source: https://twitter.com/Matsui_Yasumasa

Interesting video about the Lamborghini LM002 including its development steps through FMC XR311, MTI Lamborghini Cheetah and more

Of course also mentioning the related Tamiya releases.


The Lamborghini LM002 didn’t start out as a Lamborghini at all. It wasn’t much of a Lamborghini at the end. And yet, if it’s the job of a Lamborghini to be outrageous, it’s actually the Most Lamborghini Lamborghini ever.

The LM002, nicknamed the Rambo Lambo at the time, eventually made it onto Time Magazine’s list of the Worst Cars of All Time. But that had nothing to do with the truck itself.

In fact, the truck itself had little to do with Lamborghini — conceived as a project to keep the Sant’ Agata factory running while the company that Ferruccio built fought to stave off bankruptcy. The story behind the development is astonishing: originally conceived as the XR311 by two men while working for Food Machinery Corporation (FMC), they approached the Italian supercar manufacturer for help in building the off-road vehicle as a bid to produce it for a U.S. government contract.

Founding their own company, Mobility Technology Incorporated, or MTI, the men built a prototype in California, which Lamborghini then took to the Geneva Motor Show as a Lamborghini Cheetah.

What happened next was a series of lawsuits, mishaps, misappropriation of funds, and the derailment of the BMW M1 project, resulting in Lamborghini;’s bankruptcy. The company’s savior was a 20-something French billionaire, who made the decision to install a Countach V12 and a luxurious interior, and sell the Lamborghini Militaria vehicle to the Jet Set.

And the car itself? It’s even more fascinating.

Stay tuned for this incredible history lesson on the astounding story behind the Lamborghini LM002, LM001, LM1, and Cheetah.
Source: Hagerty

Official product video of Tamiya 58577 Novafox



Back on the Track!
This is an update of a popular 2WD buggy model which was a stablemate of the famous Hotshot in the late 1980s. The elegant, slim polycarbonate body brings to mind the image of a full-size racing buggy, and its markings take inspiration from the original model. Jazzy gold color metal-plated wheels are fitted with front ribbed and rear oval block tires for excellent off-road performance. The model includes a driver figure to install in the cockpit.

Updated Rear-Wheel 2WD Off-Road Chassis
This classic model retains its highly dust-resistant monocoque frame and 4-wheel independent double suspension, while also receiving updates to make it suited to the modern R/C world. Dog-bone type drive shafts are added, as is a stabilizer to help neutralize roll. Sealed gearbox and rear uprights now include a total of 8 ball bearings as standard, providing even more effective power transmission.

Specifications
●Length: 425mm ●Height: 133mm ●Width: 225mm ●Weight: 1,140g (Not including R/C equipment and battery pack) ●Wheelbase: 260mm ●Tread: 198mm (Front), 183mm (Rear) ●Tire Width/Diameter: 23/83mm (Front), 38/88mm (Rear) ●ABS Resin Monocoque Frame ●Rear-Wheel 2WD ●3-Bevel Differentials ●4-Wheel Double Wishbone Suspension ●CVA Oil Dampers x3 (Front & Rear Total) ●Gear Ratio= 8.7:1, 7.25:1 ●Type 540 Motor ●Requires Electronic Speed Controller (sold separately) ※Cannot be used with Tamiya LF3700-6.6V Racing Pack (sold separately)

Separately Required Items
●2-Channel R/C Unit with ESC　●Battery Pack & Charger ●R6/AA/UM3 batteries for transmitter

Official product video of Tamiya 58547 Midnight Pumpkin Black Edition



1/12 SCALE R/C CLASSIC 1950’s STYLE PICK-UP TRUCK MIDNIGHT PUMPKIN “BLACK EDITION”

A Timeless Classic
This R/C assembly kit features a highly detailed pick-up truck body that is reminiscent of the classic 1950s American designs. Decked out in black accentuated by the metal plated front grille, overhanging fenders, dampers and roll bar, it cuts a sharp figure on top of big 115mm diameter tires.

2WD Chassis Mounted on Big 115mm Diameter Tires
The durable and easy-to-assemble 2WD chassis employs a box type frame, front swingarm independent and rear rolling rigid suspension. Big 115mm diameter semi-pneumatic tires on yellow wheels offer dynamic running on even the toughest of surfaces. The sealed gearbox protects diff gear from dirt and sand during off-road driving and a rear mounted wheelie bar enables wild wheels in the air stunt driving.

Specifications
●Length: 385mm, Width: 290mm, Height: 260mm ●Weight: 1,560g (not including R/C mechanism and battery) ●Wheelbase: 207mm ●Tread: 212mm (Front), 216mm (Rear) ●F/R Tire Width/Diameter: 115/71mm ●ABS Box Type Frame ●Rear-wheel 2WD ●Suspension: Independent Swingarm (Front), Rolling Rigid (Rear)
●F/R Friction Dampers ●2-Piece Steering Tie-Rod ●3-Bevel Differentials ●Gear Ratio: 14.7:1 ●Type 540 Motor
●Requires an Electronic Speed Controller (sold separately)

Separately Required Items
●2-Channel R/C System w/ESC●R6/AA/UM3 batteries for transmitter
●Battery Pack & Charger

Original drawings by illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki have been digitized and an online “museum” is now open


Original article by Itsuhiro Suzuki

The Shigeru Komatsuzaki Online Museum has opened , which digitizes the original drawings of Shigeru Komatsuzaki (1915-2001), an illustrator who lived in Kashiwa City , Chiba Prefecture , and makes them available online. Approximately 150 works are available for viewing for free, and if you become a paid support member, you can also view works that change every month.

Komatsuzaki’s works total approximately 20,000 pieces, including magazine illustrations. In addition to her representative works, such as paintings on plastic model boxes and frontispieces for boys’ magazines , she also includes landscape paintings , drawings, and oil paintings. In addition to “ Battleship Yamato ,” which was published in Weekly Shonen Sunday and became a masterpiece, “ Space Colony II” , which became a masterpiece of fantasy painting , and “ Sensoji Niomon ” , which has strong realistic elements, are available for free (some charges apply). It has been published.

After Shigeru’s death, his grandson Noriko Komatsuzaki (43) took over many of his works and later became the official copyright heir. Exhibitions were held all over the country, but opportunities to show to the public have drastically decreased due to the coronavirus pandemic. Noriko felt a sense of crisis, saying, “If we don’t do something, Komatsuzaki’s works will be forgotten along with her era,” and so she and her husband, Minoru (44), have been making preparations to open an online art museum. Ta.

Minoru said, “Based on the support we received through the online art museum, we will collect and maintain the original paintings that have been lost, and hold exhibitions, so that a wide range of people can see Shigeru Komatsuzaki’s works.”

Link of the Shigeru Komatsuzaki Online Museum https://shigerukomatsuzaki.com

Source of the article in Japanese language: Asahi Shimbun

The Baja Bug Movie



A great almost 2 hours long movie about the Baja Bug which not only Tamiya buggy fans will really enjoy.

The Baja Bug Movie is the story of the humble little car that conquered the desert. This is a love letter to the Baja Bug told through the stories that make it the legendary car it is.

Presented by
@meyersmanx

In Association with
@mobelwagen
@RuggedRadios
@EMPI_Inc
@BajaBoundInsurance
@slowridegarage460
@buggywhipinc.3438
@Mexican1000Rally
@ShreddyLyfestyle

Written, Shot, Directed, Edited by
@AtypicalSquier

Sound mixing, Design, mastering
@FinishingScoolPost

Music by
@LowVolts
@7HorseBand
@OliverBleu
@ClutchOfficial

Source: The Baja Bug Movie

Official details and photos of Tamiya Official Mini 4WD Package Art Collection Volume 1 / Volume 2


Looking back on 40 years with beautiful art
This is a fan-favorite art book that includes kit package art released from 1982, when the Mini 4WD series was born, to 2023. The number of machines to be posted is over 300 points in total for the upper and lower volumes. In addition to completely covering the kits that are normally sold, it is a spectacular content that includes some special models. Another highlight is the vivid reproduction of the colors and brushstrokes of the original, realized by high-definition printing technology. There are also many illustrations that reveal for the first time the parts that were hidden during packaging. In addition, don’t miss the many valuable materials that revive the enthusiasm of the boom, such as leaflets from the 1980s and 1990s that were kept at the Tamiya headquarters. At some stores such as Tamiya Shop Online and Tamiya Plamodel Factory Shimbashi, you will receive a replacement cover with a chic design with a black machine decorating the cover as a purchase privilege.

Condensing the birth of the Mini 4WD and the enthusiasm of the first boom
his is the first volume of the art book that contains the successive package arts of the Mini 4WD, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022. From the pickup truck that marked the beginning of the mini 4WD history in 1982, the junior version of the RC car, “Dash! Introducing the first boom led by Shikuro, and the machines up until just before the second boom. A total of more than 160 beautiful art pieces from the Mini 4WD series, the Wild Mini 4WD series, the Tracking Mini 4WD series, the Racer Mini 4WD series, the Super Mini 4WD series, and some special models. In addition, there are plenty of highlights from the end of the book, including flyers from the time, Gaiden manga and columns that were said to be phantoms, successive motor catalogs, etc. At some stores such as Tamiya Shop Online and Tamiya’s Plastic Model Factory Shimbashi store, you will receive a replacement cover designed with a black special version machine as a purchase privilege.


Format / number of pages: B5 size landscape / 176 pages
Publisher: Shogakukan Creative

Covering from the beginning of the second boom to the Laser Mini 4WD
This is the second volume of the art book that includes the successive package arts of the Mini 4WD, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022. From the second boom in the late 1990s when “Bakusou Kyodai Let’s & Go!!” Full cowl Mini 4WD series, Aero Mini 4WD series, Real Mini 4WD series, Mighty Mini 4WD series, Mini 4WD PRO series, Mini 4WD REV series, Laser Mini 4WD series, and some special models, 160 points I posted a lot of beautiful art that exceeds. Also, the flyers and posters at the time posted at the end of the book are all precious things that are sure to excite fans of “Let’s & Go”. At some stores such as Tamiya Shop Online and Tamiya Plastic Model Factory Shimbashi, we will present a chic replacement cover designed with Black Saber and other “Let’s & Go” machines as a purchase privilege.


Format / number of pages: B5 size landscape / 176 pages
Publisher: Shogakukan Creative

Exhibition with boxes of Tamiya plastic models from 1965 to 1975 piled up high like a toy store of that period

Half a century of Showa model collection from Inami

Yasumasa Matsui says, “I want people to go back in time to the Showa era and feel nostalgic,” in front of plastic models he has collected over half a century, at the Inami Sculpture Museum in Inami, Nanto City.


Exhibition of free TV announcer Matsui
Yasumasa Matsui, a 60-year-old freelance announcer who retired from TV Asahi in March, is from Nanto City. Monozukuri~” will open on the 12th at the Inami Sculpture Museum in Inami, the same city. Until September 17th.
Mr. Matsui is known as a global collector of plastic models made by Tamiya (Shizuoka City), a major model maker, and is called “Japan’s number one Tamiya fan” by the company’s chairman, Shunsaku Tamiya. He fell in love with models when he was in the third grade of elementary school, and even after joining TV Asahi, he continued to collect them at model stores and auctions nationwide.
This is the first time for Mr. Matsui to exhibit his collection. We exhibited more than 700 items, including some of the models that we have collected so far and dioramas that we assembled ourselves.
Boxes of Tamiya plastic models from 1965 to 1975 are piled up high like a toy store at that time and displayed. In addition to the elaborately reproduced Tamiya classic tank series, there are also valuable wooden kits that even Tamiya does not own. There is also a 1/144-scale diorama of the 2015 Kinugawa levee breach that Matsui covered.
Mr. Matsui said, “I think you’ll be surprised if you just come here. I want you to slip back in time to the Showa era and feel nostalgic.”
The admission fee is 500 yen for high school students and older, and 250 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Second and fourth Wednesdays off every month. (Kazuya Hirota)
Source of article in Japanese language: Chunichi Shimbun Web