Category Archives: Vintage

Dream Tamiya Japan Holiday video

A fantastic video about Tamiya including a visit to the headquarters.
Thank you also for kindly naming us a source of your research.


Fulfilling my dream and sharing the experience of visiting Tamiya HQ in Shizuoka, Japan; explaining Tamiya’s history and documenting the great static & R/C models on display and so much more. Fortunate to bump into Mr. Shunsaku Tamiya, the great man himself. Hopefully this video not only serves as a resource & record of Tamiya in 2024 but also introduces the hobby to new scale modellers & R/C enthusiast.

Video Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
03:49 – The Lobby
05:19 – The Archive Room
05:40 – Tamiya’s History
09:19 – Tamiya Branding
10:52 – Educational Models
11:12 – Military Models
14:52 – Aircraft Models
16:04 – Ship Models
19:17 – Car Models
21:56 – Motorcycle Models
23:24 – Mini 4wd
24:44 – Other Static Models
25:21 – R/C Models
44:05 – Meeting Mr. Tamiya
47:54 – Vehicle Display Area
49:15 – The Showroom
01:01:05 – Tamiya Shop
01:02:33 – Tamiya Headquarters
01:03:20 – Fulfilling My Dream

Source: T-StudioWorks

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