Tamiya Joy Rides Lineup 1995

[Dangeruss]

Complimenting their "New Crew" lineup ad Tamiya presented hobbyists with a selection of TA01/TA02/FF-01 on-road "Joy Rides" in this lineup ad from 1994:

TA01: 1/10 4wd on-road platform released in 1991. Tamiya's original touring car. Molded ABS plastic construction with long open tub chassis. four-wheel independent suspension system with fixed camber links over short lower a-arms at all four corners. Dual bellcrank steering system with spherical ended adjustable tie rods and direct mounted servo saver and red front hubs. Red plastic shock towers supported plastic bodied oil-filled coilover CVA's with clip-in spring spacers fore and aft. Side loading transverse battery and mechanical speed controller powered the mid-mounted 540 motor. Long double eyelet propshaft connected the ball differential transmission and front mounted bevel gear differential housed inside red plastic gearcases which output to plastic tipped dogbones. Wheels, tires, clear lexan bodies, and lexan interiors varied by model though each unassembled kit included a mechanical speed controller, Mabuchi RS540 motor, front and rear bumpers, and full bushings. Available in nearly 10 different body styles. Mercedes Benz 190e & Michelin Pilot Ford Escort pictured.

TA02: 1/10 4wd on-road platform released in 1993. Evolution of the TA01 and produced in a standard, short wheelbase, wide track, and truck variations. Constructed of molded ABS plastic with shorter open tub chassis. Red gearcases held the four-wheel independent suspension system with longer front and rear swept lower a-arms under fixed camber links. Dual bellcrank steering system with spherical ended adjustable tie rods and direct mounted servo saver and shorter blue front hubs. Plastic bodied oil-filled coilover CVA's with clip-in spring spacers hung from red plastic towers. Mechanical speed control was abandoned for electronics in the TA02. Side loading transverse battery powered the mid-mounted 540 motor. Shorter double eyelet propshaft connected the otherwise unchanged rear mounted ball differential transmission and front mounted bevel gear differential spinning plastic tipped dogbones up front with new metal dogbones out back. Wheels, tires, clear lexan bodies, and lexan interiors varied by model though each unassembled kit included a Mabuchi RS540 motor, front and rear bumpers, and full bushings. Available in nearly 30 different body styles. Castrol Celica, Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI, & Blitz Toyota Supra pictured.

FF01: 1/10 front wheel drive electric on-road platform released in 1994. Based on the molded ABS TA02 platform. Four-wheel lower a-arm/camber link suspension, dual bellcrank, spherical ended adjustable tie rods, & direct mounted servo saver steering. Plastic bodied oil-filled coilover CVA shocks with clip in spring spacers and molded shock towers. Molded radio deck and rear bulkhead expension. Pinion and spur primary drive front mounted gearcase with ball differential and metal dog bones. 12mm hex drive plastic wheels wearing rubber tires varied based on the model, as did the clear lexan body. The unassembled kits included a Mabichi RS-540 motor and full bushings. Available in 16 different body styles. Tom's Levin pictured.

[THEYTOOKMYTHUMB]

Interesting seeing the stuff from the mid-90's. '95 is about the time I started about a 10-year hiatus. I had kept a lot of my stuff and might look at it occasionally but wasn't keeping up with the industry.

[Dangeruss]

The 90's was a really interesting period for Tamiya, transitioning from their largely off-road model range of the 80's to predominantly on-road vehicle production by the end of the decade. Then the 00's came and they started producing their 80's cars again. Talk about a rollercoaster. The company created two of the largest classes in RC racing and released hundreds of cars in the same ten years that other companies struggled to put out a dozen cars. And that's without mentioning the static model side of the company. Shunsaku Tamiya got stuff done.