Tamiya Corporation, the No. 1 brand of scale models, official name: Tamiya Incorporated (株式会社タミヤ Kabushiki gaisha Tamiya), is a Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits, radio controlled cars, battery- and solar-powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints, and various modeling tools and supplies. The company was founded by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, Japan in 1946.
The metal molds were produced from plans which had the concept of being “easy to understand and build, even for beginners”. Even the box art was consistent with this throughout the company. In the same vein as everybody being able to build the models, they made the parts accurate and with a high degree of detail.
The company has gained a reputation among hobbyists of producing models of outstanding quality and accurate scale detail, a philosophy reflected directly on the company’s motto, “First in Quality Around the World”. Tamiya Inc. has also been awarded on a regular basis each year, the prestigious Modell des Jahres (en. Model of the Year) award, hosted by the German magazine Modell Fan.
Tamiya’s Timeline
- 1960 – The Yamato, Tamiya’s first plastic model
- 1961 – Panther tank, Tamiya’s first tank model. Shigeru Komatsuzaki’s boxart becomes a hit.
- 1967 – 1/12 Honda F-1. A success which left the mark of “Skillful Tamiya” on it via their accurate recreation of the original vehicle.
- 1968 – 1/35 German Tank Soldier Set, the first in the Military Miniature Series.
- 1972 – 1/35 88 Military Gun Flak 36/37. Tamiya produced models for diorama scenes, which garnered a large response.
- 1976 – 1/12 Porsche 934. Tamiya actually purchased a Porsche 911, dismantled it, and rebuilt it in order to better understand the car.
- 1986 – Hotshot Jr. The first in the Racer Mini Vehicle Series. It was a hit linked to the miniature vehicle boom.
- 1989 – 1/35 Tiger I second rendition. Sold in a completely new form, triggered by the anniversary of a recall of the Military Miniature Series.
- 1998 – 1/700 scale Yamato model is retooled using more modern technology to produce better molds.
- 2006 – A special model was released in honor of Tamiya’s RC Car Series 30th Anniversary. It was the Porsche 934 turbo RSR 30th Anniversary edition.
Entrance of plastic scale models
The company was founded in 1946 as Tamiya Shoji & Co. (Tamiya Company) by Yoshio Tamiya (15 May 1905 – 2 November 1988) in Oshika, Shizuoka City. It was a sawmill and lumber supply company. With the high availability of wood, the Mokuzaigyou Company’s wood products division (founded in 1947) was also producing wooden models of ships and airplanes, which later became company’s foundation. In 1953, they decided to stop the sale of architectural lumber and focused solely on model making.
In the mid-1950s, foreign-made plastic models were beginning to be imported and wooden model sales were decreasing, so in 1959 they decided to manufacture plastic models. Their first model was the Yamato. However, Tamiya’s predecessors had sold Yamato models at 350 yen. By competing, Tamiya was at risk to get into the red by setting their price the same. However, they could not recover the cost of producing metal models, so once again, they changed their products to wooden models, but at that time the model trade’s tide was turning toward plastic models.
Using metal molds no longer needed for plastic toys, they released a racecar mini-kit, which was to finance the production of their next plastic model. To their good fortune, it became a hit. They decided that the second plastic model was to be the Panther tank, which had a linear form which would make the molds simple to produce. They commissioned Shigeru Komatsuzaki to do the box art. The Panther was motorized, moved well, and had a clear instruction manual which made it easy to assemble. Because of this, it gained a good reputation. It was made in a 1/35 scale because it was decided that it would use a single TYPE 2 battery but would hold 2 of them.
Metal scale molds
At first, Tamiya produced metal molds, but had delays and unclear pricing, which led to trouble. Then they scouted metal-mold craftsmen and in 1964 started their Metal Molds division. Starting in 1966, they transferred a number of craftsmen to the Mold Manufacturing Factory. They slowly gained the know-how and came to make molds for Tamiya. Today, CAD has also been introduced into the process.
Tamiya was known by their extremely high accuracy of their molds, and that influenced even the condition of the products after they were assembled. In a time when Tamiya manufactured plastic models using mold craftsmen’s skills and earlier plans, other companies’ products’ detail bolts were represented by simple hemispheric protuberances while Tamiya represented bolts more accurately as hexagonal posts. This level of detail and thoroughness with which they produced their models earned them a reputation even overseas.
Representative scale models
The early Military Miniature Series differed from the western standard scales of the time and used 1/35 scale. The models included the option for the inclusion of batteries and a gear box for motorization. These models were easy to assemble, the completed models looked good, and the parts were accurate. These qualities had given the series a good reputation ever since it was released. However, the option for motorization meant that the models needed to be inaccurate in some respects in order to work as motorized kits. More scale-accurate products which did not allow for motorization were renewed after the Tiger I’s later model.
After that, their excellent family of products was seen out into the world. Noticing other companies were imitating their ease of assembly and accuracy of parts, Tamiya went a step further and added deformities in order to make the finished models look better. On the other hand, some modellers felt these deformities were out of place. For example, they were unsure of why both Tamiya’s and other companies’ King Tiger coexisted in the marketplace. In 2004, the new 1/48 scale series began, and World War items were released at a remarkable pace.
A small 1/700 Water Line Series proudly displayed Tamiya’s skill. From when they started selling this series, there were many kits bearing their famous name. Even now, looking back at the past 10 years, these were not inferior products and excellent products were produced. Renewal kits in addition to polishing will have kept satisfaction high. Kihachiro Ueda, learned in naval vessels, handled most of the box art for the Water Line Series.
- Sports Car Series
- Grand Prix Series
- Motorcycle Series
- Mini-jet Series (after 2004, this was re-released as the Combat Plane Series)
- Warbird Collection
Main remote control (RC) scale models
Mini four-wheel drives
- Ford Ranger 4×4 (July 13, 1982 Mini 4WD) an early Mini 4WD, released at the same time as the Chevrolet Pickup 4×4
- Hotshot Jr. (June 16, 1986: Racing Mini 4WD) An early Racing Mini 4WD
- Avante Jr (December 15, 1986: Racing Mini 4WD) said to be the first appearance of a mini 4WD for serious racing use.
- Sonic Saber (September 7, 1994: Fully Cowled Mini 4WD) an early Fully Cowled machine, released at the same time as the Magnum Saber
- Nitro Thunder (November 18, 2005: Mini 4WD PRO) an early Mini 4WD PRO, released at the same time as Nitro Force
- Aero Avante (July 14, 2012: Mini 4WD REV) an early Mini 4WD REV, featuring a new, aerodynamic and monocoque chassis design.
Cars
In 1976, Tamiya entered the RC market with their first RC model, the Porsche 934 Turbo RSR. Now, having just passed the 30th Anniversary of the first Tamiya RC model, they are sold in markets both within the country and worldwide. Cultivating skill by all the RC cars they had made until now, they decided to revive the experience in a limited release of models to commemorate their 30 years in the RC business in December 2006. They recently released their flagship model, mustering all their skill into the Porsche Turbo RSR 934 Racing Edition, which had been a part of the developing phase of Tamiya’s RC career.
RC model types have included: Countach Competition Special, Super Champ, Ford F-150 Ranger, Toyota Hilux 4×4, Chevrolet Blazing Blazer, Hilux 4×4 High-lift, Mountaineer, Ford F-350 High-lift, Can-Am Lola Racing Master Mk.1, Subaru BRAT, Lancia Rally, Grasshopper, Mighty Frog, Wild One, Hornet, Hotshot, Boomerang, Fast Attack Vehicle, Desert Gator, Sand Viper, Avante, Avante 2001, Top Force, Dyna Storm, Dark Impact, Keen Hawk, Avante Mk. II, Twin Detonator, Wild Dagger, Double Blaze, Blackfoot Xtreme, Clod Buster, TXT1, Tamtech Series, Terra Crusher, TNX (Tamiya), TNX 5.2R, Nitrage 5.2, Bigwig, Fox, Monster Beetle, Celica, Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar Rally, Blackfoot, Midnight Pumpkin, Super Shot, Super Sabre, Striker, Sonic Fighter, Lunch Box, Nissan King Cab, Wild Willy, Wild Willy 2, Big Wig TRF 416X, TRF 417, TRF 417X, Nissan R91CP, Mazda 787B, Mercedes C-11, Jaguar XJR-12, Sand Scorcher. [Source: wiki]
Tamiya product lines
Scale Model Brands: Tamiya
Source: www.scalemodelmuseum.com
没有评论:
发表评论