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| Bandai Interceptor source: mad racer @ tamiyaclub.com |
I do not own any of these models, please refer to image sources for further viewing.
To begin I must thank wldnas over at tamiyaclub.com for his extensive showroom articles and photos on all these models!
So, this page starts with Bandai, a huge Japanese toy manufacturer that dabbled in near-hobby grade RC with the RTR shaft-driven 4WD "Interceptor" in 1986. It had front and rear bevel diffs and a very interesting suspension setup with inboard, longitudinally mounted shocks front and back, connected to the arms via pushrods. This design is used by real F1 cars, and much later RC models like the Tamiya F201 chassis and Traxxas Revo. It used a 540 size motor mounted midship and longitudinally, and could accept standard 7.2v stick pack batteries. The car is customisable to a certain degree but the all-plastic parts such as the motor plate, and non transferable bespoke electronics / radio gear are a limiting factor unless you are prepared to get very creative...
Soon after, a US model manufacturer called Monogram made a brief entry into RC and borrowed the Interceptor design for two RC cars, the Tornado and the Bushfire. The cloning does not end there, another US company called MRC (Model Rectifier Corporation) borrowed the design again, for the Road Winner. This time the unusual suspension setup was ditched in favour of conventional upright shocks all-round, If that's not enough, mail order electronics retailer Maplins also released the Road Winner in the same configuration in the UK. At around 1989-90, this seems to have been the last appearance for this enduring quirky budget basher.
Bandai created a 2WD car circa 1986 called the Mad Wolf. It had a very novel drive train, with a separate chain going to each rear wheel inside it's trailing arm, hard to explain but easy to understand with a diagram. This was also cloned by Monogram in the US, with the "Mad Wolf" name remaining.
Bandai Interceptor (1986)
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| source: sof101 @ tamiyaclub.com |
Monogram Bushfire
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| source: wldnas @ tamiyaclub.com |
MRC / Maplins Road Winner (c.1990)
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| source: wldnas @ tamiyaclub.com |
The Interceptor (front) along side the Road Winner
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| source: wldnas @ tamiyaclub.com |
Bandai created a 2WD car circa 1986 called the Mad Wolf. It had a very novel drive train, with a separate chain going to each rear wheel inside it's trailing arm, hard to explain but easy to understand with a diagram. This was also cloned by Monogram in the US, with the "Mad Wolf" name remaining and a different body shell.
Bandai Mad Wolf (1986) RWD
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| sources: TamiyaTreasure and wldnas @ tamiyaclub.com |
Mad Wolf drive train
Bandai / Monogram box art
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| source: wldnas @ tamiyaclub.com |
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