The Nikko Dictator II was a 1/10 scale dual motor four-wheel-drive radio controlled car produced by Nikko R/C Systems, and released in Japan, United States, and other countries worldwide in 1987.
A successor to the original 1986 Nikko Dictator, and one of many 'Frame Buggy' designs released by Nikko. Together with the original, it would remain one of the most high performance R/C cars ever sold at regular toy and department stores, roughly equivalent to the Tyco 9.6V Super Turbo Hopper in performance, though more sophisticated with proportional steering and swappable crystals.
So far I've not identified any significant differences with the Dictator II compared with the original 1986 Nikko Dictator, and so it appears to be only an aesthetic refresh, with a larger rear wing.
Dragon 2?
The Dictator II was also sold with 'Dragon 2' livery on the rear wing (as per our box photo) instead of Dictator II. From what few photos I've found, these seem to have came in the same Dictator II boxes, so I'm not entirely sure what's going on there, perhaps a regional difference or copyright issue.
If anyone knows, please leave a comment, or contact me so I can record the reason here.
Features and Performance
The Dictator was essentially the best R/C car you could ever hope to buy at your local Toys 'R Us, with performance up to 33km/h or 20mph, not too far off the average hand built Tamiya from the era, though not competitive with Tamiyas' best.
It was plenty of power for most though, and many hobbyists today wonder why the cars don't seem as fast as they did in the past. Are the motors just too old, or maybe we are just spoiled by lithium and brushless motors!
The 1/10 Nikko Dictator II featured:
- Large 1/10 Scale
- Top Speed of 33km/h or 20mph
- Digital Proportional Radio System
- Four Wheel Drive (4WD)
- Tandem Motor System with 2 x Mabuchi RS-380 Motors
- Front and Rear Differentials
- Front and Rear Shock Absorbers
- 7.2V Tamiya style battery for drive plus 4xAA batteries for onboard electronics
- Semi-Pneumatic Spiked Tires
- Race up to 6 bands via swappable crystals
Personally I like the original 1986 Nikko Dictator design best, it just looks meaner, however some may prefer the Dictator II.
Availability and Collectability
There aren't as many Dictator II cars around as the original, which is fairly easy to find, though if you are patient you will eventually get yourself one of these models if you must have it, though I expect most would be happy enough with the original.
