The Radio Shack Wild Pony is a 1/18 scale radio controlled truck custom manufactured by Nikko for the Radio Shack company, and for sale in various Radio Shack and Tandy retail stores worldwide in 1990.
Features and Performance
Radio Shack removed the sound effects... again?
The truck is essentially the same as the 1990 Nikko Wild Horse but without the sound effect functions installed, which included a selector for start engine, running engine (both on car), and a horn button on the controller. Check out the Nikko Wild Horse for photos.
Similar to the larger 1989 Radio Shack Wild Horse, there remains at the back an area in the body which is obviously for a speaker, but without the buttons, controller, and electronics for those functions.
Comparison Radio Shack Wild Pony Vs Nikko Wild Horse
Why did Radio Shack decide to cheap out? Maybe they thought an American audience wouldn't appreciate a little truck with sound effects built-in? Too similar to younger kids toys perhaps...?
A popular concept amongst Japanese toy-grade R/C makers, the small Mack-style trucks with sound effects built-in would be produced by many manufacturers, including Taiyo with their Sound Racer and Road King 4x4, amongst others.
Other than that, the core mechanics remained the same.
- Full Function Radio Control
- 8 x AA batteries onboard for the motor plus a 9V onboard for the receiver
- Four Wheel Drive
- Shock Absorbers on Front and Rear
- Large air-filled tires
- Chrome accents, large front bumper, and rear spoiler
- Pistol Grip Controller
This Wild Pony carried its own pistol grip controller (the original Nikko sports a 'sound machine' non-pistol grip), along with packaging and box art that meet the usual high standards for Radio Shack at the time.
As for performance, unfortunately I do not own this model so cannot directly judge this. That said, similar 8xAA powered trucks from the era typically have decent performance but are let down by the early/mid-80s 4WD mechanism that just seems to suck all the life out of the vehicle. Is the Wild Pony the same?
Yeah, it's as expected, not too bad, but nothing compared to a Tyco Bandit or similar Tyco 9.6V turbo which were essentially a generation ahead of these trucks.
Check out this YouTube video to get an idea:
And perhaps we can see now why Nikko's original versions had the added feature of sound effects. These really were Show Ponies, great for indoors and having a blast around the kitchen, but not truly built for the outdoors.
Availability and Collectability
The Radio Shack Wild Pony is still generally available online in good used condition, occasionally with a box. As for whether it's collectable - well, I'm going to have to leave that up to you.
