The Tyco Days of Thunder RC cars were a series of 1/20 scale radio controlled cars manufactured by Taiyo (Japan), they were released onto the US, UK, and other markets worldwide in 1992.
Released a few years after the Hollywood film 'Days of Thunder' starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, possibly when the VHS release landed and a new marketing effort was made.
The Tyco Days of Thunder RC range included two variants. The 27Mhz Black and Green 'Mello Yello' #51 hero car driven by Tom Cruise towards the end of the film, and the 49Mhz Pink and White 'Superflo' #46 driven earlier in the film.
Other Stock Cars
In 1989, prior to Days of Thunder, Tyco had released a few other models of stock cars that seem to have been re-released after the movie.
An example of this is the 49Mhz Blue and Red 1989 Tyco STP Stocker, a model of the actual NASCAR driven by Richard Petty. They would continue to release models into the 90s, such as the 1991 Tyco Kodak Stock Car #4.
Features and Performance
The cars themselves are very accurately recreated for a relatively inexpensive toy, with Cole Trickle's signature atop the SuperFlo, and the overall styling of the Mello Yello hero car especially on point.
As anyone familar with 1/20 size Tyco cars will know, these are movie toys / merchandise first, and R/C car second, and so with 4xAA batteries they move plenty well for a kids R/C, though with slick wheels and no suspension they're indoor smooth surface racers only, or perhaps out on the concrete/tarmac if you're careful.
Tip: if you enjoy these Days of Thunder NASCARs, check out the Kyle Petty Stocker which is an incredible version of the famous Hot Wheels racer that just looks fantastic!
Availability and Collectability
Looking for a decent Days of Thunder car for several years now has taught me that these were popular cars at the time.
You can always tell the most popular Tyco cars, since they're the ones you can only find in severely used condition! About 90% of the cars out there show signs of significant use, not sure I've ever seen a New In Box.
And since "Days of Thunder" is a part of popular culture, you'll be competing against fans of the film, toy collectors generally, and other Tyco RC fans for the good, clean cars in nice condition.
One thing to remember... when I originally wrote this article in 2023 I saw several complete boxes (used) sell for under $100 USD with varying quality - some total wrecks selling for high prices, and nice cars for low prices. Don't assume the higher priced items are always going to be better - sometimes you really can score a bargain at a much lower price, if you're lucky.
That said, the days of picking these up in great condition for under a hundred bucks is well and truly over.
