The Tyco Toy Story 2 RC is a radio controlled car based on a toy from the 1999 Pixar film, Toy Story 2. Manufactured by Tyco Industries, it was released in the US, UK, and most other countries worldwide in 1999. Updated in 2000 by including a Buzz Lightyear action figure to reproduce a scene in the movie.
When we think of Pixar's ground breaking 1995 computer rendered film "Toy Story", and its sequel "Toy Story 2", many would picture big names characters like Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Not me. From the moment I saw Toy Story, with its "R.C", a non-speaking but engine revving radio controlled car character who saves the day more than once, I was thinking "Will they release an actual radio controlled RC toy?".
Ah, how young and innocent I was back then. It's Disney! They released not just one, but dozens of R.C related toys, very few of which were actually Radio Controlled, but good news is they got the best RC toy makers involved at the time - Taiyo Toys! Uh I mean Tyco RC! No, Mattel!
By 1999, Tyco Industries (inc. Tyco RC) had been gobbled up into Mattel, and god only knows what that meant for its partial ownership of Japanese RC toy legend Taiyo Toys, but whatever the case was, it did allow them to collaborate this one last time to design and manufacture a radio controlled car for the 1999 Toy Story 2 release.
Features and Performance
At its core, the Toy Story 2 RC based on a Tyco Mini Hopper with the same chassis underneath, though none of the suspension and dynamics which made that RC such a success. So yes, no suspension.
What it did have however was the 4xAA power, and decent full function controls of the original, and as you can see from the video below, it actually performs quite well for a little car.
Youtube video of the car in action, with thanks to The Disneyland Video Series
Movie Accuracy
One point that some fail to realize with the Tyco Toy Story RC is that Pixar were clearly doing their best to ensure that a driveable RC was accessible to the public at large, that kids could get a Buzz or Andy doll, and a R.C. and play with them together. This meant sacrifices in the cost per unit, and so it's no surprise that Tyco was ultimately chosen.
With the Mini Hopper already having multiple new body designs since its original 1987 release, another variant in blue and green, with some eyes up the front, and an overall simplified aerodynamic look would have been easy and very cost effective, especially once the front and rear suspension systems were removed.
The controller, though it didn't match what was seen in the movie was deemed good enough, and it was familiar to the general public, having used the same controller since the 1986 release of the Turbo Hopper which started off the whole toy-store affordable R.C craze in the late 80s.
A movie accurate version for collectors
There have been so many Toy Store "R.C." cars available, yet few of them are actually radio controlled cars if you look closely. Many will say 'remote controlled' which means its controlled with a wire, and others are free wheeling, which is just a push car without any power or control.
Of the actually radio controlled versions, the most realistic recreation has to be the Thinkway released several years later as part of a collectors series. Not as constrained by cost, this was a car designed for teens and young adults who were older now, and had disposable income, people willing to pay a little more for a high quality movie-accurate product.
The Thinkway appears to be designed completely from scratch to look identical to the toy in the movie, complete with fat red springs on the front and rear, custom rubber tires with a cartoony tread pattern, and that controller... they actually rebuilt the controller exactly like the movie! No mean feat considering it was never designed to actually work, and be used by anyone other than a 3D character inside of a Silicon Graphics Workstation.
And while it's neither a Taiyo, Tyco, or Tamiya, I have to appreciate the love and attention to detail that went into this toy, and so if/when does come available for the right price, I'll probably pick one up.
Availability and Collectability
Sadly, this 1999 variant of the Toy Story R.C. car just isn't that easy to track down. Like most Tyco RC cars, they did their job so well that they were essentially loved to death. Driven and driven until the kid got older, or smashed it into something a little too hard, then straight into the bin like many collectors items before it.
Occasionally they do pop up though, and the prices aren't very expensive. For me, personally, the combination of a big name Hollywood movie, an RC car character, and Tyco / Taiyo manufacture makes this a must have for collectors of all things Tyco.
There's a few that continue to be listed for several hundred USD, but if you're patient you can pick them up for much much less - at least for the moment. It's unlikely to stay that way forever.
