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Tyco Taiyo Collectors is a resource for enthusiasts of 80s, 90s, and 00s toys produced by Tyco®, Taiyo (Japan), Metro RC, Dickie Toys, and others, and is not affiliated with any toy company.

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12th November 2023
If you’re looking for the perfect nostalgic gift from the 80s and 90s, a vintage Tyco Mini Hopper is my pick! They’re great collectors items and are still fairly affordable.

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1990 Tyco Heads Up Turbo Hopper

BRANDYEARMODELPOWERSPEEDDRIVEAVAILABLEMINT VALUE*RATINGCOMMENT
tyco logo very small19902600-279.6vTurboPack sml 27km/h
17mph
2WD
Used:
Occasional

NIB:
Rare
value200 300
4.5 out of 5
Rare, highly sought after, and increasingly expensive. An excellent example of Taiyo/Tyco's best.
Rating
4.5
out of 5
Review CommentRare, highly sought after, and increasingly expensive. An excellent example of Taiyo/Tyco's best.

SPECIFICATIONS

ScaleDiff.Made inMotor
1/14RearSingaporeMabuchi RE-280
SteeringSuspensionGearBoxFreq.
ActiveAll Shocks2-SpeedRed(27Mhz), Black(49Mhz)

MODEL REVIEW

The Tyco Heads Up Turbo Hopper is a radio control car manufactured by Taiyo (Japan), and released into the United States, United Kingdom, and other markets worldwide in 1990.

Heritage

The final successor in a long line of Tyco Turbo Hoppers that began the Tyco RC business in the mid 80s, this car is the western version of the original 1989 Taiyo Heads Up Hopper sold in its home country of Japan.

Widely regarded as one of the best ‘Hoppers ever made, it is highly sought after by collectors over 30 years later, due to it being the first RC car many 90s kids experienced (or wished they had), and because it’s simply a great RC car no matter when it was released.

Performance

Based upon the Taiyo Jet Hopper 2 chassis,  it has most of the improvements of the modernized platform, including:

  • 9.6V ‘Turbo’ Battery Pack instead of inserting 8xAA batteries
  • Built-in Charge Port & LED (Battery Pack, Charger sold separately)
  • Aggressive stance
  • Rear Tires Extra Wide and Air-Filled
  • Front Tires Wide and Air-Filled
  • Chrome Rims
  • Solid Rear Axle (no differential)
  • ‘Heads Up’ Feature of Drivers Head Turns with Steering
  • Updated Controller with ‘Turbo’ Light and Chrome Handle

TV Advertisement from 1990

Action packed TV commercials were core to the Tyco RC (and Taiyo) business model since it all began in the mid-80s, and no expense was spared for the launch of the Heads Up Turbo Hopper. Compare this to some of the later advertisements in the mid 90s and you can see when the energy and focus had left the company, later leading to its buy-out.

Recommendation

As a Tyco Collector, there are three distinct generations of cars that stand out to me.

Setting aside the pre-1986 models for simplicity, we start with the original era from 1986-1988 where the Turbo Hopper, Super Turbo Hopper, Twin Turbo Lamborghini and many others were the greatest, just so many good ones at that time. Next there was the 1989-1992 era, with the Wild Thing, and Heads Up / Turbo Hopper 2 (this one) and similar chassis cars being amongst the best. And finally, the 1993-1996 era where the Tyco Rebound, Tyco Mutator and a few others.

And so this Heads Up Turbo Hopper is simply one of those “must-haves” from that 2nd generation of Tyco and Taiyo models that really stands out. It’s looks great, runs brilliant, has no inherent defects or material issues like earlier models (though the bumpers love breaking), and it’s just an all-round excellent design.

    VALUE / PRICE HISTORY

    Average Price

    $138.50

    Highest Price

    $316.00

    This average price is based on 65 sales we have recorded (max 10 shown).

    DatePriceConditionTypeTitle
    17 Nov 2023$69.99UsedBuyVintage tyco 9.6v turbo hopper heads up! Car only, untested, check conditions
    10 Nov 2023$159UsedBuyVintage tyco heads up 9.6v turbo hopper rc car taiyo red w/ battery charger
    20 Oct 2023$105.69UsedBuyTyco wild thing 9.6v rc turbo hopper taiyo remote control car bandit heads up
    10 Oct 2023$130UsedBuyRare vintage tyco rc 9.6v heads up! 9.6v turbo hopper monroe working damage read
    20 Sep 2023$65UsedAuctionVintage tyco heads up 9.6v turbo hopper rc car, red (parts/restore)
    20 Sep 2023$65UsedAuctionVintage tyco heads up 9.6v turbo hopper rc car, red (parts/restore)
    05 Sep 2023$20UsedAuctionVintage tyco heads up turbo hopper rc car, red (untested)
    05 Sep 2023$20UsedAuctionVintage tyco heads up turbo hopper rc car, red (untested)
    02 Sep 2023$150UsedBuyTyco heads up turbo hopper rc buggy with box, battery and charger
    02 Sep 2023$150UsedBuyTyco heads up turbo hopper rc buggy with box, battery and charger
    Prices in USD. NIB = New In box, MIB = Mint in Box, EC = Excellent Condition, VGC = Very Good Condition, GC+ = Good condition plus, GC = Good condition, PC = Poor Condition. With Controller = Car with controller. With Box = Box, Car, and Controller. We make all efforts to ensure data is accurate, but cannot guarantee it is.

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