The Tyco Shocker is a radio controlled car manufactured by Taiyo (Japan), and released onto the US, UK, and other markets worldwide in 1992.
Following the success of it’s Turbo Hopper, Tyco would seek to extend it’s domination of the market and the extraordinary sales volume by:
- Progressively upgrading the Turbo Hopper (MKI > II > III > Hopper 2)
- Offering new variants such as the Aero Jet Hopper
- Offering new vehicles with a simple body change (eg. Wild Thing)
The Tyco Shocker fits into the last category, based on the Jet Hopper 2 chassis that was already in production, was known to be reliable and with excellent performance that could be easily styled and marketed to complete with other products by its core competitors, including Nikko, which were often more aggressively styled.
More importantly, it would also bolster sales of the Tyco 9.6V Battery Packs that were required to run the cars and were no doubt high margin.
This strategy by Taiyo/Tyco in the late 80s would have doubled their profits overnight, and they continued to protect these profits with scare tactics, warning against use of ‘non-genuine’ (ie. Nikko?) packs which could damage electronics well into the late 90s.
Features and Performance
As we’ve started, it’s a Jet Hopper 2 chassis, and so the standard specifications apply:
- 9.6v ‘Turbo’ 8xAA battery power
- Differential: Rear
- Chrome plated rims
- Wider Air Filled Front and Rear Tires
- Heat Sink on the 280 Mabuchi motor
- Top Speed of 27kmh/17mph
Recommendation
Tyco Shockers are great cars, but rare. You’ll be waiting a long time for one of these to pop up on eBay. We’d suggest asking around forums and Facebook groups, or setting a Saved Search on eBay – be sure to include “-shell” to avoid the similarly named Tyco Shell Shocker which is no doubt filling up our automatic eBay search on the right…
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