In 1988, Taiyo manufactured 12 specially marked cars for use in a a competition racing event.
They are one-of-a-kinds, the only known to exist, and are valued highly by the collectors community.
They were released as part of a promotion to do with the 1988 Tokyo International Toy Show held June 16-18 by the Japan International Toy Fair Association in Harumi, Japan.
Each model has different color tires, and frequencies, for the purposes of identification and frequency separation during a competition race.
While we cannot know for sure how many were produced, so far it seems there is only one of each.
The only difference in packaging from regular cars is a round yellow sticker added to the front of the box with its competition details.
Identifying these models
They all have a yellow sticker on the front of the box identifying it as a Limited Edition model.
The translated text from this sticker reads:
1988 Tokyo Toy Show Harumi
Limited Edition 6 Color 6 Band Set.
Jet Racer 4WD
#4. Band 27.145MHz
Yellow Body
Here are all the models we know of..
- 4 of the 6 Racing Pickups have been found
- Only 2 of the 6 Jet Racers have been found
Number #1 Racing Pickup 4WD
Body: Red/White/Blue
Tires: Red
Frequency: 26.995Mhz
Owner: C. Summy
Number #1 Jet Racer 4WD
Body: Black with Gold Accents
Tires: Orange
Frequency: 26.995Mhz
Owner: Unknown
Number #2 - Unknown
Neither Racing Pickup nor Jet Racer #2 has been located. If you have this, or have a photo, contact us!
Number #3 - 1987 Taiyo Racing Pickup 4WD
Body: Red/White/Blue Body
Tires: Orange Tires
Frequency: 27.295Mhz
Owner: TycoCollectors.com
Number #4 - 1987 Taiyo Jet Racer 4WD
Body: Yellow
Tires: Yellow
Frequency: 27.145
Owner: TycoCollectors.com
Number #5 - Unknown
Neither Racing Pickup nor Jet Racer #5 has been located. If you have this, or have a photo, contact us!
Number #6 - 1987 Taiyo Racing Pickup 4WD
Body: Blue/White
Tires: Blue
Frequency: 27.255Mhz
Owner: NostalgiaRC
And this Green Tire / Frequency Racing Pickup 4WD of unknown designation must be 2 or 5.
Why are they 'Competition' cars?
With 6 versions (colors) and 6 unique frequency bands, it suggests these were manufactured specifically for a competition where up to 6 cars were raced together at the same time.
Were live races held at Harumi by Taiyo? Did the winners receive these special edition cars?
It is not known. My personal suspicion is that a moderate amount (<100 each model) were given away as prizes during an extended event. I can definitely confirm that competitions where contestants raced 4-6 cars at the same time were happening and technical considerations must have been made for this. For evidence, we can point to The Early Bird Show in Australia which had 4 contestants race Taiyo RC cars against each other around a small studio track.
It's possible they were sold only at the show, but I suspect competitions, prizes or give-aways would be more likely for these extremely rare cars. That said, this is purely speculation.
What's next?
We are continuing to search for the remaining vehicles.
Do you know more? Please contact us, or email directly via ad***@************rs.com