The Kyosho History

What was the first Japanese RC car ever produced? It is now 40 years since Kyosho started business and it was in 1970 that Kyosho started selling the DASH 1. Lets take a look back in time to see the birth of the DASH 1, generally agreed by the industry to be the first RC car made in Japan.

Radio control (RC) spread through the model market from the about 1960, after the Tokyo Olympics. Still regarded as luxury items, most equipment and attention was focused on model aircraft. Many people still dreamt if RC could be adapted to an engine powered car, but there were no manufacturers to develop this into reality.

There was one person took the action necessary to bring this dream to life. This was Kyosho's founder, Mr. Hisashi Suzuki (then President of Kyosho). According to Mr. Naohiko Otsuki (President of Automodel) the almost single-handed developer of the DASH 1, it was Mr. H. Suzuki who brought up the idea.

At that time, Mr. H. Suzuki was working in and out of the U.S. Army base in Tachikawa for the import and export of toys. Through the U.S. Army, he was able to acquire the latest engine powered models available. In 1969, conscription and the Vietnam war saw many soldiers in Japan with strong interests in RC models.

The four bare-chassis were sophisticated non-RC midget cars, and could not be considered as originally designed as RC cars. When Mr. H. Suzuki showed these four models to Mr. Otsuki with the proclamation "look what's out there now", it was the very beginning of something special.

Adoption of the centrifugal clutch

According to Mr. Otsuki, the only really useful point of reference from the American models was the centrifugal clutch in one of the models. Basically, the board track and control line type American cars were very different from RC cars, so there wasn't really anything else to learn from them.

Even in Japan, a company called RIKEN had produced a hand-made control line midget car about one year earlier (kit price was 12,000 Yen, with airplane tires). But a centrifugal clutch wasn't included on the RIKEN midget car, just direct engine contact.

Mr. Otsuki says at first he didn't know what a centrifugal clutch was. Originally, Mr. Otsuki worked at one of Japan's automobile parts manufacturers so he had a strong understanding of car mechanics. Mr. Otsuki couldn't think of a simpler clutch type than the cone-clutch, but he decided to disassemble the automatic centrifugal clutch on his Honda Cub. But the Cub's was a multi-board clutch and didn't provide much insight. A prototype cone clutch was also made, but in the end, an internal expansion-type drum centrifugal clutch was the final result. In the beginning, Bakelite was cast and the drum was machined from "muku" steel (uniform steel).

About six months after trials began, the first prototype shown in the photograph was produced. At this time, the engine was almost horizontal with a front angle. The engine was fixed directly to the chassis to allow engine heat to dissipate and to give a lower center of gravity.

However, this engine-mounting layout was not so good for maintenance and although the idea was innovative, it was not applied. Also, the gentle "S" shape and twin exhaust pipe would be well remembered in the real racing cars of the day.

Mr. Otsuki's detailed appreciation of real racers was obvious, even in the wheels. The 5-spoke diecast aluminum wheels were modeled on the Nissan R382 of that time. More than just modeled, they were replicas. A big fan of the R382, Mr. Otsuki says he telephoned Nissan public relations department and soon received the diagrams (3-D design illustrations) for the actual R382 wheels.

The three body styles chosen were the most popular racing machines in the Japanese Grand Prix: Porsche 917, Lola T70 and the McLaren Elba. The bodies were vacuum molded, a totally new innovation in RC at the time. Mr. H. Suzuki was the one who set about looking for a vacuum molding factory.

The difficult issue of a radio system was covered by the Futaba 4 Channel. The leader in this field at the time was an American company called Orbit, but Futaba was already selling top-class products as well. Another Japanese manufacturer: Hinode Denko, made the "Single Radio" for boats, but it was not suitable for providing the precision control needed.

Futaba's 4 Channel, two-stick radio for airplanes was a little too extravagant for cars. Futaba also had a 1-stick 2-channel radio for boats, but engine control and rudder operation were from the same stick. This made it quite difficult to adapt for use with RC cars.

Trial and the Kokuritsu Gekijo

In October 1970, Kyosho demonstrated its three completed prototypes in front of industry members. The venue selected for the demonstration was the parking lot of the Kokuritsu Gekijo in Miyakezaka Tokyo. As Mr. Otsuki was so focused on running the cars for the first time in front of an audience, he can't remember the day clearly.

20~30 attended the demonstration - in the rain. Everyone was amazed at the speed generated by the cars. They were just like full-sized racing cars: powerful acceleration, exhaust smoke and sound too. "What is the maximum speed?" everyone was so excited to know. In the unrelenting rain, the 1/8 scale 30cm wheelbase prototype car made a one meter splash, and landed a place in history. This was the birth of RC cars in Japan.

The DASH 1 was released for sale one month later, and created a storm of interest all over Japan. Motorsport was experiencing a boom, and Japanese car-makers were putting a lot of effort into developing their racing reputations. This was the golden age of Japanese motorsport. The DASH 1's realistic style and speed were received with great appreciation from motorsport fans at its release.

It was also the first in its field to use TV advertising. Airing only once daily at 11:00 at night, modeling fans were still absolutely delighted.

The DASH 1 was priced at 23,000 Yen without engine. As shown in the photograph, the body line-up of seven went from the Porsche 917 to the Skyline GTR. Engines used were still the imported 19-class VECO (West Germany) and K&B; (U.S.A.) marine engines with a Perry Carburetor and Kyosho's Fuel Stopper and a car muffler.

The DASH 1 also included nylon nuts to prevent nuts loosening. As these were the latest technology used in aircraft, they weren't available in Japan yet. This made them very expensive so Mr. Otsuki says they decided to use nylon nuts in about ten areas where they were absolutely necessary.

Now we have products like screw lock so these problems don't have to be overcome, but back then these had to be managed by Mr. Otsuki himself.

According to Mr. Otsuki, the thing that made the DASH 1 such a hit, were the wheels. Even full-size car fanatics were full of praise for the workmanship. Some even said they slept with them under their pillows. You could say that this was also due to Nissan's generosity and help.

One year later (1971), the DASH 2 targeted at beginners (price: 16,500 Yen) was released. The DASH 1 used a two-piece chassis, but the DASH 2 had a one-piece chassis and the engine was only at a slight front angle. In addition, the SUPER DASH (price: 26,000 Yen) was released as a competition level machine.

In 1971, the Japan Model Racing Car Association (JMRCA) was established, and the first Kyosho Championship for 1/8 scale racing cars was held at a specially constructed race course at Fuji Speedway. The winner received a trip to Hawaii. From this point, Kyosho cars and racing have evolved to where we are today. In 1972, the DASH 3 and the DUNE BUGGY were released, starting the buggy racing phenomenon

When talking about the time of the DASH 1, its impossible not to mentioned the Kyosho Bell Star 220 radio system. This was the first ever wheel-type transmitter developed, and is still the main type of transmitter used for RC cars today.

At the time, only stick-type transmitters for airplanes existed. So RC car racers were forced to use stick-type transmitters. Mr. H. Suzuki wondered why stick transmitters were used to control RC cars, and started development of the Bell Star almost straight away.

However, the Bell Star was ahead of its time and wasn't accepted by consumers. There were some problems with durability, and it developed a negative reputation. However this was when electronic equipment makers had just started producing RC systems, so problems were widespread at the time.

Now every RC company has a wheel-type transmitter, but developing and releasing a new age innovative product back in those days was a very courageous thing indeed. Mr. H. Suzuki was a big innovator of this generation in RC. Even in RC systems for cars, he was a true pioneer

This year represents the 40th year since Kyosho first started business. A history of Kyosho RC cars wouldn't be anywhere near complete without particular reference to off-road vehicles. This installment looks at Kyosho's role in RC buggy racing and the machines that defined a hobby along the way.

When did buggy racing first start in Japan?

The inaugural JMRCA sponsored Japan 1/8 Class Buggy Championships was officially recorded in 1973. However, not many people still remember the days of "grass-track" races where the pioneers of buggy racing first started. Various opinion indicates that before the first Japan National Championship, two or three proper race events had already been held.

According to Mr. Naohiko Otsuki, the creator of the Kyosho Dash 1 - the first "Made in Japan" RC car (refer 1st installment), before RC buggies were seen in Japan, he had seen pictures of Italian buggies in foreign magazines. But the drive system from the engine consisted of a primitive round belt and these machines did not appear well constructed.

At that time, off-road buggy racing was very popular even in the realm of full-sized cars. In 1970, the year of the World Expo in Osaka, a limited release of 100 Daihatsu Fellow 360cc buggies went on sale. This added a new stimulus, and the success of the Kyosho Dash 1 triggered the development of RC buggies in Japan.

After the Dash 1, Mr. Otsuki created the first Kyosho RC buggy in 1972: the Dash 3 DUNE BUGGY. However, shortly before the Dash 3 was released, the Ishimasa Rat Buggy was on the market. Mr. Takahashi (President of Ishimasa), created a unique brand from his combined stonemasonry business in Himonya Meguro (inner Tokyo). This is thought to be the first "Japanese" RC buggy, and featured an ambitious assortment of components: front wheel strut suspension; split rear axle and a layout faithful to the full-sized VW buggy.

At a time with nothing to use as a guide, Mr. Otsuki is full of praise for Ishimasa's (his one-time rival) originality.

Soon after the Ishimasa, the Kyosho DUNE BUGGY was released. However, as it was a modified version of the Dash 3 on-road racer, it couldn't really be called a true buggy. Without front/rear suspension, a buggy body was simply mounted on a rigid chassis for a relatively unsophisticated result.

Even while RC buggies were being born, buggy racing activity was developing. The simple designs provided a wide range of opportunities for dedicated racers to modify the machines which added another aspect to the growing fascination with buggies.

The first race was held in 1972 at the Tamagawa Ground in Kawasaki. People looking for chance to race their machines got together and did just that: this was the very beginning of buggy racing. The race was basically a two-make race with the Ishimasa RAT against the Kyosho DUNE. The sophisticated RAT looked to get an early advantage versus the simply constructed DUNE, however the DUNE's durability ensured its recovery in the later half of the race.

At the time, racers were able to modify many components in their machines, so a 10 car race, would inevitably feature 10 different cars. At this time, Mr. Otsuki says he gathered an amazing depth of knowledge from these pioneers of buggy racing, when it was just beginning. This was the era of experimentation.

Sometime after the Tamagawa race, another buggy race scene started in Kakio, Yokohama. Club CPRT sponsored the event held in an open lot at the back of Touin Gukuen. Many people would still remember this race series which ran over a long period and was held up to once every two months.

Then in 1973 at the Sagamiko Picnic Land, the first 1/8 class Buggy Championship was held. This saw the duel between the RAT and the DUNE expanded into a three-way challenge with the entrance of a new player: the Seki Mokei CAT.

The CAT BUGGY, created by the president of Seki Mokei (of Setagaya, Tokyo), was the most advanced design of the day and pioneer of double-wishbone suspension. The CAT was very fast and very popular, but suffered durability problems.

With so many hand-made components, production costs were high and the CAT was sometimes referred to as the "Bolt Monster", aspects which would be considered more valuable now than they were back then. The Sagamiko Picnic Land saw epic battles between the DUNE and the CAT BUGGY. Lateral weakness in its double-wishbone and bouncing from its low rings resulted in frequent rollovers. Mr. Otsuki noted this and shortly after, the Kyosho buggy was using a trailing link.

The Kyosho DUNE BUGGY showed its first evolutionary leap in 1973~4.

The Racing Buggy RX100 had improved durability and lighter weight, which was improved even further with the Dx Chassis Kit to set a new performance benchmark. Spike tires mounted on the rear wheels made a huge impact and when Mr. Otsuki thinks back to the risky decision to invest in molds to produce spike tires, it was definitely the right choice.

The inspiration for spike tires came from one of the early fanatical buggy racers. The outside of the thread pattern on the rear tires on this racer's Ishimasa RAT BUGGY were cut off and replaced with small pieces of rubber fixed with super-glue.

At this point, Mr. Otsuki realized that spike tires would improve lateral resistance.

The Kyosho Dx chassis which included spike tires, had much improved straight running performance and also handled uneven surfaces better. Due to its light weight, it also produced more speed. After the Dx Chassis Kit, Kyosho accelerated its development for improving durability and speed which led to an extended period of unrivaled performance.

The next thing, both the RAT BUGGY and the CAT BUGGY had disappeared. After this the market was flooded with new RC cars when manufacturers rushed into the fast growing hobby. Kyosho won the right to continue through these turbulent days of the "RC car wars" with its circuit buggy.

Kyosho developed the double trailing-arm circuit buggy and became the leading brand in the engine powered buggy category. Kyosho's development continued apace with the 4WD Land Jump 4D through to the Inferno 4WD, winning the World Championships, for the last six times running.

As the iconic symbol of Kyosho's on-road racing pedigree, the history of the Fantom is one of continual World Championship challenges and an eventual change of name to the Evolva. With a focus on the Fantom series, this is the story of the evolution of Kyosho's on-road racing models.

The world of RC cars today is characterized by a huge variety of scale, on-road, off-road, electric (EP) and gas powered (GP) machines.

However, 30 years ago there was only one class: 1/8 GP cars, which is where the history of RC car racing began.

This 1/8 class of GP on-road racing is regarded as the RC racing's equivalent to Formula 1 in the full-scale racing world.

Despite the growth in popularity of EP touring cars, 1/8 GP racing remains the sport's highest performance class in terms of speed and lap times. On a technological level, it also embodies the most advanced design and construction know-how.

Kyosho's leadership of this class, and for that matter the RC car world, started with the Dash-1 as explained in the first installment of this series. The famous Dash-1 evolved into the Fantom 25 years ago (in 1978).

In September 2003, the Fantom continued its heritage with a glorious victory at the 14th IFMAR 1/8 RC Car World Championships held in Ohio U.S.A. To put this victory into perspective, this story will focus on the RC world's pioneers, the Fantom's 25 year history, and the evolution of Kyosho on-road racing machines.

First of all, the Japan Model Radio Control Association (JMRCA) was established in February 1971, naturally with the backing of Kyosho, the industry leader. According to JMRCA records, the first organized event was the First Japan-America Goodwill RC Car Race in March 1971.

This race was sponsored by the JMRCA and the U.S. Air Force Model Club and held within the grounds of the Tokyo Tachikawa Base. Before 1973, the Vietnam War was still raging and conscription was still in force so there were many U.S. soldiers in Japan with a strong interest in RC. Due to this, the racecars represented the latest technology and the standard of racing was world class.

Also, in 1969 the U.S. military moved some assets to a new base in Yokota for strategic reasons, which created even more open space at the vast Tachikawa Base. It should be mentioned that RC racing events were being held within overseas U.S. bases against the backdrop of the serious fighting of the Vietnam War. Within the sprawling U.S. military base, a more than 600 meter long race track was built.

Engine performance would make or break a race, and the Kyosho Dash made its first appearance on the international stage with a Super Tiger engine tuned to produce more than 30,000 RPM. Radio systems of the time were susceptible to interference so machines were constantly losing control. The open airfields continued as far as the eye could see, so cars that had lost control just kept going.

Normally these cars didn'tﾕt run straight anyway, so it was a surprise to see them disappear in an instant. Motorbikes were kept on standby for recovery of these wayward vehicles.

At about the same time as the race at Tachikawa Base, Kyosho was the main sponsor of a promotional event held in the parking lot at Oiso Long Beach. Reporters from the Yomiuri Shinbun, a leading Japanese daily, covered the event and gave it a national color feature.

This triggered RC car fever and encouraged many people to join in. After Tachikawa Base, race circuits in the 70's appeared in such places as the Sayama Ski Fields, Oiso Race Course Parking Area and Musashino Circuit. Growing popularity saw increased participation of about 200 racers at proper events like the one at Oiso Long Beach.

At about the same time, the Japan Radio Control Car Club (JRCC) was organizing grass-track racing for serious RC racers. The JRCC as a subordinate group of the JMRCA and organized about nine races per year. However the contribution of the JRCC to the growth of 1/8 racing cannot be underestimated. At the Oiso Long Beach race, a racer made by Todoroki Model was prominent. Todoroki was a manufacturer of slot racers, and was able to turn many slot racing enthusiasts into RC racing fans. The JMRCA completed its official custom-built race circuit (SPL Speed Way) in September 1978.

In November of the same year, Mr. Kiyokatsu Kishi (pictured), drove the Kyosho Fantom 20 to victory in the All-Japan Championship. This spelt the end for Todoroki and established the Fantom as the dominant force in 1/8 class racing in Japan.

The 1970's was the also the era when Kyosho (Dash ~ Fantom) competed against imported cars. The most competitive imported cars at the time were from Associated (U.S.A.), and PB (UK). Moving into the 1980's, the Serpent (Netherlands), and the BMT (Italy), came to prominence. The most competitive amongst these was the Serpent. Kyosho continued to battle against cars from Europe and America using its own racing technology. y.

Fantom 4WDWD

The first IFMAR 1/8 RC Car World Championship was held in Los Angeles in July 1977. Subsequent World Championships have been held about every two years since. Team Kyosho's first challenge was at the 3rd World Championships held at Indianapolis, U.S.A.

Kyosho finished 3rd with Mr. Katsunori Kondo's Fantom EXP equipped with the RC world's first oil pressure shocks on the front wheels. Kyosho also brought a 4WD Fantom that was under development at the time.

Other racing teams ridiculed the crazy Japanese for thinking a 4WD car could race on-road. Although oil shocks and 4WD on-road racers are standard today, they weren't accepted or even understood by the top racing teams from around the world back then.

Able to adapt better to any surface, Kyosho was the first to show the world that 4WD cars were effective on-road racers. The 5th IFMAR 1/8 World Championships were held at Tokyo Disneyland in July 1985. Kyosho finished 2nd and 10th with the Fantom 4WD 3P, but was still chasing Serpent and Associated.

After that, Kyosho temporarily stopped production of the Fantom and suspended its involvement in the 1/8 GP on-road racing class. 1/8 scale also ceased to be the main focus of RC car manufacturers. For 10 years from 1989 to 1999, Kyosho imported and sold BMT and Picco cars from Italy to fill what demand was there.

The Kyosho Fantom made its comeback to the 1/8 racing scene in 2000. While the market for RC cars was dominated by other categories, 1/8 on-road racing still remained the RC world's highest speed and performance class.

The current President of Kyosho, Mr. Akihisa Suzuki, was determined to put a plan in place to re-take the lead in this category. Although Kyosho was at the forefront of growth in the popular 1/10 GP touring cars, Kyosho's race heritage started when it built its first Japanese made car 33 years ago and continued with its critical role in the development of the world of RC cars.

In this context, it's easy to understand why conquering the RC racing world's top category was more than just a project; it was a duty. That this mission was achieved in its 3rd year makes it all the remarkable.

Some readers may think that after 30 years, Kyosho has finally beaten Serpent, but this is not the reality. Kyosho has always been a technological leader in innovation in RC car design just as it was when it brought 4WD and oil shocks to the on-road racing world.