History Toys / Mini4WD

While Adolph Eddy Goldfarb is credited by some sources to have invented the Mini 4WD line through the Stompers line of miniature 4x4 trucks based on real-world trucks and pickups in 1980, a precursor line called the Quick Racer was released by Tamiya in 1968. The Quick Racer was rear-wheel drive only and used a different motor form factor, but it had a similar mechanical layout to modern Mini 4WD cars, thus [[UrExample setting the template]] for future models. Then-Tamiya president Shunsaku Tamiya made it a point "to make a model product that can be assembled easily," simplifying the internals by reducing the number of parts--eliminating wiring through the use of stamped-metal terminals connected directly to the motor and using as few moving parts as possible--and utilising a snap-together construction, as the company feared that the use of adhesives in a scale model line marketed towards children wasn't worth the bad press owing to [[DrugsAreBad inhalant abuse]].[[note]]Since Japanese society has a much more negative perception towards narcotics, this doesn't come as a surprise.[[/note]] In 1982, Tamiya produced Mini 4WD variants of their remote-control and static model kits, spawning a new hobby and various imitators from the likes of Hasbro's Record Breakers endorsed by Wrestling/JesseVentura (yes, ''that'' Jesse Ventura), Auldey and countless [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct bootleg]] factories in China and elsewhere.

* MerchandiseDriven: There are lots of manga series that are focused on Mini 4WD, with many of them being serialized on either Shogakukan's ''[=CoroCoro=]'' magazines or their ''[=Shogaku Years=]'' magazines. As mentioned above, only the ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' series by the late Zaurus Tokuda and the ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'' series by Tetsuhiro Koshita stands out.
* MyLittlePanzer: Not to the extent that it is in the anime and manga, though since the toys are marketed towards children and they contain small parts which could be easily ingested, Tamiya generally advises kids to seek adult assistance should they need to service or build a new car. Though as mentioned above, they did make it a point to design the cars to be as easily assembled by children as possible, using snap-together construction instead of model glue for easier servicing and out of substance abuse concerns.
* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: The toys' popularity led to countless imitators who cashed in on the craze especially in Asia, where it isn't uncommon in the early 2000s to see a toy stall selling bootlegs from Diamond, Jiada, Gokey and Heipao to name a few[[note]]This is happening because the toys target grade school children in markets where kids were not given much in terms of allowances for savings.[[/note]]. Most of those who produce pirated Tamiyas adopted a variation of the company's twin-star logo, often substituting the stars with diamonds, crosses or other random symbols, and would use artwork ripped from the original packaging. Auldey was a unique case in that while they too made blatant bootlegs of various Tamiya Mini 4WD cars, they were of decent quality as opposed to lower-tier counterfeits which had weaker plastic and hard tyres compared to the more rubbery ones used by Tamiya and Auldey, not to mention that the electric motors that came with their kits are said to give Tamiya's stock motors a run for their money. However some Tamiya purists still do not think highly of the Audley models, since after all's said and done, they ''are still bootlegs''.

[[folder: List of works that focus on Mini [=4WD=] Racing]]

* MerchandiseDriven: ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo''.

While Adolph Eddy Goldfarb is credited by some sources to have invented the Mini 4WD line through the Stompers line of miniature 4x4 trucks based on real-world trucks and pickups in 1980, a prior line called the Quick Racer was released by Tamiya in 1968. The Quick Racer was rear-wheel drive only and used a different motor form factor, but it had a similar mechanical layout to modern Mini 4WD cars, thus [[UrExample setting the template]] for future models. Then-Tamiya president Shunsaku Tamiya made it a point "to make a model product that can be assembled easily," simplifying the internals by reducing the number of parts--eliminating wiring through the use of stamped-metal terminals connected directly to the motor and using as few moving parts as possible--and utilising a snap-together construction, as the company feared that the use of adhesives in a scale model line marketed towards children wasn't worth the bad press owing to [[DrugsAreBad inhalant abuse]].[[note]]Since Japanese society has a much more negative perception towards narcotics, this doesn't come as a surprise.[[/note]] In 1982, Tamiya produced Mini 4WD variants of their remote-control and static model kits, spawning a new hobby and various imitators from the likes of Hasbro's Record Breakers endorsed by Wrestling/JesseVentura (yes, ''that'' Jesse Ventura), Auldey and countless [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct bootleg]] factories in China and elsewhere.

As of 2019, Tamiya has produced 27 different chassis platforms for their Mini 4WD line, a few of which are still being produced with the more recent ones sporting carbon reinforced composites and mid-mounted motors in stark contrast to the simpler and less mechanically complex ones from the 80s and 90s.

* MyLittlePanzer: Not to the extent that it is in the anime and manga, though since the toys are marketed towards children and they contain small parts which could be easily ingested, Tamiya generally advises kids to seek adult assistance should they need to service or build a new car.

Their history can be traced back to 1980 when Adolph Eddy Goldfarb invented the Stompers line of miniature 4x4 trucks based on real-world trucks and pickups. A wave of imitators soon showed up on the market, leading to lawsuits. In 1982, Tamiya produced Mini 4WD variants of their remote-control and static model kits, spawning a new hobby and various imitators from the likes of Hasbro's Record Breakers endorsed by Wrestling/JesseVentura (yes, ''that'' Jesse Ventura), Auldey and countless [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct bootleg]] factories in China and elsewhere.

* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: The toys' popularity led to countless imitators who cashed in on the craze especially in Asia, where it isn't uncommon in the early 2000s to see a toy stall selling bootlegs from Diamond, Jiada, Gokey and Heipao to name a few[[note]]This is happening because the toys target grade school children in markets where kids were not given much in terms of allowances for savings.[[/note]]. Most of those who produce pirated Tamiyas adopted a variation of the company's twin-star logo, often substituting the stars with diamonds, crosses or other random symbols, and would use artwork ripped from the original packaging. Auldey was a unique case in that while they too made blatant bootlegs of various Tamiya Mini 4WD cars, they were of decent quality as opposed to lower-tier counterfeits which had weaker plastic and hard tyres compared to the more rubbery ones used by Tamiya and Auldey. However some Tamiya purists still do not think highly of the Audley models, since after all's said and done, they ''are still bootlegs''.

Tamiya's Mini 4WD line later spawned manga serials in Creator/{{Shogakukan}}'s ''Magazine/CoroCoroComic'' which served as a MerchandiseDriven tie-in to the toys -- ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'', both of which were adapted into their respective anime series. While both ''Dash! Yonkuro'' and ''Let's & Go'' did not see a Western release, they were credited for spawning a cult following from children and hobbyists alike especially in UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, where the toy line experienced an immense surge of popularity in the early 2000s [[note]]Malaysia was a special case however, since the toy surged in popularity in the mid-90s when ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' first premiered on local terrestrial TV, sponsored by Tamiya's local distributor, who also aggressively marketed the models, and the toys were already popular in the country when the other markets finally caught up in the early 2000s[[/note]]. Tamiya commemorated this by producing special editions of the Shadow Shark, Gun Bluster XTO and Cyclone Magnum along with the Trairong, a car based on a winning design in a contest held by Tamiya in Thailand, and the Dyipne, which as the name implies, is based on the iconic Jeepney -- a minibus commonly used as a form of public transport in the Philippines, which in turn was originally based on the Willys jeeps left by American forces right after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.

Mini 4WD cars refer to a battery-powered scale model car made in a scale of between 1:20 to 1:48, though the term is mostly associated with 1:32 plastic AA battery powered plastic model race cars without remote control, which are commonly run on circuit tracks similar to slot cars but with separate lanes for each car instead of electrified rails. All four wheels are driven by a small brushed DC motor, one axle being driven through a small gear set and the other through a propeller shaft; the MS and MA chassis utilise a longitudinally-mounted motor with two driveshafts, making a propeller shaft unnecessary and allowing for more even power distribution.

Tamiya's Mini 4WD line later spawned manga serials in Creator/{{Shogakukan}}'s ''Magazine/CoroCoroComic'' which served as a MerchandiseDriven tie-in to the toys -- ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'', both of which were adapted into their respective anime series. While both ''Dash! Yonkuro'' and ''Let's & Go'' did not see a Western release, they were credited for spawning a cult following from children and hobbyists alike especially in UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, where the toy line experienced an immense surge of popularity in the early 2000s [[note]]Malaysia was a special case however, since the toy surged in popularity in the mid-90s when ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' first premiered on local terrestrial TV, sponsored by Tamiya's local distributor, who also aggressively marketed the models, and the toys were already popular in the country when the other markets finally caught up in the early 2000s[[/note]]. Tamiya commemorated this by producing special editions of the Shadow Shark, Gun Bluster XTO and Cyclone Magnum along with the Trairong, a car based on a winning design in a contest held by Tamiya in Thailand.

As of 2018, Tamiya has produced 27 different chassis platforms for their Mini 4WD line, a few of which are still being produced with the more recent ones sporting carbon reinforced composites and mid-mounted motors in stark contrast to the simpler and less mechanically complex ones from the 80s and 90s.

* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: The toys' popularity led to countless imitators who cashed in on the craze especially in Asia, where it isn't uncommon in the early 2000s to see a toy stall selling bootlegs from Diamond, Jiada, Gokey and Heipao to name a few[[note]]This is happening because the toys target grade school children in markets where kids were not given much in terms of allowances for savings[[/note]]. Most of those who produced pirated Tamiyas adopted a variation of the company's twin-star logo, often substituting the stars with diamonds, crosses or other random symbols, and would use artwork ripped from the original packaging. Auldey was a unique case in that while they too made blatant bootlegs of various Tamiya Mini 4WD cars, they were of decent quality as opposed to lower-tier counterfeits which had weaker plastic and hard tyres compared to the more rubbery ones used by Tamiya and Auldey. However some Tamiya purists still do not think highly of the Audley models, since after all's said and done, they are still bootlegs.

* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: The toys' popularity led to countless imitators who cashed in on the craze especially in Asia, where it isn't uncommon in the early 2000s to see a toy stall selling bootlegs from Diamond, Jiada, Gokey and Heipao to name a few. Most of those who produced pirated Tamiyas adopted a variation of the company's twin-star logo, often substituting the stars with diamonds, crosses or other random symbols, and would use artwork ripped from the original packaging. Auldey was a unique case in that while they too made blatant bootlegs of various Tamiya Mini 4WD cars, they were of decent quality as opposed to lower-tier counterfeits which had weaker plastic and hard tyres compared to the more rubbery ones used by Tamiya and Auldey. However some Tamiya purists still do not think highly of the Audley models, since after all's said and done, they are still bootlegs.

* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: The toys' popularity led to countless imitators who cashed in on the craze especially in Asia, where it isn't uncommon in the early 2000s to see a toy stall selling bootlegs from Diamond, Jiada, Gokey and Heipao to name a few. Most of those who produced pirated Tamiyas adopted a variation of the company's twin-star logo, often substituting the stars with diamonds, crosses or other random symbols, and would use artwork ripped from the original packaging. Auldey was a unique case in that while they too made blatant bootlegs of various Tamiya Mini 4WD cars, they were of decent quality as opposed to lower-tier counterfeits which had weaker plastic and hard tyres compared to the more rubbery ones used by Tamiya and Auldey.

Tamiya's Mini 4WD line later spawned manga serials in Creator/{{Shogakukan}}'s ''Magazine/CoroCoroComic'' which served as a MerchandiseDriven tie-in to the toys -- ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'', both of which were adapted into their respective anime series. While both ''Dash! Yonkuro'' and ''Let's & Go'' did not see a Western release, they were credited for spawning a cult following from children and hobbyists alike especially in UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, where the toy line experienced an immense surge of popularity in the early 2000s [[note]]Malaysia was a special case however, since the toy surged in popularity in the mid-90s when ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' first premiered on local terrestrial TV, sponsored by Tamiya's local distributor, who also aggressively marketed the models, and the toys were already rather mainstream in the country when the other countries finally caught up in the early 2000s[[/note]]. Tamiya commemorated this by producing special editions of the Shadow Shark, Gun Bluster XTO and Cyclone Magnum along with the Trairong, a car based on a winning design in a contest held by Tamiya in Thailand.

Tamiya's Mini 4WD line later spawned manga serials in Creator/{{Shogakukan}}'s ''Magazine/CoroCoroComic'' which served as a MerchandiseDriven tie-in to the toys -- ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'', both of which were adapted into their respective anime series. While both ''Dash! Yonkuro'' and ''Let's & Go'' did not see a Western release, they were credited for spawning a cult following from children and hobbyists alike especially in UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, where the toy line experienced an immense surge of popularity in the early 2000s [[note]]Malaysia was a special case however, since the toy surged in popularity in the mid-90s when ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' first premiered on local terrestrial TV, sponsored by Tamiya's local distributor, who also aggressively marketed the models, and the toys were already popular in the country when the other countries finally caught up in the early 2000s[[/note]]. Tamiya commemorated this by producing special editions of the Shadow Shark, Gun Bluster XTO and Cyclone Magnum along with the Trairong, a car based on a winning design in a contest held by Tamiya in Thailand.

Tamiya's Mini 4WD line later spawned manga serials in Creator/{{Shogakukan}}'s ''Magazine/CoroCoroComic'' which served as a MerchandiseDriven tie-in to the toys -- ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'', both of which were adapted into their respective anime series. While both ''Dash! Yonkuro'' and ''Let's & Go'' did not see a Western release, they were credited for spawning a cult following from children and hobbyists alike especially in UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, where the toy line experienced an immense surge of popularity in the early 2000s (Malaysia was a special case however, since the toy surged in popularity in the mid-90s when ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' first premiered on local terrestrial TV, sponsored by Tamiya's local distributor, who also aggressively marketed the models). Tamiya commemorated this by producing special editions of the Shadow Shark, Gun Bluster XTO and Cyclone Magnum along with the Trairong, a car based on a winning design in a contest held by Tamiya in Thailand.

Tamiya's Mini 4WD line later spawned manga serials in Creator/{{Shogakukan}}'s ''Magazine/CoroCoroComic'' which served as a MerchandiseDriven tie-in to the toys -- ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'', both of which were adapted into their respective anime series. While both ''Dash! Yonkuro'' and ''Let's & Go'' did not see a Western release, they were credited for spawning a cult following from children and hobbyists alike especially in UsefulNotes/Malaysia, UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, where the toy line experienced an immense surge of popularity in the early 2000s (Malaysia was a special case however, since the toy surged in popularity in the mid-90s when ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' first premiered on local terrestrial TV, sponsored by Tamiya's local distributor, who also aggressively marketed the models). Tamiya commemorated this by producing special editions of the Shadow Shark, Gun Bluster XTO and Cyclone Magnum along with the Trairong, a car based on a winning design in a contest held by Tamiya in Thailand.

Tamiya's Mini 4WD line later spawned manga serials in Creator/{{Shogakukan}}'s ''Magazine/CoroCoroComic'' which served as a MerchandiseDriven tie-in to the toys -- ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'', both of which were adapted into their respective anime series. While both ''Dash! Yonkuro'' and ''Let's & Go'' did not see a Western release, they were credited for spawning a cult following from children and hobbyists alike especially in UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, where the toy line experienced an immense surge of popularity in the early 2000s. Tamiya commemorated this by producing special editions of the Shadow Shark, Gun Bluster XTO and Cyclone Magnum along with the Trairong, a car based on a winning design in a contest held by Tamiya in Thailand.

* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: The toys' popularity led to countless imitators who cashed in on the craze especially in Asia, where it isn't uncommon in the early 2000s to see a toy stall selling bootlegs from Jiada, Gokey and Heipao to name a few. Most of those who produced pirated Tamiyas adopted a variation of the company's twin-star logo, often substituting the stars with diamonds, crosses or other random symbols, and would use artwork ripped from the original packaging. Auldey was a unique case in that while they too made blatant bootlegs of various Tamiya Mini 4WD cars, they were of decent quality as opposed to lower-tier counterfeits which had weaker plastic and hard tyres compared to the more rubbery ones used by Tamiya and Auldey.

Mini 4WD cars refer to a battery-powered scale model car made in a scale of between 1:20 to 1:48, though the term is mostly associated with 1:32 plastic AA battery powered plastic model race cars without remote control, which are commonly run on circuit tracks similar to slot cars but with separate lanes for each car instead of electrified rails. All four wheels are driven by a small brushed DC motor, one axle being driven directly and the other through a propeller shaft; the MS and MA chassis utilise a longitudinally-mounted motor with two driveshafts, making a propeller shaft unnecessary.

* FragileSpeedster: A number of chassis were derided for their lack of durability. Not to mention that this ensues with a [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct cheapo bootleg]] bought off a street stall should it fly off a track.

* AllThereInTheManual: Earlier releases of Tamiya's Mini 4WD line often had an illustration from the manga and some lore about the car in the kit.

* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: The toys' popularity led to countless imitators who cashed in on the craze especially in Asia, where it isn't uncommon in the early 2000s to see a toy stall selling bootlegs from Jiada, Gokey and Heipao to name a few. Most of those who produced pirated Tamiyas adopted a variation of the company's twin-star logo, often substituting the stars with diamonds, crosses or other random symbols, and would use artwork ripped from the original packaging. Auldey was a unique case in that while they too made blatant bootlegs of various Tamiya Mini 4WD cars, they were of decent quality compared to lower-tier counterfeits which had weaker plastic and hard tyres compared to the rubbery ones used by Tamiya and Auldey.

Tamiya's Mini 4WD line later spawned manga serials in Creator/{{Shogakukan}}'s [=CoroCoro=] Comic which served as a MerchandiseDriven tie-in to the toys -- ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'', both of which were adapted into their respective anime series. While both ''Dash! Yonkuro'' and ''Let's & Go'' did not see a Western release, they were credited for spawning a cult following from children and hobbyists alike especially in UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, where the toy line experienced an immense surge of popularity in the early 2000s. Tamiya commemorated this by producing special editions of the Shadow Shark, Gun Bluster XTO and Cyclone Magnum along with the Trairong, a car based on a winning design in a contest held by Tamiya in Thailand.

Tamiya's Mini 4WD line later spawned manga serials in Creator/{{Shogakukan}}'s [=CoroCoro=] Comic which served as a MerchandiseDriven tie-in to the toys -- ''Manga/DashYonkuro'' and ''Manga/BakusouKyoudaiLetsAndGo'', both of which were adapted into their respective anime series. While both ''Dash! Yonkuro'' and ''Let's & Go'' did not see a Western release, they were credited for spawning a CultFollowing from children and hobbyists alike especially in UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} and the UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}, where the toy line experienced an immense surge of popularity in the early 2000s.

* {{Defictionalization}}: The Street Mini 4WD discipline, which was first invented in Sicily, was inspired by the anime where racers follow their cars as they scoot along a long and winding race track. Though since the cars are in real life directly driven by a motor without any remote control[[note]]There did exist a short-lived line of radio controlled Mini 4WD cars, but control for these cars was limited to just their speed similar to a slot car.[[/note]], hockey stick-like bats were devised to guide them along the way.

* ShoddyKnockoffProduct: The toys' popularity led to countless imitators who cashed in on the craze especially in Asia, where it isn't uncommon in the early 2000s to see a toy stall selling bootlegs from Jiada, Gokey and Heipao to name a few. Auldey was a unique case in that while they too made blatant bootlegs of various Tamiya Mini 4WD cars, they were of decent quality compared to lower-tier counterfeits which had weaker plastic and hard tyres compared to the rubbery ones used by Tamiya and Auldey.