Nikko R/C
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Toy manufacturing |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Founder | Takeshi Hattori |
| Headquarters | Japan |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Toy-grade radio-controlled vehicles and drones |
| Parent | Nikko Toys Ltd. (since 2019) |
Nikko R/C (presented as NIKKO R/C) holds the distinction of being the world's foremost manufacturer of toy-grade radio-controlled products. Its portfolio includes licensed models from Dodge, Ford, Volkswagen, Chevrolet, and Porsche, in addition to original proprietary designs. In 2014, the brand was purchased by the international toy corporation Toy State. Three years later, in 2017, Toy State established Nikko Air, a specialized division dedicated to racing drones. By 2019, Nikko Toys Ltd. assumed ownership of the Nikko RC brand.
History
Nikko was established in 1958 by Takeshi Hattori in Japan. The company launched its first radio-controlled vehicle line in 1966 and commenced full-scale production by 1973.
By 1977, Nikko had expanded its manufacturing footprint worldwide, with facilities located throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, and New Zealand. Its product lineup encompassed buggies, speed cars, off-road vehicles, boats, specialized action vehicles, and aerial flight models.
One of the company's early significant offerings was the F10 series frame buggy—a 1:10 scale two-wheel-drive dune buggy—marketed through Nikko and RadioShack. This model served as an inspiration for the Traxxas Cat, which enhanced the concept by incorporating hobby-grade electronics and became recognized as the industry’s inaugural ready-to-run hobby-grade vehicle.
In 2014, Toy State acquired Nikko’s consolidated operations in Japan and Hong Kong along with its European subsidiary Nikko Entertainment BV. Following this acquisition, Toy State broadened the Nikko R/C product range by introducing models such as VaporizR, Velocitrax, and Barracuda X.
The year 2017 saw Toy State launch Nikko Air in collaboration with the Drone Racing League (DRL), focusing on competitive drone racing products. Initial releases included the Nikko Air Race Vision 220 FPV Pro and the Nikko Air Elite series.
After Toy State International ceased operations in September 2018, Nikko Toys Ltd. took control of the Nikko RC brand in January 2019. This company also develops and produces toys under the Road Rippers and Machine Maker labels.
Nikko America
Nikko America operates as the exclusive distributor for Nikko toys and models within the United States. Since 2006, it has also been the sole US distributor for Erector Sets—a historic construction toy brand owned by British company Meccano.
As a specialized branch of Nikko, Nikko TEC concentrates on unique vehicle models. Its current offerings include the ProClass series featuring F1 cars, upgradeable 1/14 scale replicas, and near-hobby-grade 1/10 scale cars. Previous TEC product lines comprised:
- Thor-type trucks: Large-scale 1/10 four-wheel-drive trucks powered by 7.2v batteries and dual 380 motors; equipped with functional headlights and bodies modeled after Toyota Hilux.
- Hilux/Unimog Winch series: A collection of vehicles ranging from 1/10 to 1/16 scale featuring operational winches, detailed bodywork, four-wheel drive capability with selectable 2WD/4WD modes, dual gearboxes, horns, headlights, and transmitter-controlled functions.
- F10 series Frame Buggies: A widely adopted R/C design utilizing 7.2v/540 digital proportional control systems.