Aoyagi Metals Company
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese company that became notable in the 1980s for its radio-controlled car
s.
The company began in the 1960s manufacturing metal
chassis
for slotcar racing
, but by 1979,with a new office they entered into the RC car business with the RX1200., a 1:12 scale on-road racer. The RX2000 took the JMRCA
title in 1980, the first of three consecutive titles for the company.1984 JMRCA was won by Joel Johnson on his first trip to Japan with Trinity.
Conventional manufacturers mounted their differential gears between the right rear wheel and the motor compartment, but ayk placed theirs' within the axle. This centered the weight more proportionately and kept the differential gears protected.By 1984 they resorted to an outboard gear diff much like the current Delta of the time.
In 1982, the same year when ayk took its third consecutive 1:12 title (with the RX3000 EXL480), like other manufacturers, ayk broke into the 1:10 off-road buggy market with the innovative 566 B Super Trail. The buggy included aluminum chassis, enclosed transmission with all aluminum gears, and a waterproof radio case.
By the mid-'80s, Ayk abandoned the 1:10 2WD off-road to concentrate on the 4WD that many manufacturers were leaning toward.
After winning the JMRCA 1:12 on-road title with the Super Parsec, the company began its decline following its death of its president in 1989, made worse by the decline in the oversaturated buggy market (and the industry) and the rise of the buggy chassis based touring car
market made popular by Tamiya. Many companies either jumped on the bandwagon
or abandoned the market (like Tokyo Marui
and Hirobo
did) in order to survive, but those who did not soon went out of business as that was what became of Ayk.
One of its staff members, Tatsuro Watanabe, would leave the company by 1986 to emigrate to the United States to start up Hobby Products International
, a company specialising in radio control cars. Later on, some other employees found themselves working either for his company (Hiroyuki Iida) or rival manufacturer Mugen Seiki (Takashi Aizawa and Yukiharu Sanada).
The Koiwa Ayk office still stands, although the service center is now an apartment complex.
AYK also OEM various Slot car parts and chassis to American companies.
Ayk also sponcered Toshino Suzuki`s Formula 3 entry, the car was either Toyota or Alfa Romeo powered. The March 803 was red with blue three color AYK logos,one on each side and one forward of the cockpit.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese company that became notable in the 1980s for its radio-controlled car
Radio-controlled car
Radio-controlled cars are self-powered model cars or trucks that can be controlled from a distance using a specialized transmitter...
s.
The company began in the 1960s manufacturing metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
for slotcar racing
Slotcar racing
Note: this article concerns slot car racing competition. For information on the general slot car hobby, including more detailed coverage of history, scales, track-types and mechanical functioning, see slot car....
, but by 1979,with a new office they entered into the RC car business with the RX1200., a 1:12 scale on-road racer. The RX2000 took the JMRCA
Japan Model Racing Car Association
is a governing body for radio controlled car racing in Japan. As it represents domestic racing in Japan, the JMRCA is affiliated with IFMARIt was founded in February 1971 with the backing of Kyosho, the industry leader at the time, to feed on an increasing demand for R/C car racing popularised by...
title in 1980, the first of three consecutive titles for the company.1984 JMRCA was won by Joel Johnson on his first trip to Japan with Trinity.
Conventional manufacturers mounted their differential gears between the right rear wheel and the motor compartment, but ayk placed theirs' within the axle. This centered the weight more proportionately and kept the differential gears protected.By 1984 they resorted to an outboard gear diff much like the current Delta of the time.
In 1982, the same year when ayk took its third consecutive 1:12 title (with the RX3000 EXL480), like other manufacturers, ayk broke into the 1:10 off-road buggy market with the innovative 566 B Super Trail. The buggy included aluminum chassis, enclosed transmission with all aluminum gears, and a waterproof radio case.
By the mid-'80s, Ayk abandoned the 1:10 2WD off-road to concentrate on the 4WD that many manufacturers were leaning toward.
After winning the JMRCA 1:12 on-road title with the Super Parsec, the company began its decline following its death of its president in 1989, made worse by the decline in the oversaturated buggy market (and the industry) and the rise of the buggy chassis based touring car
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
market made popular by Tamiya. Many companies either jumped on the bandwagon
Argumentum ad populum
In logic, an argumentum ad populum is a fallacious argument that concludes a proposition to be true because many or most people believe it; which alleges: "If many believe so, it is so."...
or abandoned the market (like Tokyo Marui
Tokyo Marui
' is an airsoft gun manufacturer located in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan. Its main market is Japan, but third-party retailers sell in Hong Kong , Taiwan , South Korea, East Asia, and worldwide....
and Hirobo
Hirobo
is a Japanese RC model company best known for their line of high-quality radio controlled helicopter models, both nitro-powered and electric. Its parent company is Hirobo Limited....
did) in order to survive, but those who did not soon went out of business as that was what became of Ayk.
One of its staff members, Tatsuro Watanabe, would leave the company by 1986 to emigrate to the United States to start up Hobby Products International
Hobby Products International
Hobby Products International or HPI of Foothill Ranch, California, USA is a manufacturer of on- and off-road radio-controlled cars, both electric and nitromethane powered.-Timeline:...
, a company specialising in radio control cars. Later on, some other employees found themselves working either for his company (Hiroyuki Iida) or rival manufacturer Mugen Seiki (Takashi Aizawa and Yukiharu Sanada).
The Koiwa Ayk office still stands, although the service center is now an apartment complex.
Slotcars
AYK manufactured slot car chassis that included brass chassis, stamped steel chassis, similar to the Flexi from Parma, and blot together chassis, dragster. One item of note from AYK was the controller that AYK made for slot car racing. Unlike the current controllers that are all based on the Ruskit, AYK manufactured a controller that was held in the left hand and had a lever that controlled the speed using the right hand. This controller was the standard in Japan for a while.AYK also OEM various Slot car parts and chassis to American companies.
Motorsports
AYK sponcered The Nissan Fairlady ZC team in the WEC Championship. This car was copied in 1/12 scale by Ayk and is one of the bodies available in the RG Impulse Kit.Ayk also sponcered Toshino Suzuki`s Formula 3 entry, the car was either Toyota or Alfa Romeo powered. The March 803 was red with blue three color AYK logos,one on each side and one forward of the cockpit.
1/12 On Road
The chassis are listed fallowed by the bodies that were available with the kits in the Japanese market. Race Prep (who was the second importer of AYK in America) kits are not included as a complete list is not available at this time.- RX1200 (BIG NOVA / BIG MARCH / BIG RENAULT ALPINE A442-B / BIG MARTINI PORSCHE 936-78)
- RX1200 Type2 (March 76S/ NOVA 53S)
- RX2000 (Chevron B36 / KIR 801 / Nova 54S)
- RX3000 BASIC (PORSCHE 935K3 / CAPRI TURBO)
- RX3000 SUPER EXPERT (Moon Craft Special / AYK Special)/ RX-L (AYK Special)
- RX-L (AYK Special)
- EXL480K (PORSCHE 956 / AYK Special)
- RS401i Cyclone (KREMER PORSCHE / LANCIA LC / AYK Special 2)
- RF4WD Quattro (KREMER PORSCHE / LANCIA LC / Grand Champion Special)
- RG Impulse (FAIRLADY 280Z / FAIRLADY 300Z / FAIRLADY ZC)
- CX4WDi Quattro (AUTO COAST / PORSCHE 956)This chassis was designed by the owner of the Ichimura Circuit in Yokohama. The car was further developed jointly by AYK and Kyosho.This is the reason CX4WDi and Kyosho Fanthom look very similar.
- 86J (LANCIA LC2 / INTERCEPTER2)
- CRX PARSEC (AYK Special 3 / PORSCHE 962)
- CRX PARSEC II (PRECEDE / PORSCHE 962)
- SUPER PARSEC(PRECEDE)
- SUPER PARSEC SE(Grand Champion 88)
- SUPER PARSEC BASIC(Grand Champion 88)
- SUPER PARSEC SV(Grand Champion 88)
- Bun Bun Racer (956/99t/Benz190)
OEM
R&D Ishihara is a company named after its founder Ishirara-San. He is a 1/12 scale racer in Japan that developed his own ideas about what he needed in a 1/12 scale car. Before the introduction of the NX series he was producing his own after market parts for 1/12 scale cars. Even though AYK produced the NX series they still competed against them with their own series of cars. Ishihara is not the only company AYK produced cars for, many European companies imported AYK cars and simply placed their sticker on the box.- NX101 ROADRUNNER
- NX101 ROADRUNNER OPT
- NX101 ROADRUNNER J2
- NX201 ROADRUNNER R
1/10 Off Road
- 566B Super Trail
- Sidewinder
- Boxer
- Buffalo
- Bobcat
- Viper / Viper Shuttle
- Radiant
- Boost
- Maveric
Accessories
- TX100 / 200 / 300 / 400F / 400FR / 500F (Chargers)
- RS200 / RS300 / 500T (Tire Cutters)
- SB100 (Wheel Balancer)
- GZ1200 / GZ1200R/GZ1200RB (Motors)
- GZ240/480/240E/480B (Motors)
- MAGNUM 240R/480R/480Z/240RE/727/300B/600/360L/360LB (Motors)
- COMMAND ST/240R/480R/240XG/480XG (Motors)
- GX1200(Black diff cover) / GX1200N(Carbon Diff Cover) / GX1200S (Diff sets)
- Dino / Dino MAX / Dino Jr. (ESC)
- DC-100F (discharger)
- SX300 (Motor Spray)
- High Speed 1200 (Washing Spray)?
- Pole Position (Com Drops Lube)
- Car Carrier