Over the years, the Tamiya Corporation has created a huge number of notable product lines. This article attempts to list them.
Scale models
Tamiya began creating wooden kits for educational purpose already in 1948. In 1960, Tamiya released its first plastic kit, which was the famous IJN Yamato battleship in 1/800 scale. Tamiya has since then become known for precise craft sets with impressive quality and attention to detail. Tamiya held an arguable lead in the static plastic model market for many years and competed with other classic brands like Revell and Airfix, but recently Chinese makers such as Dragon, Meng and Trumpeter are offering fierce competition.
Over time kit numbers have been changed and updated but are now organized in the following system:
12001–12057: 1/12 Big scale racing car series 14001–14142: 1/12 Motorcycles 16001–16042: 1/6 Big scale motorcycles series 20001–20071: 1/20 Grand Prix collection 24001–24364: 1/24 Sport cars series 25201–25217: Limited special editions 28501–28502: 1/35 Dinosaurs 31001–31911: 1/700 Waterline (I) 32501–32605: 1/48 Military miniatures series 35001–35392: 1/35 Military miniatures series 36201–36213: 1/16 Big tank series 36301–36316: 1/16 World figure series 60301–60328: 1/32 Aircraft 60101–60204: 1/35 Dinosaur models 60401–60402: 1/100 Space Shuttle orbiter series 60701–60793: 1/72 Warbird collection 61001–61126: 1/48 Aircraft 61601–61610: 1/100 Combat plane series 77501–77525: 1/700 Waterline (II) 78001–78032: 1/350 Ships
Military models
1/35 military miniatures series
The oldest category in Tamiya's export line has been the "Military Miniatures" series of 1:35 scale figures and vehicles. The series has focused on World War II military subjects, though a growing minority of kits in this line come from later periods. The collection of German vehicles is especially strong.
The products are characterized by striking full colour paintings on the boxtops. Tamiya moulds are generally quite clean and almost no flash is found on their products. It was Tamiya themselves that established the use of 1/35 scale for military models. The scale was the result of the design of their first tank kit, the motorized Panther tank, being designed just large enough to contain the motor assembly and battery pack.
In addition to vehicles themselves the category includes soldiers, weapons sets and scenery items (e.g., brick walls, signs, barricades) for use in dioramas.
In the 1990s Dragon (DML) kits used to be generally inferior to Tamiya. Dragon's quality has improved and they have elected to compete in the high quality end of the market offering photo etched parts, aluminum barrels, individual track links, and upwards of 500 parts. Another Chinese maker, Trumpeter is also competing from lower end of the market. Tamiya's kits use vinyl tracks but Tamiya's recent inclusion of two kinds of tracks (vinyl and molded plastic) suggest that Tamiya is following the trend set by other manufacturers. As Trumpeter's quality improves, Tamiya's static military lines are being pressured from both the high end and the low end.
In the traditional 1/35 scale military miniature market Tamiya is offering innovations such as suspensions made to articulate using real springs. However these offerings are not substantial or unique enough to give Tamiya the clear dominance it once had in the static miniature market. More over many Chinese model makers offer numerous outstanding kits every year which pressures Tamiya's static 1/35 line. Because of their visibility as a leader Tamiya can highlight obscure vehicles that no other makers are willing to build. The Sturmtiger 38 cm, for example, was an obscure vehicle and only a handful of the massive mortar tanks were built in real life but Tamiya still introduced it to the market. Although numerous and powerful the Char B was not a very glamorous tank and no other major maker was willing to invest in it. In this role of supporting more obscure models Tamiya manages a wide-ranging product line and so continues to lead the market.