The beginnings of the remote control car can be traced back to the 1940s, when small, nitromethane-powered engines first entered the market. At the time, the only way to control an engine-powered model car was with a tether. While these cars were fast, they merely ran in a circle from the tether. In the late 1960s, the first miniaturized solid state radio control systems were introduced, allowing model cars to have servo-controlled steering, throttle, and brake functionality that could be remotely controlled from a transmitter unit.
Several early commercially viable remote control cars became available by 1966, produced by El-Gi (Elettronica Giocattoli), a company from Reggio Emilia, Italy. Their first remote control car model was a 1:12 Ferrari 250LM. This was followed by their 1:10 Ferrari P4 model, which was first shown at the Milan Toy Fair in early 1968. Between the mid to late 1960s, a British company called Mardave also began to produce commercially viable remote control cars. Their first products were nitro- or gas-powered cars which were sold in the early 1970s.
During that period, several commercial products were manufactured by small firms in the United States. Most of these companies started out as slot car companies, then moved into the remote control car field, which was becoming more popular. Early kits were 1/8 scale nitro-powered aluminum flat pan cars powered by a .21 or smaller engine, with the bodies made of polycarbonate.
In 1976, the Japanese firm Tamiya released a series of highly detailed but mechanically simple electric on-road car models. Although more expensive, these kits and radio systems sold quickly. Soon, Tamiya began to produce more purpose-built remote-controlled model cars, and were the first to release off-road buggies with real suspension systems. This allowed remote control cars to be driven virtually anywhere, not just on bitumen and smooth surfaces. It was this development toward the off-road class that brought about much of the hobby’s popularity.