9 replies to this topic

[vnvslot]

Hi!

I'd want to know which were the RIKO slot cars that vwere produced in clear plastic. Anybody know which were these models or where could find information about it?

Thanks a lot,

Toni

[TSR]

RIKO was a British brand from hobby distributor Richard Kohnstam. He composed his kits, that were sold in clear bags stapled over a printed card, from locally obtained vacuum formed bodies and chassis parts obtained in Japan and Hong Kong. Most if not all were in the 1/32 scale. Older British mags have the listing of the kits. They are not that common today. They were inline before 1969, inline and anglewinder after that and they were produced until 1973 or so.

[don.siegel]

There's also a list in the Italian book "Slotcars Made in Europe" by Paolo Rampini, but not sure how complete it is. Otherwise, as Philippe says, the period English magazine Model Cars had a lot of Riko ads, and there are also catalogs available.

There aren't that many new kits like this around, but there a lot of Riko parts on ebay UK... they were cheap and decent, so very widely distributed and used.

Don

[vnvslot]

Thank you for your quick answer.

The main reason for my question is that I have a Riko brass chassis (Monogram type) that include a painted clear body of a Lola T70 (although somebody put a Ferrari decal) and I wanted to know if it was an original body from Riko.







I have in my mother's home the Paolo Rampini book but I don't remember any reference to Riko slot car;, tomorrow I will check it.

About British magazines it could be a good way for obtaining a list. There are some interesting models like STP Paxton Turbine and I think they made other models like Ford Galaxie or Ford J but I have never seen any of them.

.

[Howmet TX]

That brings back memories! Riko kits were dearly beloved for a short period. For 19/11 (that's less than £1) you got a nice vacform body (GT Models or Tayormade, I believe, usual price 5s, or 25p) the rewinder's favourite Rikochet (Hitachi?) motor (usual price 12/11 or 60p), and enough hardware to keep you happy, even after you threw away the cheap & bendy chassis. Amazing value! I bought, from memory, a Ford GT40, Gulf Mirage and a Chaparral 2F.
They came out mid 1968 according to my old Model Cars magazine. I don't think there are many comprehensive lists in the adverts over the years, but you could get pretty much any of the current vacform bodies- your Lola GT is almost certainly the original GT Models shell it came with. I don't recall anglewinders or 1/24 kits in similar format, but then we'd moved on from buying kits by 1969, and I didn't take much notice of Riko after that. I'm surprised they kept going until 1973!

The only list I found was from Model Cars, May 1968, when they were introduced, and it has;
Ford MkIV
Ford J
Porsche Carrera 6
Ferrari P4
Ford Galaxie
Chaparral 2F
Shelby Mustang
Ford Falcon
Ford Cortina
Ford Mach 2
Ford GT
Porsche 904
STP Paxton turbo
BRM H16
Harvey Aluminium spl.

There's also a pic in the New products review section, and a build-up article in the following month.

[don.siegel]

I found my 1969-70 Riko catalog and here are the relevant pages. Looks like what you have is the R672 Lola T70 GT... And note on the second page that they did make a couple 1/24 kits - but judging from the body selections, probably with their 1/32 chassis!

Don

[TSR]

The Paolo Rampini book only lists RTR models and clear-plastic bodies, but not complete kits. RIKO is only mentioned on page 53 as a supplier of clear bodies. Paolo did a great job and opened some windows but is not knowledgeable enough on British slot cars, by RIKO, BMW (that he does not even mention) or other odd brands. However the book is very good about Italian slot cars.
RIKO indeed used Hitachi motors as well as Mabuchi in the more deluxe kits. Chassis were Japanese and likely made by AYK that supplied much of the hand-soldered units.
The Lola T70 MKIIIB coupe on this RIKO chassis does not appear to be listed, and could be an aftermarket job by any of the several British makers of clear bodies.
This picture shows a Champion chassis of their last series RTR from 1972 next to a 1/32 scale RIKO chassis used in their last kits, both manufactured by AYK in Japan:

[Howmet TX]

I just found an ad in Feb 1971 Model Cars, which lists all the kits, which by then had gone up to £1 1s 6d (£1.075p- I think!). Sure enough, there is the Lola T70 GT (I assume not the MkIIIB, but the earlier MkIII as in Antoni's photos, but it doesn't specify), also the Lola 162 as per the LASCM photo, and introduces the New Anglewinder kits. Loads of different bodies, from an Iso Grifo to a Hillman Avanger (they must have been mad...). I'm enjoying this!

[TSR]

John,
I was reading the same mag yesterday and was contemplating those very frames descriptions...

[vnvslot]

Great job guys!!!

Don and John, your car listings are perfect and not only resolve my doubts about my Lola T70 but also confirm several photos that I stored. These photos were taken from ebay time ago and I renamed them with the description title from the auction. So here you have them:

FERRARI 612




PORSCHE 910




ISO GRIFFO






HOWMET TX GAS TURBINE





I had this one renamed as a Chevrolet Camaro but in your lists this one does not appear. It could be a Ford Capri, a Mustang and a Dodge Charger. Even it could not be a Riko car, what do you think?



And a brand new chassis in its package.