Traxxas was started in 1986 with an idea for what was at that time an entirely new concept for a fully assembled, hobby-class R/C car. This new car would have all the same benefits of a hobby-class kit such as replaceable parts, hop-ups, and a high-quality component radio system, however it would be fully assembled with a colorful body, right out of the box. Traxxas coined the term “Ready-To-Run” (RTR) to describe this new class. Since a fully assembled, ready-to-run car would appeal to the entry-level beginner, a toll-free customer support line was set up from day one to service an entirely new category of hobby consumer. At first, acceptance of the RTR concept was slow because traditional R/C kits had always been unassembled. Once people realized that a Traxxas RTR had the same performance and quality as the traditional R/C kits, only that they didn’t have to build it, the ready-to-run Cat was a runaway hit! A kit version would still be offered for those who still wanted to have the building experience. Over the next few years, Traxxas’ electric RTR models continued to grow in features and performance. Models such as the Hawk and Radicator incorporated the handling, driveline and suspension geometry developed by a highly successful racing program. Traxxas won many national and regional off-road championships and then offered kit versions of those winning cars as models such as the TRX-1 buggy, Blue Eagle racing truck, TCP buggy, and the SRT racing truck. TCPs and SRTs …
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