60% of the 1/16 Tamiya range has been discontinued?

[dingobattler]

Certain models seemed to have stopped production since 2020 due to COVID, but were still listed as out of stock on Tamiya's jp and USA website. However, now it seems they've been taken off the website entirely?

These are the models:
Panzer IV
Jagdpanzer Iv/70
Panther
Jagdpanther
Type 10
JS-2
KV-2
KV-1
Super Sherman

Any hope of these coming back, or are they gone forever?

I see the odd KV-1 here and there on the bay, but I assume that's because they're super unpopular.

Massive L - a lot of these had superior detail, good example is the Panzer IV, where HL/Torro/Taigen has critical inaccuracies - raised turret bin, flat engine deck, and 4th return roller not lowered. Plus, the new 7.1 only has 4 sounds

[Kaczor]

Based on the Scalemates website, it looks something like this. Note that mentioned databese is incomplete.

[tomhugill]

Axels has had new stock of the tiger, king tiger, leopard 2a6, Abrams and centurion. I think this is a fair representation of whats in production currently

[Kaczor]

Axels has had new stock of the tiger, king tiger, leopard 2a6, Abrams and centurion. I think this is a fair representation of whats in production currently

And Sherman.

[Pavel]

I know Tamiya's policy first-hand...
They discontinue some items to make new ones or simply because of low demand.
Until the finished product warehouse is empty.
Then, after about ten years, having assessed the demand on the market, they reissue the item.
Some models were made in very large quantities and filled the market so much that demand for them actually fell.
And goods lying on the shelf do not bring profit.....

[dingobattler]

Axels has had new stock of the tiger, king tiger, leopard 2a6, Abrams and centurion. I think this is a fair representation of whats in production currently

The thing is, half of these tanks are not great, and the cheaper HL alternative doesn't have too many issues. The discontinued ones are all excellent and don't have much issues.

Tamiya KT is worst of the bunch. Terrible tensioner, weak turret rotation, texture in turret doesn't match hull, no periscopes, no engine deck hooks, etc. Torro is the most accurate imo, but even heng long is far superior.

Centurion has an ugly gaping hole on the mantlet to allow for barrel elevation.

Tiger I is OK across all 3 brands.

Leopard and abrams are nicer for the tamiya, finer details, gbs, etc. but the heng longs are relatively accurate (copies), and perfectly viable.

Whereas just compare things like panzer iv, where tamiya is the only accurate one, with the proper sound. Others you need to hack off the hull, reposition a return roller, reposition the idler. It's a nightmare.

Also, it just feels sad that it seems tamiya is in the process of exiting the market. Less competition means people can get away with lower quality.

[Pavel]

And as a colleague correctly noted, some tanks simply suck and their further production is unprofitable.

[Kaczor]

Tiger I is OK across all 3 brands.

But Tamiya is the only one with the turret axis in the correct place

But at least the latest batch doesn't have absurd prices, e.g. Sherman is cheaper than Taigen.

[jarndice]

The later issue PZ4 Taigen Turret is better than either Tamiyas or Heng Longs Turrets, It is as accurate as any I have seen BUT it is a PZ4 Ausf G and trying to modify it to an Ausf H or J would take lot of work.

[r32]

1/16 tanks are a high cost low margin product compared to their Mini4WD, 1/24th scale cars and 1/35th scale armour. The 1/16th scale kits are not only big, hence taking up injection molding production line space, but complex due to the addition of electronics, wiring, photoetch and other uncommon plastic model items.

Some time ago someone threw out the rumour that the Sherman molds were somehow lost when being transported from Japan to cheaper production facilities in the Philippines.

And lo and behold, this year, Tamiya re-released the 50th Anniversary Sherman and it is still made in Japan.

So, no, I don’t think the listed models are gone forever, it’s just that it isn’t their time to head back into production. And those that do remain in production, are popular models that have a steady trickle of purchases.

For a company as big as Tamiya, it doesn’t cost them much to keep moldings of existing tanks.