In the long history of the radio control car hobby, many models have resonated as popular, innovative, influential, successful, or any combination thereof. To choose just 25 as “The Most Important Cars of All Time” is not an easy task, considering the 40-plus years of car development that encompasses the RC hobby. Some of the cars here are slam dunks, others may be arguable, and some you might find downright dubious. However, we can all agree on this much: there are some truly legendary models on the pages ahead, and we’re lucky to enjoy the incredible depth of passion, intelligence, and creativity that the many manufacturers of RC continue to deliver year in and year out. Is this a great hobby or what?

This article originally appeared in our June 2014 issue. For more from the RC Car Action archives, sign up for our Premium website here. You’ll get full access to RC Car Action digital back issues all the way back to issue no. 1 in 1986!

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