The announcer said, “…The TYCO Hammer!” Seeing that neon yellow truck on TV was the start of a lifelong passion of mine. Back in the day, when all we had for advertisements was the good ‘ole television set, I remember sitting on my living room floor and watching that commercial. It looked AWESOME.

Of course, they played those ‘new release’ ads right before the holidays. Genius marketing at its best, even back then. I told my mother and father that the TYCO Hammer was the gift I wanted for Christmas that year.

I thought there was no way they would get it for me. Once our Sears catalog came in that year a couple days later, I saw the ad in there.

Man it looked awesome! I began going through the list of awesomeness in my head as I studied every square inch of the advertisement:

9.6v!!!

27MHz Frequency: Reliable and responsive control.

High Ground Clearance: Handles rough terrain effortlessly.

Optimized Off-Road Tires: Excellent torque and grip.

Full Suspension: Shock absorbers on all wheels.

Wheelie Bar: Prevents flipping during acceleration.

Tough Front Bumper: Protects against impacts.

I was in complete awe.

One day, my mom went shopping. I was helping her take some of the grocery bags from the car, through the breezeway, and into the kitchen of our home. I happened to touch one of the bags in the BACK of her trunk.

The box in the bag seemed to give a little on the front… potentially indicative of it being an RC car.

I tried not to get excited and let it go.

Fast forward to Christmas time. THAT was it! I actually had the TYCO Hammer sitting in front of me. I was beyond grateful and thankful to my parents for the gift.

Once I charged up that yellow 9.6v battery, it was time to let her rip! That beast lived up to the commercial, hopes, and then some.

That initial feeling of having an awesome RC car to play never went away, and if you’re reading this, I’m sure you can relate.