[Si Coe]

I'm pretty sure I've got an article with Gene Hustings saying IIRC 1 in 10 RC10's ever actually make it to the race track dated around 1988 ie pre-Traxxas. So not 5%, 10% but you get the idea.

Look at a US RC mag from that era and every other advert was for RC10 conversions - make it a monster truck, sprint car, Nascar, dragster, give it trailing arm suspension, flat carbon chassis, double deck chassis, 4wd etc.
In the US back then the RC10 was literally everywhere!

We tend to forget that because over here an RC10 cost the same as a Procat and twice the price of a Topcat, so most race meetings had 90% Schumacher grids and most bashers used much cheaper Tamiyas and Kyoshos.

Whilst I don't think Associated shoudl re-re the RC10 themselves for the reasons listed I think it would make some sense to license somebody else to do so - rather like those companies that make licensed repros of real cars.