Buying Tamiyas As A "tribute" To The 1:1

[Hibernaculum 933]

I wonder if anyone else has had this feeling - sometimes there's a model which you wouldn't normally buy, but you might be tempted due to the significance of the real vehicle.

For example, I look at the Tyrrell 6 Wheeler and feel a lot of admiration for what Ken Tyrrell and his team achieved with that. It might not be the most inherently beautiful vehicle, but it's such an interesting moment in motor racing history that I feel like I should buy the Tamiya model at some stage, almost out of respect.

Anyone else bought models for those kinds of reasons?

The Porsche 959 is another one. On one hand, I don't need extra reasons to own it because I love it - both the real version and the Tamiya version.

But on top of that, I feel it was a very significant real world vehicle. So even if I hated the look of it, I would feel that owning it was a way of paying tribute to the 1:1 vehicle. It was unique - the fastest production car in the world when released, it was also a Group B concept capable of great versatility.

A final example is the Lamborghini Cheetah. Only one 1:1 example was ever made, and it was crashed. So while the US Army didn't end up buying it for their purposes, it still represents a curiosity in Lamborghini history. So rare it doesn't actually exist. It's very nice that Tamiya bothered to make a model of it. Tamiya staff were true motoring enthusiasts who were willing to shine the spotlight on some special vehicles.

H.

[TamiyaDan 8]

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[loaded 4]

I could have sworn I read an article about Tina Turner's tricked out Lambo Cheetah being sold a few years ago to a German collector....

Maybe I was just hallucinating I thought there was more than one.

P.

[stu22 12]

Really not for any historical reason but a part of what got me back into the hobby was building a white Tamiya Eunos Roadster to match the 91 Mazda Miata I use as my summer daily driver. After trashing the fist body, I was able to get a second one which now matches the 1:1 car for display and have a much easier to find and cheaper HPI 2nd generation Miata body as a runner.

[Singapore_959 18]

Interesting one - another one! Thanks for all the provoking topics these past weeks, Hib! It's got the forum moving nicely

I have the flip side: even tho I have had two m-chassis, I never bought the Alfa Giulia even tho I had the 1:1 many years ago and adore it. Come to think of it I had a MkI mini too but haven't felt the need to get the Tamiya shell.

The Tamiya 959 I do like and it's certainly a 1:1 car I have warm feelings about, however I have the Tamiya for childhood desire reasons. If Tamiya did a 961 tho, I'd buy that in a flash for the reasons you raise.

[Saito 5]

I've actually done the opposite. It was the memory of seeing the Monster Beetle and Wild Willy kit boxes high up on the hobby shop shelf burned into my young mind that led me to purchase a fullsize VW Beetle (4 actually lol) and jeep in my adulthood.

[loaded 4]

There is a Porsche 961 from Tamiya in the 1/24th Tamtech series of mini radio controlled cars. It has the short wheelbase type 2 chassis.

Paul.

[Singapore_959 18]

There is a Porsche 961 from Tamiya in the 1/24th Tamtech series of mini radio controlled cars. It has the short wheelbase type 2 chassis.

Paul.

Ah, yes. I have fond memories of playing with that as a child. Neighbour's children had 2 or 3 tamtechs, and this and the Lancia were my favourites. The had a cool fat black and white cat too I didn't realise there were different wheelbases of the Tamtechs, cool info Paul!

[john893 9]

In my case I bought the Tamiya model because I owned the real thing. So not totally related, but when I saw tamiya was releasing the Cobra and Lightning I was very excited! I have owed a few mustangs (different body styles then the 95 Cobra R) and 3 lightnings.

Here's my 1:1 Lightning and 1/10 RC Car.

[loaded 4]

Hi,

Yes, there were two wheelbases for the 1/24th series of Tamtechs and then the F-1 1/14th scale Tamtechs as well.

They were described as type 1 and type 2, each was available in a car only, or complete kit form (which included small radio gear, battery/charger) and were split into LeMans style cars (Lancia LC2, BMW, Ford probe and Porsche 962 C - if I have the numbers/letters right...) and road cars (Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari Testarossa and Porsche 961, which is almost identical to the 959 in shape)

There are actually many differences in the chassis, from the main chassis frame itself, to the parts and screw bags, with surprisingly few parts interchangeable, including bodes. Wheel, motors, some metal parts remained the same. The type 1 LeMans cars were longer than the type 2 cars.

[Shodog 1835]

I've actually done the opposite.

Me too, I guess this is where life imitates art.