10 replies to this topic

[TSR]

Not a very common model, the Tamiya Jaguar represented the D-type short-nose as raced at Le Mans in 1957, with the wider windshield.
The kit box is common to all variations, save for the Japanese/English printing on some, all English writing on others.





The first issues had their bodies actually painted at the factory in a dark metallic green:



Later versions had their bodies molded in green or white:



Final version is molded in white and the printing on the tray in the black square is gone, and the kits have an added tool, a small screwdriver with a green plastic handle (removed here for the picture) loose in the box. The wrench design is also different.



The decals are the same for all variations:



Nice kit. I will post pictures of the assembled model ASAP.

[Bruce Neasmith]

Philippe,

Thanks for showing some nice Tamiya Jaguar D Type kits. I know that you are not showing these kits as being the 'variations', but just as rare "survivors".

The real variation which is not shown in your photos relates to the chassis configuration, and of course, as you would be aware, all of the three chassis setups shown here are identical.

The Tamiya Company for reasons only known to themselves at the time (1965), produced the Jaguar D type using (3) three distinct chassis variations.

The first was a brass inline with a brass drop arm.

The second was a brass inline with a nickle wire drop arm.

The third was a cast aluminium inline 'boom' chassis with a hardened sheet aluminium droparm . This third style chassis was similar but not the same as the chassis configuration used for their Lotus 30, Ford GT Roadster, and the Lancia Ferrari. I'm sure that you are aware of these chassis casting variations through your research. A set car of the Ferrari 330P2 also has this 'boom' style of chassis.

Reference is made to all of this on pages 18 through 21 of the Australian Publication which you will have in your records, 'Australian Slot Car Review ' Volume 2 Issue number 4 September 1999. With original kits, a friend of mine has in a storage facility, one of each of the three different styles and I have in the past seen them all.

Just adding all of this so that you know that you are not the "last man standing" out there!

There is a lot of pent-up demand for your soon to be forthcoming 'Book' and I wish you well with it!

Bruce Neasmith

[Prof. Fate]

Hi,

In another thread you talk about things that didn't make it to Australia. This kit above is one I don't remember even hearing about back when it was new!

Fate

[Bruce Neasmith]

Prof Fate,

The earliest version of the Tamiya Jaguar D Type only made it to Australia in very small quantities . The sealed kit that I have seen is the only one that I've seen.

The second version of the kit is the most common, but of course survivors are rare.

The third version was late on the scene and is now most uncommon.

All of the Tamiya kit range was marketed in Australia right through to the end. When they were new, most Japanese slot car kits were about half the price of the American kits that were available. Hence they were popular for a time with the kids. Later Tamiya kits of the sidewinder variety finally bridged the gap with American kits.

I think the first kit was changed quickly because the drop arm was weak. It was formed sheet brass with a cad-plated steel support. The wire drop arm solved the problem (in the second version). The third version was not around for long at all and its chassis was totally new to mimic those that came in three later releases.

Bruce Neasmith

[TSR]

The real variation which is not shown in your photos relates to the chassis configuration, and of course, as you would be aware, all of the three chassis setups shown here are identical.

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for the precisions. However I would need to see SEALED kits with these variations to be sure, because one can easily fit a later chassis to a body that may or may not have had that chassis as marketed by Tamiya.

While I am very aware of all the chassis variations, I have as yet to see them in an actual sealed Jaguar kit. Is there a possibility that you could take pictures of such kits (variation 2 and 3) from an Australian collector?

That would be awesome.

Regards,

[Bruce Neasmith]

Philippe,

I think that in order, as you have displayed three examples of version 2, what you want me to show are mint examples of versions 1 and 3. One collector in Australia has one example of each of the three different versions that were obtained by him, in each case, over twenty years ago. The reason that I am very familiar with them is that he and I had all three together as mint sealed kits and they were viewed as being amoungst the rarest items in his quite large collection.

Unfortunately he passed away recently and the collection is in storage. His adult son is now the custodian but he is 600 miles from the lockup and I'm 150 miles from it. So I don't think I'll be able to do anything quickly. But I will get in contact to find out the possibility of getting some good photos to show you.

With version 1, it was the only Tamiya car to have the particular chassis in question whereas the other two show up under other bodies, albeit with some subtle variations.

Bruce Neasmith

[TSR]

Thanks, Bruce.

There is no fire going on, so please take all your time.

Regards,

[Bruce Neasmith]

Thanks, Philippe.

Yeah, I couldn't hear the bell either but, all the same, they do say, "strike while the iron is hot ".

I had let this thread lay dormant for ten days while I got my facts together, with reference points, and then seeing that no one had got back to you, then responded with correct information even if the photos may be a little delayed.

One thing that I look forward to seeing in each case are the box and set of instruction variations which are not in my memory bank!

Bruce Neasmith

[TSR]

Bruce,

Instructions are often a good proof. Case in hand is that truly rare Monogram kit, the 1/24 McLaren-Elva using the vacuum-formed body. Since the box has no "VSR" sticker over the "SR" print, if the kit is not sealed, there is no proof. So the instruction sheet IS the proof:



So far, only TWO kits since 1992 have shown up on the open market, one almost mint, the other almost destroyed.

Why would it be so rare? Probably because the carpet was pulled under the slot car racing program at Monogram days or hours after a few were produced...

[stevefzr]

Bruce and Doc, Thanks for the info on these cars. For some reason I'd assumed that the boom chassis version only came with a track set. So now I'm confused. The D Type was available in a home set, wasn't it? If so, did it come as pairs or with a different car? I remember picking up a homeset years ago with a Ferrari and a Lancia D 50. Both had the boom chassis. I've got a couple of D Types, but both have the brass chassis with the wire drop arm.

I've always felt that the quality of the Tamiya cars was inversely proportional to the quality of the box art. The pick of their cars are the stockers, with fairly ordinary art on the boxes. The DeTomaso King Cobra has a pretty ugly "boxy" body but a glorious picture on the box. The D type is a fat and stumpy thing that looks like it was pirated off the Lindberg model, but what a glorious box lid!

Regards,

Steve C

[Bruce Neasmith]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your information on your memory of the old Tamiya cars as released as slot kits and the various sets which were marketed by Tamiya.

At one stage over a decade ago, I tried to work out what sets with what car combinations Tamiya put out. My research was inconclusive in that there seemed to be a number of variations with the cars that were put in the sets. Sometimes two of the same cars were put in the 1/24 scale sets with one of the car bodies painted a different colour. Other times, two different cars made up the cars provided.

From my research, I determined that in the Lancia Ferrari / Ferrari 330 P2 set, the Lancia Ferrari body was factory painted yellow whereas the kit version is red. That was set number 4001.

Another set had two Lola T70 cars, one blue bodied, the other purple. They are set number 4002 .

A third set found was 1/32 with the Lotus 30 and Ferrari 275P, but some Tamiya literature refers to the Ferrari as a Ferrari 245.

Whilst I have seen a number of the 1/24 scale sets, I have never had in my hands the one only 1/32 set so I don't know its set reference number.

My research did not show the Jaguar D Types turning up in any sets.

I wonder if Philippe has got to the bottom of all this ten years down the track. You might think that the Tamiya company would be proud of their heritage and willing to share their past history, but you'd be wrong. Having spoken with them twice, they really only care about their modern stuff and in fact , when I was quoting them their own reference and stock numbers for cars and parts of the '60s, it was like I was speaking a foreign language to them and of course I was!!!

Of course , what is unusual is that Tamiya recently reissued some of their old slot body kits, so I wonder what other seviceable molds they have
It would be nice to see re-pops of all three of their Stockers. When I first started collecting I scored a mint built up Dodge Charger with the box. I got offered silly money for it twenty years ago, so I sold it thinking they must be everywhere. Well, you can all guess that I haven't managed to get another one to this day. I also do like the Hasegowa stockers. The Chevrolet Impala, I have, but it's a hard one to get. The Buick Wildcat and Ford Thunderbird both seem easier to obtain. They are all big impressive slot car , just not as technically evolved as the Tamiyas.

Steve, phone me if you want some more information, Sydney 02-98722570.

Bruce Neasmith