1973 Lotus Europa Special with high rear wing [Type 74]
1973 Lotus Europa Special [Type 74] in 機動警察パトレイバー (Patlabor: The TV Series), Animation Series, 1989-1992 Ep. 37
Class: Cars, Coupé — Model origin: 
— Made for: 
![1973 Lotus Europa Special with high rear wing [Type 74]](/i001145126.jpg)
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Comments about this vehicle
| Author | Message |
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◊ 2018-05-24 21:08 |
Europa. |
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◊ 2018-05-24 21:38 |
That rear wing on a Europa was a strange Japanese thing which I have never seen a proper explanation for or anyone else anywhere else doing. So guessing it's that car which has an unknown significance. |
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◊ 2018-05-24 22:21 |
The explanation is simple : "The Circuit Wolf". It was a motorsport-themed japanese manga from the mid 1970s, and the main character's car was a Lotus Europa Special, white with a red stripe, and a rear wing. I don't know if the author took his inspiration in a real winged Europa, or just imagined it. But from what I've read on the japanese Wikipedia entry, most of the main cars involved were inspired by Group 4 & 5 racers of the day, with extra aero parts, if not fantasy engines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_no_%C5%8Ckami "The Circuit Wolf" was a smash hit in Japan, because most of the local plastic kit or die-cast model manufacturers soon produced sports cars, either licensed from the manga or just inspired by it, including the Lancia Europa Special, Porsche 911 Carrera, Maserati Bora, Lamborghini Miura & Countach, most of them with a rear wing. I wouldn't be surprised if that manga was also the starting point of the cult status devoted to the Group 5 Lancia Stratos in Japan. There was also a live action film released in 1977, which I've just found out now after writing all of this. It's listed here : /movie_3166926-Circuit-no-chr332;kami.html Edit : just to show how iconic "The circuit wolf" has become, here's a YouTube video showing tiny scale models given away with cans of Suntory coffee a couple of years ago : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTk_kClws5I -- Last edit: 2018-05-24 22:56:17 |
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◊ 2018-05-24 23:18 |
Very interesting. Kyosho have done several big wing exotics from your list. The Miuras![[Image: dscf9579compressed.1.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/10314/dscf9579compressed.1.jpg) are excellent models of fairly horrible modifications. The red one is authentic for an innocent green 1968 plain P400 (chassis 3781) which was "creatively re-interpreted" in Germany in 1975 before going to Japan in 1976; it was recently fully restored and described as perhaps Japan's most famous Miura. I'd assumed it was just a bad attempt to create a Jota replica, but can now also see why Kyosho made their model in a wide colour range. This is the Kyosho Europa ![[Image: kyosholotuseuropawing.jpg]](http://pics.imcdb.org/10314/kyosholotuseuropawing.jpg) - I don't have it, but their ordinary Europa is a very good model. Have also seen online their big wing Countach(s) and Porsche 934s, which look as if they've got part of a giant vacuum cleaner tacked on the back; they've also done some Group 5 Stratoses, with genuine European racing and matt black street liveries. Haven't seen anything based on the Bora - only a couple of recent partwork Group 4 models based on red and silver real ones built by Modena for the French importer in 1973 who planned entries at Le Mans and Tour de France - but I hope they were kind to it |
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◊ 2018-05-25 16:19 |
Apologies, it was the Maserati Merak SS. As seen in this link, at least two kit manufacturers did one in 1/24, each time with a rear wing. And they were both re-released by Arfix : Link to "modelkitcollecting.com" Also of note is this japanese blog devoted to scale models from "The Circuit Wolf". http://circuit-wolf.seesaa.net/article/136139328.html For instance, here's a whole bunch of off-scale plastic kits by Nitto. |
