1/43 MAZDA 787B Ver.A : 1991 LM 24hours Winner #55 V.Weilder / J.Herbert / B.Gachot

Description

This is a racing car model kit assembled from parts made of resin, white metal, photo-etched metal and possibly other materials.

Adapted from the Model Factory Hiro website:

About the MAZDA 787B

The Mazda 787B is currently the only Japanese-built car to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and doing so equipped with a rotary engine. The victory not only marks an incredible milestone for the Mazda company, but also a special moment in the history of the rotary engine itself.

The rotary engine was first introduced in automobiles by German automotive/autobike maker NSU in the 1960s. In order to separate themselves from other Japanese auto companies, Toyo Kogyo Co. (later known as Mazda Motor Co.) formed a contract with NSU and began development of rotary engine-powered automobiles.

In 1967, Mazda released the first of such vehicles: the Cosmo Sport. After the oil shock, NSU and their rotary supplier dropped from the market, but Mazda continued to produce cars running on rotary engines, making them the sole supplier of rotary engine-powered automobiles.

Mazda first entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in the 1970s, with their first official debut in 1973 with the rotary engine-equipped Sigma MC73. While there were years where the team did not participate, when they did the team continued to use rotary engines in their entries. Beginning with the 4-rotor engine in the Mazda 767 that first appeared in 1988, and the 1990 entry 787, the team’s effort finally came to fruition as the upgraded version of the 787, the 787B, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991.

Due to a change in regulations, 1991 became the last year that rotary engines could be used in Le Mans. During this year, Mazda entered three cars: a 787 and 787B both under Works colours, and a third 787B painted in Renown’s green/orange. The three cars faced strong rivals such as the Mercedes C11 and XJR-12 on the track, but the Renown-painted 787B (No. 55) beat out the competition to take first place overall in the end. Car no. 18 under the works team managed a 6th-place finish.

Kit Details

• A full detailed, multi-material kit featuring white metal, photo etching, silk screen decals, vacuum parts etc.
• Two versions avaliable: one based off of the Renouwn coloured car no. 55 that placed first in the 1991 Le Mans, and one based on the Mazda works car no. 18 that finished 6th in the same race.
• Design based off 1/12 scale kit designed with simpler building scheme in mind without losing focus on preservation of detail
• Front/rear cowl can be removed, allowing full view of the detailed interior after completion. Door is cast as separate part.
• Pre-printed sponsor logos featured on tires

K657 Ver.A :1991 LM 24hours Winner #55 V.Weidler / J.Herbert / B.Gachot