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With the new release of the 47508 Porsche 956 set, I decided to do some research into the history of Tamiya’s Group C offerings.  Note that I’m not looking at just the Group C chassis (some of those models like the F40 were not Group C cars), but any cars on any chassis that were part of Group C racing.  I paid special attention to the liveries and tried to identify which specific cars and races Tamiya was representing.  This was quite an investigative rabbit hole I went down, and I had fun doing it.

It all started with the 58033 Ford C100 set in 1983.  This was a 1/12 scale model with a hard body on the Racing Master Mk. 4 chassis .  Group C racing was brand new at this time, but even so the C100 was an odd choice for a subject since it was not particularly successful.  The model came with stickers for both the White/Blue Ford livery and the orange Jägermeister livery.  Unlike all Tamiya’s other Group C models, this one didn’t come with any stickers for driver’s names so that makes it difficult to determine which specific cars are intended.  In fact, it is possible that no specific car was intended because the body parts manual says “… sponsor’s marks varied from race to race so plan out which vehicle you are going to produce …”.  Even so, with the combination of these two liveries, the numbers 1 and 7, the release date of the model, and the details of the car body we can make some educated guesses.  The box art shows the Ford livery with the #1.  This was used in quite a few races, but the black louvers present on the front of the car were only present prior to May of 1982, so in all likelihood this is the car from the 1982 Monza 1000 km race.  The red #7 only appeared in the 1982 Nürburgring 1000 km race, but this car didn’t have the louvers so decorating it this way wouldn’t look quite right.  Based on the positions of the #1 markers on the Jägermeister liveried car in official Tamiya photos, it can only be from the 1982 DRM Zolder Bergischer Löwe race.  Interestingly, the C100 didn’t even finish any of these races.  It’s first win would come in August at the DRM Hockenheim Grand Prix, but the livery and body details of that car don’t match the model.

While the C100 may have been an odd choice for a model, Tamiya’s next choice was the 58042 Porsche 956, the winningest car in Group C history.  This was a 1/12 scale model with a polycarbonate body on the Racing Master Mk. 5 chassis released in 1984.  The model came with stickers for the White/Blue Rothmans livery for both the #1 and #2 cars.  Based on the driver’s names and the release date of the model, these are the cars that took 1st and 2nd place at the 1983 Spa 1000 km race.  This car was rereleased in 2024 as 47508, but this time with a new body in 1/10 scale on the Group C chassis.  As far as I can tell, the same drivers and numbers are represented in the livery as in the original model, but the Rothmans branding has been replaced with the generic Racing name instead.

For their third Group C model Tamiya went back to a car that didn’t do very well, the 58049 Toyota 84C.  This was a 1/12 scale model with a polycarbonate body on the Racing Master Mk. 6 chassis released in 1985.  The model came with stickers for both the #36 White/Red TOM’S livery and the #38 White/Pink Wacoal livery.  Based on the driver’s names and the release date of the model, these cars were both from the 1984 Fuji 1000 km race.  #36 didn’t finish and #38 took 7th place, so Tamiya probably chose this because they wanted a Japanese car (and drivers) represented more than for any winning pedigree.  This car was rereleased in 2011 as 58509, on the RM-01 chassis.

For their fourth Group C model Tamiya went back the Porsche 956 with a different livery as the 58052 Newman Porsche.  This was a 1/12 scale model with a polycarbonate body on the Racing Master Mk. 7 chassis released in 1985 and used the same body as the previous 956.  The model came with stickers for two different #7 Yellow/Black Newman liveries.  Based on the driver’s names and the release date of the model, these cars were both from Le Mans winners.  The standard Newman liveried car won in 1985, and the version with the additional Pierlant branding won in 1984.  This car was rereleased in 2012 as 58521, on the RM-01 chassis.

For the 58088 Mercedes-Benz C11 in 1990, Tamiya introduced the new bigger 1/10 scale Group C chassis.  The model came with stickers for the silver Mercedes livery for both the #1 and #2 cars. Based on the driver’s names and the release date of the model, these are the cars that took 1st and 2nd place at the 1990 Monza 480 km race.  This car was rereleased more often than any other Group C car, first in 2005 as 58351 with a finished body, then in the two limited edition models including the factory built 84079 in 2008 and unfinished kit 47484 in 2022, all on the same Group C chassis.

The next model was the 58092 Jaguar XJR 12 in 1991 on the 1/10 scale Group C chassis.  The model came with stickers for the White/Green Castrol livery for both the #61 and #60 cars.  Based on the driver’s names and the release date of the model, these are the cars that took 1st and 2nd place at the 1990 Daytona 24 hours race.  (The words “Daytona Winner” also appeared on the box of this model).  This car was rereleased in 2005 as 58352 with a finished body, then in a limited edition factory built model 84080 in 2008, both on the same Group C chassis.

My favorite model in the series is the 58102 Mazda 787B in 1991 on the 1/10 scale Group C chassis.  The model came with stickers for the Orange/Green Renown livery for the #55 car (the first model to have only a single car number option).  Based on the driver’s names and the release date of the model, this is the car that took 1st place at the 1991 Le Mans 24 hours race. This car was rereleased in 2006 as 58357 with a finished body on the same Group C chassis.  There was also another release of the same car with a different livery and chassis.  It was the 58555 on the 1/12 scale RM-01 chassis in 2012, this time with the White/Blue Mazda livery.  This #18 car took 6th place in the same 1991 Le Mans race.

The final model in the series is almost as beautiful as the Mazda, the 58109 Nissan R91CP in 1992 on the 1/10 scale Group C chassis.  The model came with stickers for the Blue/Red Nissan livery for the #23 car.  Based on the driver’s names and the release date of the model, this is the car that took 1st place at the 1992 Daytona 24 hours race. (The words “92 Daytona 24 Hours Winner” also appeared on the box of this model).  This car was rereleased in 2006 as the limited edition 84264 (this time without the finished body of the other rereleases) on the same Group C chassis.

 

This is great, thanks for putting it together and sharing!  I have the new 956 on order, as well as a MK.5 956 and a TamTech 962. I've been brainstorming if I want one of them to be a car #3 to have a 1, 2 and 3

GToddC5 wrote:

This is great, thanks for putting it together and sharing!  I have the new 956 on order, as well as a MK.5 956 and a TamTech 962. I've been brainstorming if I want one of them to be a car #3 to have a 1, 2 and 3
 

Thanks, I didn't even think about the vintage TamTech cars because I've never seen one!  If I included those it would add the Porsche 962 and the Lancia LC2 to the list at 1/24 scale.

I can't figure out how to link a post from my phone, so scroll down this page and hopefully it works 😁

tamiyabase.com/...5840#77738

GToddC5 wrote:

I can't figure out how to link a post from my phone, so scroll down this page and hopefully it works 😁

tamiyabase.com/...5840#77738
 

That 1/24 scale 962 is really cool to see.  If you get a chance make a topic with some information on that Tamtech chassis and how it works and drives (assuming you are going to drive it).  I know very little about these models.

tamiyabase.com/...he-tamtech
@blackbird here are my tamtech 1/24.  They are fun to drive on carpet. Not on parkings like I did with my first one the swb testarossa. They are like miniz but 20 years before.  And very fast with different motor gears in the box. Really one of my favourite 1/24 to 1/28 scale rc. Almost like the xmods.
I only miss the countach wich have the very small wheelebase.  The testarossa share the same chassis but with middle size wheelebase. 

Thanks for the info Blakbird, nicely written. I am excited to get my 956 which is now slated to ship in December.