Nitto Shiden RE13B-78
1/28 scale

This is a neat little motorized kit, originally made by Nitto, later reboxed by the Taiwanese Blue Tank toy company.

The Shiden was designed by K. Takahara as a 2ltr sportscar for competing in the Japanese Fuji Grand Championship series. At its debut in 1977 it was fitted with a 2ltr BMW engine.
For the 1978 season the car was revised, the BMW engine was replaced by a Mazda 13B rotary and the rear of the body was truncated.
The kit represents the rotary-powered 1978 version of the car.

The kit consists of a one-piece body, a detailed interior with a five-piece racing driver, a fairly simple floorpan, a separate rear wing and plated wheels.
The front wheels steer, the electric motor is mounted in the back of the model and a single AA-size battery is hidden behind the cockpit. An FA-130 electric motor is included in the kit.
The decals are well printed and look convincing, I can not comment on their accuracy.

Below is an image from the 1979 Nitto catalog showing a completed model.
Nitto 1979 catalog image (25.8kB)


Nitto, cat nr.667

released in 1979

Nitto 1979 box top (23.0kB) The original release.
Body molded in white, all other parts molded in black.


Nitto, cat nr.14075

released in 1985

Nitto 1985 box top (16.6kB) When Nitto changed the design of its logo in 1985, the box art was also given a make-over.
The contents of the box are the same as with the earlier release.


Blue Tank, cat nr.TK-8809

released in 1998

box top (18.2kB) Blue Tank based its box art on the original Nitto release.
The contents look identical to those of the Nitto releases, apart from the decals that differ slightly in design and colors.
Blue Tank also included an electric motor.



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