1/12th Tamiya Tyrrell P34 Six Wheeler Collectors Guide

This is one in a series of guides created to inform and assist Collectors & Builders of 1/12 Big Scale plastic model kits. As a side hobby of my Automotive interests, I've amassed a substantial collection of Big Scale Car and Motorcycle kits over the years. I've also learned quite a bit on the particulars of these kits, especially the earliest releases. This guide will give specific information on Identification, Features, History, ect. None of this information is available in any other forum (that I am aware of), and should be a useful tool to Hobbyists. As with all previous guides, less information is provided to the actual building of the kit, and this is due to the rarity of the model. Any additional information forwarded to me will be gladly included in this guide. Feel free to email with comments.

** The Original c.1977 1/12th Tamiya Big Scale Kit #19, Tyrrell P34 Six Wheeler **

IDENTIFICATION: An original unbuilt issue of this kit is relatively scarce today. The unique design of the Six Wheel Chassis has always drawn much attention to this kit by builders, and the kit is still in production (2008) with the addition of photo etch parts. How many kits released in 1977 are still being manufactured due to high demand? A quick identification of an original kit is the number on the side of the box. It will be BS1221 and it will be on a Black Tape label. Later kits carried the kit number of BS 12021, and the last issue with photo etch is 12036. All text on the sides of the box will be in Japanese/English. Tamiya's address on the box will be 628, Oshika, Shizuoka-City, Japan, and this was their address from 1974 to 1980. Tamiya has changed addresses 4 times;

1946 - 1969                           915, Oshika, Shizuoka-City, Japan

1969 - 1974                       50-01, Oshika, Shizuoka-City, Japan

1974 - 1980                           628, Oshika, Shizuoka-City, Japan

1980 - 2005                       3-7, Ondawara, Shizuoka-City, Japan

2005-Present  3-7, Ondawara Suruga-Ku, Shizuoka-City, Japan

All parts inside the kit are inside plastic bags with the exception of the Chassis Tub. Tires and hardware are not in a parts blister, but some later re-issues were. The reference kit used for this guide has instructions written in English and German. On the lower left front corner of the instruction book is the date code of 7706 (June 1977). Another key point in identifying an original kit is that the decal sheet is bagged with the Chrome parts. Decals are printed on White paper, and on the rear is a date code of '77 5 (May 1977). Later kits had decals loose packed, no date code, and were printed on Blue paper. Photo's of the contents below;

There are very few points to identify an original issue of this kit. Internally, issues of this kit are essentially the same from a parts standpoint. The last kit issued with photo etch parts will differ from all earlier kits and is a stand alone version. Tamiya never produced a driver figure for this kit. Original issue kits are never identified as such when sold in the Vintage Marketplace. If you are an avid collector, watch for the BS1221 kit number. Otherwise, any Tyrrell Six Wheeler kit is basically the same. Prices typically run in the $100.00 range, but good deals are out there. New Photo Etch kits are retailing at around $125.00. Replacement Decals are easy to locate, as well as photo etch sheets. A great kit of a unique F-1 car. Probably one of Tamiya's best selling Big Scale kits ever produced.

** 1/12th Tamiya Tyrrell P34 Six Wheeler Kit History **

With the release of this kit in 1977, Tamiya's "Big Scale" series of 1/12th Cars had grown to 19, with many more great kits to come. There were now 2 Prototype Sports Cars, A Rally Car, and a wide selection of Formula One Cars. The Tyrrell P34 was, and still is a unique design in Formula 1 Racing. It was a great example of how far a Team would go to gain even the slightest advantage over it's competition. Car Designer Derek Gardner first conceived a six wheeled chassis while designing a 4 wheel drive Indy car. His idea was to drive the rear wheels of the car, as well as the rear pair of wheels in the tandem front end. The advantages of this research would be used later when Gardner joined Ken Tyrrell in 1970. Tyrrell needed his own chassis after leaving a partnership with Matra after the 1969 F-1 season and Gardner was brought to the team to design an in-house chassis. Gardner proposed a six wheeled layout, but this idea was initially rejected by Tyrrell as being too complicated. By 1974, Tyrrell needed to overcome the more powerful engines being used by competing teams and Gardner had developed the six wheeled chassis to make Team Tyrrell more competitive. In co-operation with Goodyear, special 10 inch tires were developed for the tandem steering. The advantages were threefold. (1) The low profile of the new front tires allowed them to be shrouded by the front end of the car resulting in less wind resistance. Straight line speed gains were equivalent to an extra 40 horsepower. (2) The extra axel added 2 more disc brakes for a total of 6 discs. This added braking had a distinct advantage over all other 4 disc cars running in F-1 at the time. (3) There was an added saftey factor in added frontal body protection in the event of a crash. Also, with 4 tires in front, low tire pressure in one of the tires was not as critical as with a conventional layout. The new (007) chassis was introduced to competition in the 1974 season, and was very successful. As conventional tire technology progressed for all teams in Formula One, Goodyear was reluctant to keep developing special 10 inch tires for just the Tyrrell Team. As a result, the six wheeled design was slowly being undermined by inferior tire design. By 1977, an unnamed Tyrrell driver was overheard calling the six wheel chassis "a truck". The car was still very fast on the the straightaways, but fell behind everywhere else. The Tamiya Tyrrell kit in this guide can be built as the #3 car driven by Jody Scheckter, or the #4 car driven by Patrick Depailler. Definately not your run of the mill Tamiya 1/12th scale F-1 car. Those 4 tiny Goodyears up front never cease to grab your attention. It was the same thing watching the actual car race back in the 70's. Tamiya did a great job designing this kit. Parts are molded in Blue, Black, Gray, Chrome, and Clear. Parts are well designed and assembly is straightforward with the well illustrated instructions. The finished car has removable Tyres, Nose, and drivers cowling to display chassis detail. Lots of hose and wiring detail, as well as flexible duct hoses (springs) to all 4 front disc brakes. For added detail, photo etch sheets appear to be easy to obtain in the aftermarket and are reasonably priced (for now). Watch for prices to rapidly rise on these kits in the near future. Replacement decals also seem to be easily aquired. No driver figure was ever included with any Tyrrell Six Wheeler kit. With the recent re-re-release of this kit with photo etch parts, it appears that this great kit will be available for a long time. For the collector, time and patience will turn up an original kit at a reasonable price.

** Kit Features **

** Super Detailed Ford D.F.V. Fuel Injected V-8 Engine

** (6) Detachable Wheels

** (6) Semi Pneumatic Rubber Like Goodyear Racing Tyres

** Movable Front And Rear Suspension

** Detachable Body Panels

** Kit Pros And Cons **

Pros. A 1/12th Big Scale Tamiya kit that has remained in production for 31 years. Probably the most popular 1/12th Scale F-1 kit Tamiya ever built. The six wheel chassis will always be a unique classic. Tons of detail, and now photo etch. Replacement decals are easy to obtain. Scale appears to be right-on the money. A classic must-have kit for the collector or builder.  

Cons. No Driver Figure. With high oil prices, future availability/pricing is in question for new kits. Collectors will have trouble identifying a first issue.

I hope this latest guide has been informative and useful. If you have found it helpful, take a moment to vote below. Look for more guides in the very near future. As always, feel free to email with comments, corrections, or additional information.