1/12 Tamiya Wolf WR1 Ford F1 Kit Collectors Guide c.1978

This guide is one in a series that was created to assist Collectors and Builders of Big Scale Automotive and Motorcycle plastic model kits. Many of the kits reviewed are Vintage, long out of production, and are highly collectable today. As a side hobby of my Automotive interests, I have amassed a substantial collection of these rare kits. Many are the earliest examples. Much of the information contained in this guide is not available in any other forum (that I am aware of). As a result, I am sharing the knowledge I've learned about about these kits. Emphasis is always on Identification, Kit History, Features, ect. Less information is provided on the actual build of the kits due to rarity. Of course, any build information forwarded to me will be gladly included in this guide. Feel free to email with comments, corrections, or inquiries.

** The Original c.1978 1/12 Tamiya Big Scale Kit #22, Wolf WR1 Ford F1 **

IDENTIFICATION; An original unbuilt example of this kit is relatively scarce these days. It is hard to believe that this kit is now 30 years old. All examples of the WR1 kit are long out of production, and in todays kit market, are unlikely to be re-issued again. The first quick identification that you have an original issue kit is that all of the text on the box will be written in English. This may not be true of non export kits that were originally sold in Japan. The kit number on the end panel of the box will be BS1224*. This reference kit does not have a kit price in (Japanese) Yen printed after the kit number, and this is not typical of most Tamiya kits. Bear in mind that later issue kits have multi-lingual Japanese/English text on the box. Tamiya's address on the side of the box will be 628, Oshika, Shizuoka-City, Japan. This was Tamiya's address from 1974 to 1980. Later issue kits will have an address of 3-7, Ondawara, Shizuoka-City, Japan. The well illustrated instruction booklet is written in English and German. On the lower left corner of the cover, is the date code of 7808 (August 1978). The rear of the decal sheet has a date code of 53.07. This code does not correspond to earlier Tamiya date codes, but an educated guess is that it corresponds to July of 1978. Special care should be given to the decals for this kit. Replacements are difficult to obtain. See contents photos below;

Internal packaging of parts is typical for Tamiya Big Scale kits from the mid 1970's. All parts, including the tires and hardware are bagged and sealed with staples. Some later issue kits will be found with the Tires and Hardware contained on a parts blister. Parts are molded in Dark Blue, Black, Gray, and Gold (painted tree). There are no Clear molded parts, but there is a small thin Acetate sheet with 2 Windshields (one is a spare). Parts quality is very high in this kit. As a youngster with a very limited budget in the 70's, this was one of only two 1/12th Tamiya kits I built "back in the day". The first was the Ferrari 312B, and the second was this Wolf WR1 kit. At that time, it was the most complex (and expensive) kit I had ever built. That says quite a bit because by that time I had built hundreds of kits. The WR1 built up to an incredible display, and with all the features; Removable Body Panels, Removable Wheels, Steerable Front Wheels, and functioning Suspension, that kit was the centerpiece of my built-up collection for a very long time. It was also the kit that got me hooked on collecting Vintage Big Scale kits later in life. Yes, the kit was pricey when new, but they all were. They were also the best kits out there, Anywhere..... These WR1 kits, and the other 1/12th Scale Tamiya kits from this era do not appear to suffer from tire melt that plagues the earlier kits in the series. Scale and detail of the WR1 kit appears "right-on". Photos of the actual car show that Tamiya did in fact work very closely with Walter Wolf and the Wolf Organization when this kit was created. Prices for unbuilt kits with minty parts average in the $100.00 plus range. Identifying an original from photographs in an online sale can be difficult. All things considered, a great vintage Big Scale kit. 

** 1/12th Tamiya Wolf WR1 Ford F1 Kit History **

By 1978, Tamiya already had a substantial line of 1/12 Big Scale kits. That year, Tamiya released three more. This kit, the Wolf WR1, the Ferrari 312T, and the Renault RE-20 Turbo. That brought the series to a total of 26 kits! Bear in mind that at that time (1978), only 11 of those kits were in production. None of the original 7 kits in the series were being manufactured. That was a good thing, and proved that Tamiya was concentrating on building new kits and not re-issuing the old line. I try to emphasize this fact to collectors today. Recent history bears out that Tamiya does re-issue select 1/12 Big Scale kits, with added Photo Etch sheets, but New kits in plastic have disappeared. New releases seem to be dedicated to Semi-Assembled Die Cast kits at very high prices. It appears that we may have reached the end of the line for new "Big Scale" kits. The Wolf WR1 Ford F1 was an all new car that was built and developed in late 1976. The Wolf Racing Team had no major sponsors and was privately owned and funded by Walter Wolf. The team facilities were in Great Britain even though Wolf was a naturalized Canadian. Walter Wolf and his Driver Jody Scheckter, through their personal relationships with Enzo Ferrari, were able to use the Ferrari Fiorano Test facility in late 1976 to develop the new car. It is believed to be the only time a non-Ferrari had used the facility. With Scheckter driving, the Wolf WR1 won the first race of the 1977 F1 season in Argentina. It was a milestone in Formula One that an all new car won it's first race entered. The team went on to win 2 more races that season in Monaco and Canada. The Wolf WR1 with Scheckter driving, ended up in second place for the 1977 F1 Championship (Niki Lauda in a Ferrari was 1st). As for the technology of the WR1, it was generally considered "One of the Cosworth Kit Cars". ie; A privately developed chassis using the Ford Cosworth V-8. The WR1 was "State of the art" in early 1977, but was not an innovative car with any significant new technology. What Team Wolf did have was a great Veteran Driver, Good Team Management, and lots of money. Bear in mind that Formula One in 1977 was just about to enter the age of "Ground Effects". By 1978, the WR1 design was obsolete. The Tamiya kit in this guide was developed and manufactured with very close co-operation from the Walter Wolf Racing Organization. The kit represents the car very early in the 1977 season, and Museum photos of the original car today compare very closely to the Tamiya model. Compared to other F1 cars from 1977, the Wolf WR1 was a very clean and distinctive design. It was very competitive right out of the box, and was in contention for the Championship until very late in the '77 season. If for no other reason, the 1977 Wolf WR1 Ford F1 earns a place of distinction for being the winner of three races as a Privateer Team, with no major sponsorship. All things considered, a great kit for the collection....

** Kit Features **

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

** Detachable Wheels

** Semi Pneumatic Rubber Like Goodyear Racing Tyres

** Fully Functioning Suspension

** Functional Steering Through Steering Wheel and Rack-In-Pinion Steering

** Detachable Body Panels to Display Internal Mechanical Detail

** Kit Pros And Cons **

Pros. The only 1/12th Big Scale kit of this car ever manufactured. The Tamiya WR1 kit is a very accurate display model of this significant F1 car from 1977. A high parts count, plenty of features, and very high quality molded parts. Well illustrated instructions written in English/German with a detailed parts list. A level of detail that compares very well to modern kits, even 30 years after it was first released..

Cons. A 30 year old kit (if you locate an original kit). Deteriorated or aged Decals can be difficult to locate. No aftermarket decals, photo etch, or detail parts parts available. Prices can be high as Vintage kits become scarce.

I hope you have found this latest guide for the Wolf WR1 Ford F1 helpful. If you have found it informative, take a moment to vote below. Feel free to email with any additional information or corrections. Keep an eye open for more "Big Scale" guides in the future. The series is getting long, but I have plenty of rare kits to dust off and write up.