On the eve of the 40th anniversary of its debut, Tamiya's Honda RA273 returns in this hotly anticipated reissue, made all the more realistic by new metal and photo-etched parts!

The kit was originally issued in 1967 as item 12001, the first ever kit in Tamiya's big F1 series. At that time the kit was motorized and lacked the detail it boasts today. In 1973, the firm revamped it almost in its entirety to create the item that was reissued in 1998 as TAM12011. Now this historic machine is back for an encore! Its level of detail is striking for a kit created decades ago; it's obvious just how proud they were of actually having won an F1 grand prix with a home-grown machine (although this 3.0-liter RA273 was not the one which did. The 1.5 liter RA272 in 1965, and the RA300 in 1967 were the only two Japanese-built cars to win an F1 event until Honda won the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2006).

The engine is very detailed and includes wire for the plugs. The suspension works (rubber tires, of course, and matte silver-plated wheels), with metal springs for the shocks. Wire mesh is included for the main grille, too. The new metal and photo-etch parts include the air funnel, radiator, steering spoke, oil cooler and brake disc. Markings are included for a number of cars from the 1966 and '67 seasons and you even get a well-molded driver figure. A fine kit, with a lot of history riding on it!