I saw the above toys on Yahoo Japan recently and recognised the three red vehicles immediately: FAB1 and two more from Thunderbirds I've seen before.
Where I've seen them before is on these kit boxes by Imai [available on Ebay] the blasting vehicle on the top cover no.5 and the sports car on the lower one, no.4, as painted by Showa master Shigeru Komatsuzaki.
pics: Santa Claus Ebay
I don't know the names of either of these two Thunderbirds pod vehicles [doh!] or whether the sports car actually appeared in the TV show. My biggest question though is whether the three toys at the top are from these kits? They look to be too small and seem to be toys.
What do you think?
As an aside, the sports car made me think of Eric Eden's cool concept car Shark MK 10 shown below as part of his illustrations for the TV21 Summer Special 1966, where we know he first designed Project SWORD vehicles like the Sand Flea and Snow Train.
The sports car is similar to one that Alan Tracy drives in an episode. The one with the gun might be the Thunderizer?
ReplyDeleteThe Thunderizer! Sounds great Kev and I'm thrilled the car was in the TV series. Wonder which episode Alan drives it in?
DeleteI think the car is based on this one from "Move and You're Dead":
ReplyDeletehttps://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/thunderbirds/images/b/b9/Br2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140818124838
Thanks a lot Ian. I shall follow that up!
DeleteThe first image and the second or third images are different products.
ReplyDeleteThe 2nd and 3rd images are exchanged pod of Thunderbird 2's plastic model kit, made by IMAI.
Vehicles are very small because they are stored in pod, but they were surely a plastic model kit.
This image is a kit that includes pod No 1 to 6 which became released later, but also contains pod of the image you posted, I think that you will understand the atmosphere.
Thanks a lot Anonymous. Thats very interesting information about those Thunderbirds vehicles.
DeleteI am Thunderbird fan in Japan. This is "Excavator". Due to miniaturization of the plastic model, it was arranged in a form quite different from the original. It is stated as such in the package and assembly explanatory diagram. Mr. Komatsuzaki draws a package illustration in compliance with the design of the plastic model, not the original. Another one is "Alan's race car" as others point out. I'm using translation software so I'm sorry for inaccurate English.
ReplyDeleteDaisuke that's great. Thanks for the information. Its great. Your translation is excellent.
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