# What a Wankel!



## Faust (Dec 1, 2012)

Okay, here’s one that’s really, really out of left field! 

I love to build car kits, and the weirder or more obscure it is, the better I like it. From Omnis to the Ferrari 308 Rainbow, I’ve got quite an eccelctic collection. However, none of them are super-rare. This one, however, must be; when I tried to look up info on it, I couldn’t find much. Since I didn’t see anyone else reviewing this, I thought an out of box review could be pretty cool.


So, here for your viewing pleasure, is the *1/20 Bandai Familia Rotary Coupe *.! This kit is, I think, from the late 1960s, maybe 1969. The car debuted in 1968, so it could conceivably be from then. 

Let me know what you think about this unbuilt little gem, and if you’ve got any comments or additional info, either email me (see the site) or post it here!

Enjoy!


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## whiteboy5677 (Aug 29, 2013)

Wow that box looks older than me! You should put it together and post your progress and pics on here. Just one question, with it obviously being pretty old, is there a chance of the pieces structural integrity being at risk. I don't remember if models from back then were sealed in plastic or not.


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## Faust (Dec 1, 2012)

I'm reluctant to build it because it seems like it's a very rare kit, and if there's someone out there who would like to have it, I think it might be better served by me selling it. 

However, I have lots of kits, so I have time to wait and see how it goes. 

The body, chassis and interior were not bagged, as you can see from the article (click on the link, if you haven't already, to see the pics). That means I've been able to handle them, take them apart from each other, and inspect them. They're all fin as far as I can tell. The plastic isn't like ancient American plastic; that reall brittle stuff. It's brittle, sure, but I had to bend the body and chassis to get them apart and back together again, so I don't think there's any problems with that.

The rest of the parts (again, you can see pics in the article) are all bagged, and seem fine. About the same brittleness as an MPC from about 1980/82; like the EXP or Cavalier.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Faust said:


> What a Wankel!


Don't be rude! :tongue:

That must be a rare bird indeed. Japanese carmakers in the late 1960s/early '70s were blatantly copying American designs, and that Mazda looks like a shrunken contemporary Buick.

As long as all the parts are in good condition, I say go ahead and build the thing. Model kits are meant to be _built_, dammit!


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## Faust (Dec 1, 2012)

I hadn't thought of it as a small Buick clone, but I can kinda see that now! That's really interesting. It's got a quirkiness to it that's all AMC, too, though. Like a Rebel that got shrunk in the wash.

For now, building it seems out of the question. I had a fellow ask to buy it; he wants to make it into a mini-RC car, so I said "sure". 

It will be neat to think of this guy zipping around a track somewhere - in AUSTRALIA!


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

Great thread starter.

There are some 1:1 copies out there, but they're pretty rare too.

71 Mazda Familia

This appears to be a brochure for the Aussie market.

Here are some pics of the USDM R100


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## whiskeyrat (May 7, 2012)

Cute car, love the brochure for the Aussie market!


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

Do they play American football in Australia? Australian rules American Football? Female Australian Rules?


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Faust said:


> I hadn't thought of it as a small Buick clone, but I can kinda see that now! That's really interesting. It's got a quirkiness to it that's all AMC, too, though. Like a Rebel that got shrunk in the wash.


I was misled by the inaccurate illustration on the box art. The car does look more like a mid-1960s Rambler.


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## Faust (Dec 1, 2012)

Okay, so it wasn't just me, then... I'm glad of that.

I can't believe some of the drag versions I've seen of those things in real life. I guess they're kind of like the Vega in North America; maybe not the best car (although the R100 seems far better than the Vega could ever hope to be) but a great base for racing mods!


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