The Mooncraft Shiden 77 was a Group 6 racing car that competed in the Fuji Grand Champion Series in 1977 and 1978. Featuring an aluminum twin-tube monocoque chassis, the Shiden 77 was powered initially by a BMW M12/7 2.0 L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Noritake Takahara (a three-time series champion) debuted the car in the 1977 Fuji Grand 250km. He ran the car for only 12 laps before leaving the race due to brake issues. The car was returned to Mooncraft where it was rebuilt and the engine was replaced with a Mazda RE13B 1,308 cc rotary engine. Now called the Shiden Kai, the car was raced in the 1978 Grand Champion Series, without much success. In the 1978 500 mile Fuji, the car was crashed, burst into flames and was destroyed.
The Tomica Shiden 77 BMW was released in 1978. This orange model with 9 racing tampo is the keeper from a bunch of garage sale cars my brother sent me. Click here to compare to the green variation of the Tomica Shiden 77 BMW already in my collection.
Click here to see the Shiden 77 BMW on the 1978 page of the online Tomica History Museum.
Tomica | 1978 | 71 | Shiden 77 BMW | orange with 9 racing tampo, tinted windows, black plastic interior and base | 1/62 | Japan | sport wheels
The Race Case Etc. 