[REVIEW] Tomica Nissan Skyline Silhouette Formula

Engine week was fun, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Land of the Rising Sun-day is here again. Today we examine a model of something unusual. This is Tomica 65-4, the Nissan Skyline Silhouette Formula. This casting entered the range in October 1982, and is everything one would expect, and then some:

Super Silhouette was a racing category in Japan from 1979-83, where cars had a body based on a production model, but the chassis was like a Formula car. I don’t believe there are many castings based on cars of this series. This one, of a famous Nissan, is everything one could want. Fine line casting detail abounds, and the decals/tampos are crisp and precise. This car wearing Tomica sponsorship made it a natural to be represented in the Tomica line. Of course this has wide racing wheels, along with a detailed interior, crisp glazing, and springy suspension. However, no snappy door action. The front spoiler on this car makes me think of bosozoku style, perhaps this car was an influence. From all angles, there’s no mistaking this for anything else:

Front and rear have similar detail. This was the era where chromed pieces were frequently used to represent the grille and headlights:

The base is plastic, which was becoming common at the time, and contains ample technical and identifying detail. The underside view also shows off the widebody design:

This example is lucky enough to live in its original black box, and the sticker/decal sheet is still intact. Notice the windshield banner has not been affixed to the car:

This is definitely one I am happy to have in my collection. I was lucky to find this locally at a fair price. It is a seldom-seen piece of history, and is quite attractive with its stance and decoration:

Some 1:1s from wikimedia and gomotors.net, along with action shots from and carthrottle.com and hotwheels.wikia.net: