Arrow Emblem Hawk of the Grand Prix
Encyclopedia
is an anime
series aired from 1977 to 1978 in Japan
. There are 44 episodes aired at 25 minutes each. It is also known as "Arrow Emblem Grand Prix no Taka". In the United States
, it was re-edited to a short movie called "Super Grand Prix".
racer. He puts all his energy into winning a beginners heat, but causes a massive pile up due to an error of judgement. Initially swearing to give up racing. Then a masked stranger appears by his bedside in the hospital who turned out to be world-famous driver Niki Lauda
. He encourages him to dust himself off and try driving a new prototype
. Before long, he is a team member of "Katori Motors", hoping to become a world F1 champion, driving the "Todoroki special", a car built to his own design.
In the US the 44 episode series was significantly shortened to form a 90 minute movie for children called "Super Grand Prix" released by Liberty International
on August 12, 2003. The story is essentially the same, except Takaya is now known as "Sean Corrigan" and nicknamed "Crash Corrigan" for the crash.
Screenwriter: Masaki Tsuji
Creator: Kogo Himiko
Additional Directors: Nobutaka Nisizawa, Yugo Serikawa, Takenon Kawada, Yasuo Yamakichi
Designer: Akio Sugino, Takuo Noda
Animator: Bunpei Nanjo, Takeshi Shirato, Toshio Mori
Music: Hiroshi Miyakawa
PB-34 Todoroki Special
PB-35 Todoroki Special, mark 2
PB-36 Todoroki Special, mark 3
PB-37 DX Todoroki Special
PB-38 Katori Super Roman
PB-39 Katori Rally Version
PB-40 DX Katori Super Roman
PB-41 Anchor
PB-44 DX Anchor
PB-45 Countach LP500S
Aside from these model cars, Popy also made a 1:1 scale racing helmet which could be worn by children. Unfortunately the serial number for this helmet is unknown.
References to two other pieces of merchandise have been found:
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series aired from 1977 to 1978 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. There are 44 episodes aired at 25 minutes each. It is also known as "Arrow Emblem Grand Prix no Taka". In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it was re-edited to a short movie called "Super Grand Prix".
Original story
The story is about a young boy named Takaya Todoroki who dreams of becoming a F1Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racer. He puts all his energy into winning a beginners heat, but causes a massive pile up due to an error of judgement. Initially swearing to give up racing. Then a masked stranger appears by his bedside in the hospital who turned out to be world-famous driver Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
. He encourages him to dust himself off and try driving a new prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
. Before long, he is a team member of "Katori Motors", hoping to become a world F1 champion, driving the "Todoroki special", a car built to his own design.
Production notes
The show's Japanese name "Grand Prix no taka" translates as "Hawk of Grand Prix", a theme that often recurs in the opening animation. The main character's name was probably chosen to suit this theme as well.In the US the 44 episode series was significantly shortened to form a 90 minute movie for children called "Super Grand Prix" released by Liberty International
Liberty International
Liberty International plc was a British property investment company. It switched to Real Estate Investment Trust status when REITs were introduced in the United Kingdom in January 2007...
on August 12, 2003. The story is essentially the same, except Takaya is now known as "Sean Corrigan" and nicknamed "Crash Corrigan" for the crash.
Staff
Director: RintaroRintaro
is the pseudonym of , a well-known director of anime. He works frequently with the animation studio Madhouse , though he is a freelance director not employed directly by any one studio. He began working in the animation industry—at age 17—as an in-between animator on the 1958 film Hakujaden...
Screenwriter: Masaki Tsuji
Masaki Tsuji
is a Japanese scenario writer of TV series and films as well as mystery fiction novels. Tsuji was most active in the business from the 1960s through the 1980s, and worked as a script writer on many popular anime TV series for Mushi Production, Toei Animation, and Tokyo Movie Shinsha.Among the...
Creator: Kogo Himiko
Additional Directors: Nobutaka Nisizawa, Yugo Serikawa, Takenon Kawada, Yasuo Yamakichi
Designer: Akio Sugino, Takuo Noda
Animator: Bunpei Nanjo, Takeshi Shirato, Toshio Mori
Toshio Mori
Toshio Mori is an American author, best known for being one of the earliest Japanese American writers to publish a book of fiction.-Biography:...
Music: Hiroshi Miyakawa
Merchandise
There were a number of Arrow Emblem race cars released under the Popynica toyline by Popy Pleasure in 1978 and 1979.PB-34 Todoroki Special
PB-35 Todoroki Special, mark 2
PB-36 Todoroki Special, mark 3
PB-37 DX Todoroki Special
PB-38 Katori Super Roman
PB-39 Katori Rally Version
PB-40 DX Katori Super Roman
PB-41 Anchor
PB-44 DX Anchor
PB-45 Countach LP500S
Aside from these model cars, Popy also made a 1:1 scale racing helmet which could be worn by children. Unfortunately the serial number for this helmet is unknown.
References to two other pieces of merchandise have been found:
- A slotracing track, created by Bandai.
- A garage kitGarage kitA garage kit or resin kit is an assembly scale model kit most commonly cast in polyurethane resin. They are often figures portraying humans or other living creatures. In Japan, kits often depict anime characters, and in the United States depictions of movie monsters are common...
of the Todoroki Special, created by Club M
Trivia
- It was aired every week Thursday 7:00pm to 7:30pm.
- The character Nick Lauda is evidently based on the real AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n world champion F1 driver Niki Lauda. While Nick Lauda is only referred to as "Masked Man" (due to the mask he wears) in the English dub 'Super Grand Prix', he does specifically mention Niki Lauda during the flashback sequence in which he is discussing his own past. Although it is apparently only for the purposes of drawing comparisons to himself rather than blatantly suggesting that he is Niki Lauda. Masked Man stating a famous figure also served to help console a frustrated Crash Corrigan in providing an example of a person who never gave up. - It has been suggested that the design of the 'Todoroki Special' was inspired by the 1976 Tyrrell P34Tyrrell P34The Tyrrell P34 , otherwise known as the "six-wheeler", was a Formula One race car designed by Derek Gardner, Tyrrell's chief designer....
'six wheeler'.