Marathon De La Route

Rai's 1/43 Mazda Cosmo Sport
4th Place 1968 Marathon de la Route
Leon Dernier/Yves Deprez/Jean-Pierre Ackermans

This model was produced by Kyosho and marketed by Rai's in Japan. This model was only available in japan and is only limited to 1,500 pieces worldwide. The No. 18 car was driven by the Belgian team while the No. 19 car was driven by the all-Japanese team.
Kyosho is known for making very good castings but I think that their paint job is mediocre. If you're buying Kyosho diecasts, check them out thoroughly for paint bubbles or small defects.

In 1968, Mazda went racing with the Cosmo. They selected one of the most grueling tests in Europe to prove the reliability of the rotary engine, the 84-hour Marathon de la Route at the legendary Nürburgring circuit in Germany. Two mostly-stock Cosmos were entered, along with 58 other cars. One major change to the cars' 10A engines was the addition of a novel side- and peripheral-port intake system: A butterfly valve switched from the side to the peripheral port as RPMs increased. The engines were limited to 130 PS to improve durability.
The cars ran together in fourth and fifth place for most of the race, but the all-Japanese car was retired with axle damage in the 82nd hour. The other car, driven by Belgians, completed the race in fourth overall. This was to be the only racing outing for the Cosmo - the next Mazda race car would be a Familia Rotary (R100).




Mazda came up with the plan to participate in motor racing to prove that the rotary engine, the world's first mass-produced engine of its kind, ensured high-performance, reliability and durability. This was when the company launched the Cosmo Sport, the first vehicle in the world powered by a multi-rotor rotary power unit. The two racing-trim Cosmo Sports were baptized at the Nordshleife, Nurburgring where the "Marathon de la Route," an 84-hour endurance event, was held on August 21, 1968.

During the event, two Porsches and a Lancia made up the top-three with two Cosmo Sports playing aggressive catching up roles. In the 81st hour, just three hours before the chequered flag, one of the Cosmo pair suffered a broken rear axle and had to retire. The other, however, endured the 84-hour challenge, and was classified fourth overall. This wonderful achievement proved that the rotary engine, a power unit unknown in the ordinary world, had enormous potential in power, reliability and durability. It signalled the beginning of Mazda's ongoing involvement in all forms of motor sports.