Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix
A young racer overcomes a crash to chase F1 dreams.
Between 1977 and 1978, Japan aired the anime series Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix, also called Arrow Emblem Grand Prix no Taka. Its 44 episodes each run 25 minutes. For the United States, the show was recut into a short film titled Super Grand Prix.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Drama, Sports
- Creator
- Kogo Hotomi
- Director
- Rintaro (1st part); Nobutaka Nishizawa (2nd part)
- Writer
- Masaki Tsuji
- Keisuke Fujikawa
- Shozo Uehara
- Music
- Hiroshi Miyagawa
- Company
- Fuji Television; Toei Animation
- Network
- FNS (Fuji TV)
- First aired
- 22 September 1977
Facts from the source article.
Original story
The story follows Takaya Todoroki, a young man who dreams of becoming an F1 racer. While leading a beginners heat in stock cars, he slips on oil after losing focus and crashes, causing him to lose confidence and swear off racing. A masked stranger named Nick, a world-famous driver, visits him in the hospital and encourages him to try a new prototype. Takaya joins Katori Motors and aims to become world F1 champion, driving the Todoroki Special, a car of his own design.
Production notes
The 44-episode series was cut into a 90-minute children's film, Super Grand Prix, released by Liberty International on August 12, 2003. The plot is largely unchanged, though the protagonist Takaya is renamed Sean Corrigan and given the nickname "Crash Corrigan" due to his accident.
Merchandise
Popy also produced a 1:1 scale racing helmet for children, though its serial number is not recorded. Additional merchandise includes a slotracing track by Bandai and a garage kit of the Todoroki Special by Club M.
Trivia
The series aired weekly on Thursdays from 7:00pm to 7:30pm. The character Nick is evidently based on Austrian world champion F1 driver Niki Lauda; in the English dub Super Grand Prix, he is referred to only as Masked Man, but the name Lauda is mentioned during a flashback. Other thinly disguised 1970s Formula One drivers appearing include Mario Andretti, Vittorio Brambilla, Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Clay Regazzoni, and Jody Scheckter. The design of the Todoroki Special was inspired by the 1976 Tyrrell P34 six-wheeler designed by Derek Gardner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix?
Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix was created by Kogo Hotomi.
Which network aired Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix?
Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix aired on FNS (Fuji TV).
When did Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix first air?
Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix first aired on 22 September 1977.
When did Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix end?
Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix last aired on 31 August 1978.
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