Uncle-Heavy
Cool!
One of the original Kübelwagen types (the famous VW wasn’t the first one).
Cool!
One of the original Kübelwagen types (the famous VW wasn’t the first one).
Nor their M37 - so I doubt |I’ll ever get this one(!)
Roden kits always draw you in with the box art. They have great subject matter. The molding and fit of most of their kits just isn’t up to 21st century standards. I’m already medicated, I don’t need to go full looney-bin because of a kit.
It is a shame; some of their subjects are truly unique, but the effort just sucks the fun out of it all.
This would indeed (as I alluded to) look great in the Buntfarbenanstrich scheme of the Reichswehr, but can I face the building hassle?
I have built a coupple of their stuff. Some planes, some armour. Its not top quality, but I recall dumping only one kit and finishing the rest to some level of satisfaction. I have this 232 on the bench right now and its ok-ish.
If the price is right and reviews are decent, I may purchase one or two of these models. Military cars are fairly important and would look great paired with many pre-war and early war German armored cars and tanks. The open sides should make painting the interior somewhat easier.
There are two 1/35 scale Rolls Royce armored cars by Roden in the Scalemates database. They date from 2009 and 2011. That was a very long time ago in computer assisted design years. The much more modern 1/35 scale buses by Roden seem to build up okay. I am hopeful.
If that one three view is the only decal scheme in the box, the model designer really missed an opportunity with the paint schemes. These vehicles must have worn pre-war three color, Poland and France two color, Russia one color, and late war three color camouflage. Generic license plate and numeral decals would greatly expand the usefulness of this model out of the box.
Edit: I have yet to see one of these sitting next to an armored car or tank but did find one towing a PaK 36 (?). It was developed from a limousine. Later versions have doors. There is a radio car version with a hard top. Most seem to have served in signals or as staff cars. The Luftwaffe appears to have received a bunch of them. Charles de Gaulle drove one post war! That is probably what drew the people working for Roden to this subject.
Did a web dive on Roden. Based on what model builders report, the company reminds me of Academy–a fondness for ejector pins, heavy moldings, and some sink marks. Recent models seem somewhat better. A least one recent 1/35 model was probably scaled up from a 1/72 model (with all that implies). Roden car models tend to have a goodly number of finishing options so the one shown in this article may belong to a much larger set.
Still curious.
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I doubt that there were any of these still in operation by then but this is just my personal “feeling”.
Be aware that the Mercedes 170 V was rather similar:
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/master-box-mb35101-polizei-kuebelsitzwagen-ab-1937--134212
It can be difficult to see which car is which …
There was also the Wanderer W 50 …
and the W23S
and W24
and W11
Standardisation wasn’t invented until later in the war …
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Yeah. I make no claim to being an expert on any of this stuff. Quite the opposite! It seems like every other night I pick a vehicle and start reading, trying to understand how it was used, where is was used, and the variations. Looking at old photos and trying to identify all the vehicles is still very challenging. A few months back, you pointed me at a web page listing German vehicles by number and type. That continues to serve as a starting point for many searches.
At least some members of the German military did try to standardize fairly early on. As early as 1934(?) a number of military figures understood the difficulties involved in providing spare parts for a large, heavily mechanized force. It’s really interesting to me how poor planning, rapidly advancing technology, an ever expanding war, and powerful people indulging pet projects worked together to massively over burden German industry.
Anyway, yeah, they sure did try out a lot of vehicles that look really similar.
@Frenchy When I came across that picture yesterday, I immediately saved it as a possible use for the model. 
The sprues from Masterbox and Miniart are completely different.
The ONLY thing they have in common is the subject, the 170V
This is a Mercedes but the colour scheme would suit the Roden vehicle just fine I feel:
They changed the body style to add a large stowage box
" Beginning around 1935, most vehicles were equipped with a Kfz. 15 car body with a large stowing box at the rear."
To actually be a Kfz. 15 it needs some radio/telephone gear added.
I get the impression that cars for other usage than Kfz.15 got the new body style, everyone wants more stowage space …
http://www.kfzderwehrmacht.de/Homepage_english/Motor_Vehicles/Germany/Auto-Union/Horch/Horch_830_R_Kubelwagen/horch_830_r_kubelwagen.html
It was a Horch 830 convertible (I guess the Kubelwagen version would have been much too austere 
)
https://www.retropassionautomobiles.fr/2020/06/horch-830-general-de-gaulle/
H.P.
Ah. I know the plastic on both seem to be similar quality and both tend to have more parts than the real thing. Thought they might be like Dragon/ Cyberhobby.
