1/35 Tamiya MM #235 German Personnel Carrier Steyr Type 1500A Kommandeurwagen

The car is in a base of sand, with dark green wave pattern camouflage. It has a command pennant on its left front fender curb feeler poles with white balls on their tips on top of each front fender. The rectangular white license plate on the fron bumper has black serial no. WH-1203842 on it.

One lower corner of the box art has a small color side view of the car. It is overall panzer-grey with a General’s flag on a pole on its right front fender. It has Jerry cans with white crosses on them. This indicates the contents are water, and not petrol.

The upper right corner of the box art lists kit features: Highly accurate static display model. Complete interior and exterior detailing. Realistic chassis under-surface and suspension. Includes three lifelike crew figures. Courtesy of Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. Ready to assemble precision model kit, Modeling skills helpful if under 10 years of age, Cement and paint not included.

One side panel of the box has a color side view of the car. It is covered with winter white-wash that has the overall panzer-grey starting to appear through it. It has the black and white General’s pennant on its fender and a light tan canvas roof.

This is followed with a paragraph all in Japanese and color illustrations of the seated general and driver figures and a standing officer. The copyright of the kit is given as 1999, kit was made in the Philippines and Tamiya’s street address in Shizuoka City, Japan and their office street address in Aleso Viejo, CA.

​The other side panel has a color 3-view illustration , that is a repeat of the small one on the box art. It is overall panzer-grey, with the general’s flag on the front fender. The tan canvas roof is shown folded down. It carries a white rectangular license plate on the front bumper and low on the trunk lid in the rear, with black serial no. WH-1224751,

It was with the 17th Army and was Commanding General Ruoff vehicle, Russia 1942. This is followed by Tamiya’s European address in Germany.

​Inside the tray of the box, on the bottom, there is IMPORTANT INFORMATION about the kit in 14 languages, including English.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX:

The kit contains 4 tan trees, a clear tree, brass PE fret, decal and instructions in stapled-shut clear cello bags.

The instructions consists of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 6 ¾” x 10 ¼” page format.

Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up in the all panzer-grey scheme, with the driver and General in the car and the standing officer beside it.

All the men wear field grey uniforms. The officers are wearing officer’s peaked hats. The drive wears a cloth side cap. The figures all wear black jack boots.

Below this is one paragraph histories of the Kommandeurwagen in 4 languages, including English.

Page 2 begins with READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, over illustrations of cement and tools suggested to use, a suggested listing of Tamiya brand hobby paint colors and PRECAUTIONS about the kit in multiple languages, including English.

The bottom of page 2, through to page 8 gives a grand total of 13 assembly steps.

Step 10 is for assembly of the 3 figures, a rabbit-ears type binoculars and its tripod and storage case.

Page 9 is a marking and painting guide. It shows a 5-view of the box art scheme and a side view of the all panzer-grey scheme shown on the side panels (already described above).

An illustration of the brass PE fret in the kit is shown, below painting instructions in 4 languages, including English, in the left column.

Page 10 is also a painting and marking guide. At the top is the front and rear view of the all panzer-grey scheme.

Below it is a 3-view of the white-washed scheme. It gives the license plate no. WH-1224672 on its front and rear.

The left hand column has the decal application instructions in it in multiple languages, including English, Over an after-marketing service coupon, in only Japanese.

Trees are alphabetized, but not illustrated in the instructions. Bad move Tamiya !

Tan letter A tree holds: frame members, axles, shocks, standing officer figure etc.

​Tan letter B tree holds: wheels, leaf springs, grill, driver figure etc.

​Lettering jumps to the tan letter E tree. It holds: body panels, shift levers etc.

​Tan letter F tree holds: jerry cans, seated General figure etc.

​Clear letter G tree holds: windows and headlight lenses.

Some of the parts I have left to add are the figues, steering wheel,trunk lid,etc.

The doors and optional canvas roof.

​I have added a set of Archer Brand’s dry transfer decal sheet of uniform insignias and their set of dry transfer decals of dashboard instrument faces, in 1/72nd and 1/35th scales, and a steel PE set by Eduard brand (set no. 35196) for the Steyr 1500A/01.

The instrument decals.

The Eduard photo etch set.

​I also added a bright metal food jar cover to use to make rear view mirror lenses out of.

​I put a sheet of black mesh in the kit, thinking to use it for the engine air intake grills. But will not do that as the PE fret in the kit is superior to that.

The kit decals.

​I have assembled the vehicle, all but the steering wheel, trunk lid and doors. It have not painted it or decaled it yet. Haven’t decided which scheme I like best. I used the folded roof, rather than the extended one.

The rear view.

The view of the side and top.

The vehicle from the front.