VW W30 thanks to DBAG W30
Yes, you are seeing right: I am mentioning the new 1:43 model by Altaya of the KdF-prototype which became the Volkswagen 1200, the beloved “VW-bug”! Fact is that 30 prototypes were built by Daimler-Benz in 1937, which were given the internal works-designation W30. Although 30 refers to the number of testcars produced, the W30 reminds one of the more than passing resemblance of this W30 with the Mercedes-Benz Type 150 (W30) Sport-sedan, a small series of which had been specifically built in 1934 for the “2000 Km through Germany Race”, a car of which Autocult built a 1:43 scale model last year (see Newsletter No.10 of May 2019.
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In an issue dated July 2016 of the online edition “Zeit Online” of the renowned German Newspaper “die Zeit”, Jakob Werlin, an executive and member of the Daimler-Benz Board, with a, shall we say, excellent contact inside the Reichskanzlei, looked back at the history of the development of Ferdinand Porsche’s Volkswagen prototype, and in his (unpublished) memoirs, also speaks of the fact that "Mercedes experience and Mercedes patents had to be generously made available", and that Daimler-Benz "had generally to provide “preloading” services" for the Volkswagen. It is unmistakable that Porsche's construction did change significantly from mid-1936 onwards. Aside from a wheelbase shortened by 100 mm to 2400 mm, and the body to 3850 mm, the shape changes to the bodywork are even clearer.
While the previous prototypes were more similar to an earlier model by the Czech car maker Tatra, the design of the W30 pre-series followed a Mercedes-Benz from 1934 - the type 150, also a “W30” - a small series air-cooled rear engine two-seater sports-sedan, which had been developed specifically for competitions. (ref: Zeit Online).
As can be seen from the pictures available, Altaya’s model looks accurate and should please a large number of collectors, be they VW or Mercedes collectors, not only, but also because of its affordable price.
Note: PremiumClassiXX also made a 1:43 model of the W30 a few years ago.
It only came to my attention now:
AGM in Sankt-Petersburg (Russia) released in November 2019 this very nice 1:43 model of the Mercedes-Benz G4 Radio car, which was used in Hitler’s convoys.
Unfortunately, I do not have better pictures of the model, but knowing that the modelmaker behind AGM makes his models with great attention to detail, I am pretty sure that the model, made in a very limited, nearly confidential, quantity of only 35 pieces will sell, out soon, despite its somewhat high price of USD 309 (+S&H).
Available from: www.modelscarheritage.ru in Sankt-Petersburg.
Aurore Models:
Another 1:43 Mercedes has been released by Aurore (HK): a Sprinter 519 CDI HKPF "Airport Police", aka. “Hong Kong Police Force Airport Police”,recognizable by the "APT" (Airport) sign on the bumper.
I guess, this is not the last Mercedes Sprinter-version that Aurore will produce...
Altaya: the 1940 Mercedes-Benz G4 (W31)
Here Altaya made it easy for themselves: take the old G4 of General Franco, which was part of the initial “Mercedes Collection”, paint it in Wehrmacht grey, add a couple of machine guns inside, also a couple of decals, two little flags, and voilà!... there is your model of a German general’s G4 (W31).
Actually, to be honest, the model isn’t bad, but trouble is, there is this pesky front bumper which existed only on General Franco’s G4. It wouldn’t have taken much research to just leave it off, and the model would be far more accurate!! So, let’s get the nail clippers out and let’s snip that bumper off!
For information, the Altaya model represents the car used by the Generaloberst der Luftwaffe (i.e. ‘Lieutenant-General’ in the USAF / NATO Code OF-8) Ulrich Grauert, during the German occupation of France in May 1940.
This was one of only 11 G4 which were delivered to the Wehrmacht. All other manufactured G4 were in service either with the government or with the party.
Scalemasters (NL)
…will release in due course the 1:43 model of the Unimog U-530 VRU firetruck with body by Ziegler. Orders can be placed by e-mailing to: sales@scalemasters.nl
Early designs for the Mercedes G-Class were quite a bit different from the actually produced cars. One humorous comment was, that the designer did not need any compass for drawing this car…which was good in many ways, not the least of all that it allowed to make some neat kraft-paper models, as the "Car&Driver@ model below shows!
By the way: on the last page of this Newsletter, I have included “Car & Driver’s” complimentary template for this kraft-paper Mercedes G-Class.
Feel free to use it, make it in any scale you wish. enjoy! The only tools you need are scissors and a good glue stick.
GLM, for their part, are releasing a 1:43 model of the 2012 G-Class G500 BA3 “final edition”. The model is made available in, ‘Mazarine blue’, ‘Olympic white’, and ‘Nevada silver’, in a limited quantity production of 119 pieces of each colour.
In 2012, 33 years after the G-Class was introduced, before the releasing of the changed cars, Mercedes-Benz released a three-door of the BA3 “Final Edition”, to mark the end of the short-wheelbase three-door G-cars
A so far unknown or at least unnamed Chinese manufacturer advertised a series of 1:43 scale Mercedes G 500 4x4² on Aliexpress.com for USD 28.00 each + USD 6.84 shipping. The buyer has a choice of colours (see grouping picture). Payment can be done by secure Visa.
Aliexpress.com is a “branch” of Alibaba, which connects sellers and buyers, similarly to eBay.
Pictures of the models seem to indicate a good model quality seemingly comparable to that of many other model manufacturers. The presentation of the models is above average and reminiscent of GLM’s presentation of their models.
ALMOST REAL/MINICHAMPS
is releasing the 2019 Maybach-Mercedes S 560 in a few colour variations, and the two-tone ones seem to me the most elegant ones. *)
The 1:43 model is priced at 114.95€ and should be in the stores sometime this July.
It is available in these colours:
Ruby black/Agonite silver; Anthracite blue/Agonite silver; Obsidian black/Iridium silver; Obsidian black; Diamond white; Iridium silver.
*) Dear readers: please start a crowd-funding campaign for me: I want one!!!
Ever got that sinking feeling?
Matrix is producing a 1:18 scale version of the famous Mercedes-Benz 500K “Spezial Stromlinienwagen” of 1935, for release projected in September 2020.
The model will be available in the two versions white and maroon, which were the colours of the original.
The price could be around the 300 € mark, in line with other 1:18 models by Matrix.
I am presenting this 1:18 scale car, because for those like me who love this car and are fascinated by its story, this model follows in the tracks of the long hoped for 1:43 scale model which was released by Matrix back in June 2018, and seems more accurate and more detailed than its smaller brother. In addition, it is “steerable”.
Since my article in the special Newsletter issue of March 2015 and the subsequent release of the 1:43 model, there have been new developments in the research of the history of the car, notably by a group of people in the Netherlands, led by the Dutch historian Herman van Oldeneel, and the grand-son of Tan Tjoan Keng.
Also, I was told the following new facts by Mr. van Oldeneel:
“In 1936, the car took part at the K.N.A.C. Koetswerken Concours in Scheveningen, the Netherlands. The car was likely updated/uprated in 1938, before it left the same year to the former Dutch Indies, where it took part in a concours in Semarang, painted in the new maroon colour, and with additional rear-lights and different, pointy parking-lights on the front fenders.
After the war, the car was back again in the Netherlands with another colour change and some additional detailing on the car.
As well, a drawing exists, with proposals made by the Mercedes-Benz factory for further modernizing the car!”
In 1949 the car was put up for sale in an advertisement in De Auto, the magazine of the KNAC. The asking price was 16,000 guilders. Maybe too high, because in 1951 the advertisement appeared again, this time with the announcement that the car was being sold “due to departure abroad”. From that moment on, the track ends.
Has the car been sold and if so, to whom? It is known that Tan stayed in Indonesia from 1949, so it is not excluded that the Mercedes was shipped after all. Tan's descendants are also interested in the answers to these questions and a grandson is involved in the research…”
In 2015, an article about the “Spezial Stromlinienwagen” appeared on the Indonesian website “Pho Tos of old Indonesia”. The following is the translation from the original Indonesian text excerpts:
“…Herman van Oldeneel, a researcher for the Tan Mercedes: "Since 1951 we do not know what happened to the car”.
According to current info this car is in Zurich, purchased by Frans Vrijaldenhoven, where he found this car auction brochure in 1949 and bought it (?) for $ 82,000.
Tan Keng Tjoan (a.k.a. “Louis”) died in Jakarta in 1980... (age 69)”
Unfortunately, contacting Mr. Vrijaldenhoven is not possible anymore. PreWarCar announced on December 15th, 2015:” We are sad to inform you that on November 30, 2015, our distinguished jury member Frans Vrijaldenhoven passed away at the age of 87”.
The posting on the Indonesian website was rather unclear.
All we know now from PreWarCar is that Frans Vrijaldenhoven found an advert from 1949 in which the Mercedes was offered for 16.000 guilders by a Dutch dealer. A quick calculation tells us that this is a little more than 60.000 euro’s or almost 82.000 dollars in today’s money. And that for a 15-year old second-hand car!
Even this information has a problem: the car did remain unsold in 1949. Which brings us back full circle to the ‘for sale’ advertisement of 1951…
The mystery remains complete….
Matrix’s model however looks like a winner!
Laughing is the best medecine!
- - At home:
- She: Do you think I gained some weight during self-isolation?
- He: Well, you weren’t exactly thin to begin with.
- - Time of death: 11pm
(с)BERND D. LOOSEN
