ICM German Drivers (1939-1945) 35642 1:35

[Mike]

German Drivers (1939-1945) 35642

1:35 ICM

 

 

So many vehicle kits arrive bereft of driver figure, so there's bound to be a market for additional figure to fill these seats.  The seating position of vehicles can be quite different between trucks and cars, and even between types of these vehicles. Also, not every officer cared to have, or was appointed a driver, so sometimes drove themselves – the shame of it!

 

This small set from ICM gives you four figures to fill those empty seats.  It arrives in a sub-figure sized box with a lift off lid and tray lid inside, with a single sprue inside that has been attacked with sprue-cutters to enable it to fit in the box.  It was also wrapped in the longest and thinnest releasable bag I have seen, which was unusual!  I've attached the sprue back together for aesthetic reasons, but as you can see where it was cut you won't be upset when you open your box up.  The boxtop shows some neat examples of the use for the drivers, as well as giving you a sneak peek at what they look like, and I do rather like the dynamics of the painting, with the cut-away doors and so forth.  That chap in the saloon car is just a bit too cheerful, given the danger he's in though.  The guy in the top left is also looking a bit cheesed off at being rear-ended whilst flying over two other vehicles too.

 

 

It's safe to say that these figures are all posed in the seated position, and two are dressed in standard Wehrmacht uniforms with a forage and patrol cap on their heads.  One other figure has a smock coat over his uniform with a lace-up neck, and the final one is an officer with a rather relaxed hand draped over the top of his steering wheel.  Two of the drivers forage cap and smock guy are looking to their left (the two on top on the box art), while patrol cap guy seems to be looking at his steering wheel, perhaps at a map?  Each figure comes broken down as torso, individual legs and arms, head and hat, with a couple of ammo pouches for the belt around the smock bedecked gentleman.

 

The instructions are on a single sheet of glossy paper, with part numbers and colour call outs that reference a chart on the rear that shows Revell and Tamiya colour codes, plus the name of the colour in English and Ukrainian (that's a guess).  Sculpting and moulding is excellent as we have come to expect from ICM, and the figures will doubtless fit a lot of applications without any adjustment, although that isn't guaranteed, so prepare yourself for a little sanding and such to adapt them.

 

Conclusion

A useful set of figures to add a little human scale to your German WWII vehicles, with typical quality from ICM's figure people.

 

Available from their UK importers, H G Hannants Ltd.

 

Review sample courtesy of