MiniArt Lieferwagen Typ 170V German Beer Delivery Car (38035) 1:35

[Mike]

Lieferwagen Typ 170V German Beer Delivery Car (38035)

1:35 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd

 

 

The Mercedes 170 was based upon their W15 chassis, which was their first with all-round independent suspension, and was available as a bare chassis for coachbuilders, as a saloon, cabriolet or as a light van, debuting in the early 30s with sales affected by the worldwide depression that started in Wall Street.  Sales picked up after the recession eased, and later versions had internal boot/trunk-space and sleeker lines, moving with the times.

 

As well as sharing a chassis with the saloon, the van was essentially identical in the forward section and inside the crew cab.  The bodywork from the doors backward were designed with the same ethos but different due to the boxy load area behind the drivers.

 

 

The Kit

This is a partial re-tool of the original 2012 saloon (35095), with new sprues and parts added to create the necessary changes.  The original kit is highly detailed, and this one is no different, showing just how far MiniArt have come in their design and moulding technology.  There is superb detail throughout, with slender racks, realistic-looking fabric door pockets as well as a full engine and interior to the cab.  Inside the shrink-wrapped box are six sprues of grey styrene, four in a deep yellow colour, two clear brown and two clear green.  There is also a decal sheet and a small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass for finer details, protected in a card envelope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the 1700cc engine and transmission, which is made up from a substantial number of parts that just need a little wiring to do it full justice, and in fact the brake hoses are shown in diagrams to ensure that you obtain the correct bends, but you’ll need to find your own 0.2mm wire to begin with.  The X-shaped chassis is prepped with a few mounts and a PE brackets, then the rear axle, differential and driveshafts are fitted on a pair of very realistic styrene springs that have hollow centres and individual coils thanks to some clever sliding moulds.  Drum brakes, straps and brackets finish off the rear axle assembly, then the completed engine and drive-shaft are installed in the front to be joined by a pair of full-width leaf-springs from above and below with a stub-axle and drum brake at each end.  The exhaust is made up with an impressively neatly designed four-part muffler, a pair of PE mounts, straight exit pipe and a curved length leading forward to the engine.  With the addition of the bumper-irons at the front, the lower body can be fixed to the chassis after drilling a single hole in one of the front wings.

 

The front firewall is next to be made up, and the pedal box is installed one side, with a set of tools and another neatly designed cylinder, this time the fuel tank, which is curiously situated in the rear of the engine bay.  This fits over the transmission tunnel that is moulded into the floor, with more driver controls such as the gear lever, hand brake and steering column added at this time.  The dashboard is integrated into the windscreen frame after being fitted with decals within the instrument housings, then covered over with clear faces for realism.  There is also a nicely clear curved windscreen inserted before this is dropped over the firewall, joined by a rear cab panel that has a small rear window and the back of the bench seat applied before fitting.  The base of the bench seat is also fitted on a riser moulded into the floor, with the steering wheel and PE horn ring added late on.

 

Vehicles need wheels, and this one runs on four with a spare one lurking under a false floor in the back.  Each wheels is made up from a layer-cake of three middle parts to create the tread around the circumference, and two outer faces that depict the sidewalls of the tyres, with maker’s mark and data panel moulded into the sides.  The hubs are inserted into the centres of the tyres, with a cap finishing off the assemblies.  They are built up in handed pairs, and the spare has a different hub and no cap to differentiate it.  The flat floor for the load area is a single piece with the pocket for the spare tyre to fit inside, and this sits over the rear arches and is supported at the front by a lip on the rear of the cab.  The load area is then finished by adding the slab-sides and roof to the body, with a few ejector pin marks that will need filling if you plan on leaving the door open.  Speaking of doors, there are two options for open and closed, with moulded-in hinges and separate door handle, with the number-plate holder above the door in the centre.  The front doors are handed of course, and have separate door cards with handle and window winders added, and a piece of clear styrene playing the part of the window, which is first fitted to the door card before it is added to the door skin.  Both doors can be posed open or closed as you wish, and are of the reaward opening "suicide door" type.

 

At this stage the front of the van needs finishing, a job that begins with the radiator with a PE grille and three-pointed star added to a surround, then the radiator core and rear slam-panel with filler cap at the rear.  This is put in place at the front of the body at an angle, with two cross-braces reducing body flex along with a central rod that forms the hinge-point for the side folding hood.  Small PE fittings are fixed first on the louvered side panels, then added to the top parts in either the open or closed position.  A pair of PE and styrene windscreen wipers are added to the windscreen sweeping from the top, a pair of clear-lensed headlamps, wing mirrors and indicator stalks on the A-pillars finish off the build of the van.

 

 

The dark yellow sprues are there to give you some cargo to fill the doorway, and each one has the parts to make up one beer crate with dividers inside to reduce clinking as it was moved around.  These are then filled up with the 80 bottles in brown or green that are found on the transparent sprues.   You’re even treated to set of decals to add as labels.

 

 

Markings

Get your sunglasses out folks!  These were commercial vehicles during peacetime, so they were designed to attract attention.  There are three options depicted in the instructions, with plenty of decals devoted to the branding on the sides.  From the box you can build one of the following:

 

• IIC-406396 Winkler Brau, Mainburg, Germany, 30/40s
• IM-83369 Zwickauer Vereins-Weißbier, Zwickau, Germany, 30/40s
• VH-59610 Lauterbacher Biere Spezialität: Weizenbier, Lauterbach, Germany, 40s

 

 

 

Decals are by DecoGraph, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas.

 

 

 

Conclusion

This is such a well-detailed kit of an old Merc van, and even if you’re not a vehicle modeller normally it would make for great background fodder for a diorama, either intact or in a semi-demolished state thanks to urban combat.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

[JeroenS]

O my, that is a sweet looking kit! 

[Mike]

2 hours ago, JeroenS said:

O my, that is a sweet looking kit! 

It is very nice, and there's a Cabrio coming to a forum near you soon

[Harry Callahan]

Yes i have heard about this kit already, its amazing kit and it comes to my Must-Have-List. Best idea is to build up all three versions😀

[Mike]

2 hours ago, Harry Callahan said:

Best idea is to build up all three versions

I know a couple of model companies that agree wholeheartedly!