Part 1: First Look

MSRP: $35.95 Tamiya's Sd.Kfz.222 was released in the late 70's and was one of the first armor kits that I ever built (remember tape and tube glue?). Even considering the age of the moldings, the detail and ease of assembly stand up pretty well to the latest releases. While this kit has been re-issued several times, this latest re-issue has enough added content to build a small diorama right out of the box with the addition of 3 figures, a DKW N350 motorcycle as well as several jerry cans and oil drums. Contents: Looking in the box, there are the 4 tan sprues that comprise the armored car as originally released. There is no flash to speak of and the crisp detail demonstrates that Tamiya has taken good care of the molds. A newly molded sprue (X) contains a few additional detail parts (a tool box, blackout light) and three Afrika Korps figures. The figures themselves are reasonably well done and animated, although not up to par with the latest Gen-2 offerings from Dragon in terms of detail and sharpness. There are two different 'pose' options provided for the motorcycle rider, as well as such details as goggles and binoculars. The most significant additions are the turned aluminum gun barrel and the photo etch screen provided. This addresses what was the most significant shortcoming of the original kit - the original parts for the grenade screen never looked quite convincing and in scale.

The motorcycle is on one small tan sprue and has been released before in several different versions and boxes over the years. It features nice detail, but the single molded wheels over-simplify the spoke detail on the wheels. The cylinder head assembly will call for some careful clean-up since it is split straight down the middle and in a rather awkward spot. However, careful assembly and the addition of some 'plumbing' will result in a nice model. The last sprue was included in the latest re-issue of the Sd.Kfz.222 and provides parts for 6 fuel drums and 8 jerry cans. Detail is very nice with separate handles and fuel caps provided as well as a few pump accessories should you want to portray a re-fueling scene. This addresses what I consider the other significant shortcoming of the 222 kit - the clunky vehicle mounted jerry cans. Using the original parts as a pattern, I plan to replace them with the provided jerry cans and some scratch-built supports (or an aftermarket photo etch set would do as well).

Markings are provided for 3 vehicles, 2 vehicles in North Africa and one in Rhodes, Greece. Conclusions: At a price of around $29 - $34 (depending on the vendor), this is a good kit with some nicely done bonus features that provide a vignette right out of the box. However, if you don't want the extra figures and the motor cycle, you may opt for the previous release (TM 35186) which includes the fuel accessories, photo etch screen and aluminum barrel for around $21 - $26.

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