MiniArt 1/35 Type 170V Saloon 4 Door German Passenger Car Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Mercedes Benz produced a very popular passenger car starting in the mid-1930s designated as the Type 170V. The car was produced as a saloon (hard top) and cabriolet (convertible / soft top) and production ran through 1949 before variations of the basic design started appearing on their production lines. During World War II, the Type 170V was pressed into military service and was a reliable and widely used vehicle. The vehicle's tooling survived the bombing during WWII and the Type 170V would be Mercedes commercial offering to get the company back on its feet after the war.

Five years ago, MiniArt released their first installment of the Mercedes Type 170 which was this same four-door saloon. The kit filled a void as this subject had not been rendered in styrene in this scale. Since that time, MiniArt has rendered several variants of this kit including the Cabriolet and wartime Sd.Kfz.1 staff/personnel car variants. Molded in light gray styrene, this kit is presented on eleven parts trees plus one body also molded in gray, one tree of clear parts, and one fret of photo-etched details.

Among the features and options in this kit:

• Detailed four-cylinder engine
• Detailed two-wheel-drive power train
• Positionable hood
• Positionable front suicide doors
• Positionable rear passenger doors
• Detailed suspension
• Nicely designed and detailed interior
• Photo-etched radiator and Mercedes logo on radiator cap
• Optional luggage rack
• Optional female civilian standing figure

The kit provides markings options for eleven examples:

• Pol-057301, Polizei, Germany, 1938-45
• IS-15831, Civilian example, Province of Hannover, Germany, 1938-45
• RP-32613, Deutsche Reichspost, Germany, 1938-45
• IA-45493, Civilian example, Berlin, Germany, 1938-45
• DP-34-277, Deutsche Post, West Germany, 1950s
• IE-221753, Civilian example, Province of Brandenburgm Germany, 1938-45
• Th-134307, Civilian example, Province of Thuringa, Germany, 1938-45
• IIA-23438, Civilan example, District of Munich, Germany, 1938-45
• DR-93627, Deutsche Reichsbahn, Germany, 1938-45
• Nd-12032, Austria, 1939-45
• IB-10-46, Taxicab, West Berlin, 1950s

The first release of this kit filled a nice void in the 1/35 German vehicle line-up but what is nice with this latest release, it offers some nice variations which will blend in nicely with the MiniArt Tram kit and accessories for those that want to set a wartime or post-war diorama or vignette. Note that whilie I believe MiniArt was first to market with their Mercedes 170V, they were not alone. Within a month or so of that release, Masterbox released the first of several 170V variants as well. While we've seen some of the Chinese companies competing with one another over a given subject in recent years, it is worth noting that both MiniArt and MasterBox are based in the Ukraine. So far, the Chinese companies have stayed out of the 170V market.

My sincere thanks to MiniArt for this review sample!