German VW Type 60 Sedan Staff Car

Military Wheels 1:72 Scale Vehicle Review

German VW Type 60 Sedan Staff Car, 1:72 Model Kit Military Wheels 7201.

This Volkswagen Type 60 sedan is an early civilian and military passenger car which was superseded by the Type 82E sedan based on the Kübelwagen chassis. The vehicle driver comes from another 1:72 scale vehicle kit, fitted with a new head taken from an Airfix Afrikakorps soldier. The Volkswagen has been painted in a Panzergrau camouflage colour, and the divisional markings were taken from yet another model kit. The sunroof cover was painted with liquid plastic glue to give it a more textured appearance of rubberized canvas. Light passenger cars like the Volkswagen may be used as staff cars, light transport and liaison vehicles in role-playing and simulations games. A roof rack may be fitted to increase the transport capacity of the vehicle.

Contents

  • Volkswagen Type 60
  • Decalsheet

Evaluation

Good choice of subject, the Volkswagen Type 60 sedan is unique in this scale. Unfortunately, the model is 2.5 mm wider, 2 mm longer, and 2 mm higher than it should be.

51 parts, including clear plastic windows. The rear engine cover may be modelled in the open position, but the engine compartment is completely empty. Serious modellers may be able to build a VW engine from scratch or scrounge one from another 1:72 scale kit.

The rubberized canvas sunroof may be modelled in the open position by replacing part № 16 with a scratchbuilt sunroof made from tissue paper and pianowire. The sunroof supports slide backwards along two tracks on either side of the roof cut-out, and the rubberized canvas cover folds like an accordion.

Compatible with ESCI, Revell, Cooperativa, AER, SKIF, ATTACK, and Hasegawa.

Large gaps between the two halves of the body, and between the body and chassis need to be filled prior to painting.

Large gaps between the two halves of the body, and between the body and chassis need to be filled prior to painting.

The windows don’t fit. One way to fix this is to glue clear plastic sheet into the window openings from inside the vehicle. The windshield may be shorted and trimmed carefully to fit into the body.

No driver or passenger figures included in the kit. The doors may not be cut open easily. Separate parts would have been more attractive.

Part № 16 is perfectly smooth, but it should be textured to represent the rubberized canvas sunroof cover more accurately. Part № 16 needs to be thinned in the front to create headroom for a driver and passenger figure. There is no apparent use for the spare wheel (№ 8).

The painting instructions only cover a black civilian version of the VW and a staff car used by Japanese diplomats in Berlin.

This model of the Volkswagen sedan is a good alternative to other Kfz. 1 variants which are more readily available to wargamers and diorama builders.

Kfz. 1 Troop Transport (l.gl.Pkw.)