Le.gl.Einheits-Pkw Kfz.1 German World War II light passenger car 1:35 ICM 35581

Plastic military model kit: Le.gl.Einheits-Pkw Kfz.1 German light passenger car from World War II 1:35 ICM 35581

The model kit: Le.gl.Einheits-Pkw Kfz.1 German light passenger car from World War II in 1:35 scale by ICM (catalog number 35581) is an excellent proposition for model enthusiasts and military history lovers. This detailed model represents one of the key elements of the Wehrmacht's automotive industry, which played a significant role in military operations during World War II.

Model features:

• Scale: 1:35
• Manufacturer: ICM
• Catalog number: 35581

Model markings:

• le.qL Einheits-Pkw (Kfz.1), 15 Pz.D, Don region, June 1942.
• le.gl. Einheits-Pkw (Kfz.1), 11 Pz.D, Ukraine, July 1941.
• le.gl. Einheits-Pkw (Kfz.1), Panzergruppe 1 Kleist, Ukraine, July 1941.
• le.gi. Еinheits-Pkw (Kfz.1)T I/JG51, Stary Bychów (Belarus), July 1941.

Historical background: After 1933, Germany began building a modern army, and a key element of the Wehrmacht's automotive industry was the production of special passenger cars adapted for off-road driving. As part of this program, three types of standardized passenger cars were created: light, medium, and heavy. All these vehicles featured all-wheel drive, independent suspension, and a simplified, open body.

The light off-road vehicle, known as leichten gelande Einheits Personen-Kraftwagen, was produced by Stoewer, as well as by BMW and Hanomag from 1936. From 1940 to 1943, Stoewer produced a simplified model Typ 40, which did not have a rear-wheel steering system. A total of about 13,000 units of le.gl.Einheits-Pkw were produced. Despite ambitious assumptions, these vehicles turned out to be too heavy, complicated, and unreliable in actual operation.

Development and application: The Einheits-Pkw program aimed to replace the diverse fleet of militarized civilian vehicles with new, multi-purpose off-road vehicles that would simplify logistics, maintenance, and training by using standardized components. However, due to the underdeveloped German automotive industry, this program was too ambitious and never achieved its intended goals. As early as 1938, Adolf Hitler commissioned Ferdinand Porsche to develop a better, lighter, and sufficiently off-road vehicle, which led to the creation of the VW Kübelwagen.

Military use: Le.gl.Einheits-Pkw were used as passenger vehicles for personnel (Kfz.1), as well as in various other roles, such as vehicles for repair and maintenance teams (Kfz. 2/40) or in artillery reconnaissance teams. Nevertheless, by 1942, as much as 90% of all military branches deemed these vehicles "unsuitable for military service," which led to the cessation of their production.

Assembly and painting kit. Does not include paints or glue. For assembly, separately sold modeling tools are needed (including cutters, files, tweezers), paints, brushes, and plastic model glue (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement). The photo shows a professionally assembled and painted model.