Italeri No. 658 1/24 Mercedes Benz 300SL Roadster By Al Superczynski

For many years the only 1/24 or 1/25 scale kit of this elegant sports car was the old Hubley model from the 60s which was later reissued by Entex amongst others. While a decent kit it was strictly a curbside model with no engine, minimal chassis detail, and a merely adequate interior. This kit moved the bar way up in 1988 and it's good to see it reissued. It has stood the test of time well.

Molded in three colors of plastic plus clear and plated parts and vinyl tires, the model is highly detailed inside and out. Some of the plated parts such as the chrome trim strips are very delicate and great care should be taken removing them from the sprues. The plated parts are bright, shiny, and smooth - some of the best I've seen. On the other hand the clear parts are too thick and the experienced builder may want to fabricate replacements for all the windows. On the plus side, they're individually bagged to prevent scuffing during shipment and handling.

The engine is made up of 15 detailed parts, the only really objectionable simplification being the pulleys and fan belt molded as one piece. With careful painting and a little wiring the engine should be more than presentable.

The chassis is exceptionally well done with fully detailed front and rear suspensions although the front wheels are unfortunately not posable. Full underhood details are provided along with a multipiece exhaust system, separate drive shaft, steering column, and brake drums.

To me the high point of this kit is the interior. Starting with a well-molded tub the kit features separate inner door panels and seats, a two-piece dash with decal instrument faces, a two-piece steering wheel, separate plated door handles and window cranks, and a shifter and hand brake. The front face of the instrument panel is plated and calls for careful painting. The one drawback to the interior is the molded-in foot pedals. These are mostly ill-defined blobs and parts box, scratchbuilt, or aftermarket replacements are called for.

The body is shaped well but both front and rear pans are separate. The front pan in my kit was loose so I test-fitted it and discovered that it will be a challenge to get it lined up properly without a third hand. There are no locating pins and the mating area is minimal so some kind of reinforcement would probably be wise on the inside of the seam. Strangely, the hood is molded integrally with the body, being joined at several spots with a small strap that needs to be cut away in order to separate it. This makes me wonder if this was originally an ESCI tool since that was a common feature of ESCI kits and Italeri has reissued a number of their aircraft models lately. I wasn't deeply into car models back in 1988 so may well have missed this from ESCI. My biggest complaint with the body is that it is molded in red (other than the separate optional hard top) making it very difficult to paint with my preferred lacquer without the red dyes leaking through to the top color coat. A good primer sealer is definitely necessary.

The decal sheet is excellent, containing the aforementioned instrument decals along with all badges and scripts. Inexplicably one of the license plates on mine is damaged but as I prefer US plates this is of little consequence. Italeri really should have included an option for US plates as the 300SL was very popular here but there are plenty of replacements available in other kits or from the aftermarket.

This is an excellent kit, well worth the effort required. Full options are included for a top down roadster or the optional hard top. The only really weak point I noticed was the tires - Italeri supplies Dunlop Racing treads and I doubt that many street cars were so equipped. Again, replacements are readily available from other kits or the aftermarket. I recommend this kit highly although beginning modelers may have some trouble with parts fit.

Thanks to Testors for the review sample.