Zvezda 1/35 German Heavy Truck L 4500
By Carl Kietzke
Overview
You may ask why a military truck is being reviewed in the Automotive section? Because the Mercedes L 4500 was designed and produced for the civilian market before its Military career began. The Mercedes-Benz L series of heavy trucks was originally introduced in the mid 1930s to be the premium model of M-B’s heavy truck line. Featuring new styling, a larger stronger frame and new engines, it quickly became a popular workhorse in both the civilian and military markets. The design load capacity of 4.5 tonnes or 4500 kg gave it the L 4500 A designation, with the A indicating 4 wheel drive. The L series also had 3.5, 5.5, and 6 tonne variants. Power was provided by a Mercedes-Benz 7.2 litre 112 hp 6 cylinder diesel engine.
The Kit
Opening the box revealed 7 sprues molded in Zvezda’s medium soft tan plastic, and one sprue of clear parts. A quick survey indicates that this will not be a quick build nor is it for beginners. The parts count is high and there are a large number of small and delicate components. The actual parts breakdown is similar to that found in Revell of Germany’s 1/24th scale truck kits, but only about 1/3rd the size. This kit includes the U-bolts to attach the body to the frame, and a multitude of other detail bits normally found in aftermarket detail sets. A quick dry run on several assemblies showed no noticeable fit problems.
Dimensions are spot on from all sources I have been able to check. The best part is that things look right. Various thin linkages are exceptionally fine and do not look out of place or oversized. Major visible components are quite well formed and look like they should according to pictures in various publications.
This kit has great potential for military and civilian vehicle builders. For the military minded, it was used by all branches of the German military from 1935 until the early 1960s. For the civilian modeler, this truck was used in all applications from flatbed to snowplow and everything in between. I am planning on building a WW II German Military Fire Police TLF among several other types. High quality, great detail, lots of potential, a perfect starting point for many projects. Price is around $40, which is competitive with truck kits of lesser detail, buy several. Zvezda has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. Earlier kits had soft detail and questionable fit and finish, now Zvezda quality is the equal of Trumpeter or Dragon. I obtained mine from Skyway Model Shop.