Although my query is about military cars I deem it is right to put it under aircraft because I thought that’s where it is likely to attract more attention due to its connection to airfields. I’m currently building a ME109E in Romanian colours and when it’s finished I want to set it in a diorama made to look like an airfield somewhere on the Eastern Front in Russia in 1941 or 1942. I would also like to put a staff car to carry pilots and other field personnel to and fro. I have looked in a number of books about the ME109E (not many photos of Romanian aircraft) to see if there are images of Romanians and in particular any cars they used but have seen none so far.
I wonder can anybody help me here by knowing what cars they used? Did they have any indigenous cars - did Dacia exist in the 1940s - or did they use German built cars like the Kubelwagen and Horst?
Dacia wasnt founded until the mid 1960’s so its out. I honestly don’t think you could go wrong with a Kubelwagen, a Steyr, or even the Tamiya 1/48 Citroen. I’m sure Germany was supplying Romania with more than just aircraft. The Romanian Police of that time were using Citroens as I’m not sure if the country had a domestic motor car industry at the time.
The Romanian army also received a large part of the production run of Model 93s from Tatra in Czechoslovakia. Many of these were ‘high capacity staff cars’–essentially a 3-axle truck cab and chassis with the bed replaced by a passenger compartment with a removable roof. These were in wide use through the early war years…though I’m not sure how applicable they’d be to your diorama idea.
[BTW…if you decide to go ‘civil,’ the Hasegawa BMW 327 would make a stylish choice.]
Thank you Wirraway. I agree, I can’t go wrong with using either a German or French vehicle. From looking on the Internet I see the Romanians were quite heavily dependent on German arms and supplies. Although they did have some indigenous designs too like the IAR 80 aircraft. Very difficult to find photos of airfield vehicles in Romanian use though, and even when I look for Lufftwaffe use of the Kubelwagen it is difficult to find. But I know the Lufftwaffe used the Kubelwagen because Tamiya have produced a kit of one with figures.
By the way, I didn’t say what scale I’m working in ; it is 1/24. My aircraft is the veteran 1/24 scale Airfix Me109E. But still a very good model. I would welcome a new tooling though. I can’t find scale vehicles of WW2 period in 1/24 scale except Hasegawa’s Kubelwagen. It might do though. It would be nice if there was 1/24 Citroen or Cimca.
Thank you The Baron. You’re right, there are some nice kits of light vehicles in 1/48 scale that will go with aircraft in a diorama. I’ve done one of a Dewotine and a Citroen made by Tamiya. With this current project I’m working in 1/24 scale and WW2 vehicles are thin on the ground in that scale.
Thank you Gregbale. I looked up the Tatra 93 vehicle as I hadn’t heard of it before. I forgot to mention that my project is in 1/24 scale, a scale that is not well served by WW2 vehicles in kit form. If I do a similar project on a smaller scale I will consider the Tatra 93 choice if there is a kit available.
Thank you Bish. Yes, I agree, German or French. As Italy was an ally too for a time might the Romanians have used Italian vehicles as well? What about that little run about car the Fiat Topolino?
For dio layout, you have to be careful about vehcile placement. It’s too easy to place vehicles too close to a/c.
Aircraft are made out of thin stuff, especially “back i nthe day,” so people were careful about not getting too close.
Aircraft on the ground also had limited mobility unless you had a ton of guys just skylarking about to manhandle the a/c to a desired location. So, you really did not want a vehickle in the pivot arcs of the a/c.
That is, unless you wish to model up a right burke being churlish and blocking an a/c in. Which suggests said burke might ought to be in unnecessarily formal uniform or the like.