A new Mk III N and Staghound from Tamiya:
1/35?
With their release of the Hetzer, Char Bis, Renault tractor, JS-2, I never thought they left the game.
That kit looks a lot like an upsize from their excellent 1/48 scale Pz III N.
…yep, 1/35th…you can pre-order now on Great Models—the Staghound looks particularly tasty…Both Bronco and Italeri have already released their Stag versions but I think I will wait on the Tamiya one…
Good point…I suppose I was referring to them going head-to-head with more “mainstream” or popular subjects…you gotta admit that the Char and Renault weren’t exactly on the tops of most peoples’ wish-lists for Tamiya…
With Tamiya’s relationship with Italeri could this be a re-box of the Italeri kit of the Staghound? Its so close off the release of the Italeri kit.
Mike T.
Lord, I hope not…if it is I’ll never buy another Tamiya kit again–I mean what would their brand mean anymore after that?
You’re in trouble w/your statement, MR. The Staghound is Italeri’s kit according to the discussion about this about a month ago on Missing Lynx following the Nuernberg Toy Fair. On the upside, it is very nice and compares well with the Bronco kit so it’s not a let down whatsoever.
http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/italeri/it6459.html
[zzz][zzz]…huh…[%-)]…what?..Staghound?..[|(]…Panzer III?..[sigh]…[zzz][zzz][zzz]
WHere’s the “new” subjects? Where’s my WWI Mark I-IV?..[|(]
Yep, only one “new” 1/35 kit there with the III Ausf N. Tamiya distributes Italeri kits under their label for the Asian market as a strategic partnership.
Real question will be the price-tag on the Tamiya III vs. DML as a deciding factor I think.
Yeah, I agree…if it is “Tamiya priced” it will be, IMO, overpriced…if it is “Italeri priced” then I’ll buy it…I read a head-to-head review on both the Italeri and Bronco kits in FSM this month and for the money, it seems that the Italeri kit won out…I suppose the Mk III N is a “pure” Tamiya product based on their excellent Mk III chassis?
MR,
That’s right, based off their III-L I believe.
Tamiya does have a past history in boxing Italeri kits as their own. Their original Hummer w/M242 Bushmaster is the Italeri HMMWV kit with an Italeri tooled hard top and Bushmaster chain gun.
Tamiya didn’t do an original HMMWV kit until they released the M1025 and M1046 kits a few years back.
The Panzer III in 1/35 is keeping in line with other kits that came out first in 1/48: StuG III B, Hetzer. I’m salivating at the thought of them releasing their Crusader in 1/35 next.
I thought Italeri and Testors were a team??? Had no idea Italeri and Tamiya were a team. I learn something every day.
If I have to choose I’ll take DML over Tamiya. Tamiya kits can be up to twenty $ more than DML for the same subject,they tend to leave off detail’s that DML does not and they still have those rubberband track’s even in some of thier newer kit’s.
The recently-released Dragon 1/35 Pz.IIIM/N retails in the UK for £27.99. The Tamiya kit will have to be very, very nice to be better, and it’s unlikely to be cheaper. It will, however, doubtless be easier to stick together. That said, according to Models in Motion, the UK RRP will be £26.99, and it comes with a turned aluminium gun barrel:
http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/product.asp?productid=26221
There’s a big problem with the Italeri 1/35 Staghound - although you get a turned aluminium gun barrel, it doesn’t taper towards the muzzle, as the real thing does. And at £24.99 for a smallish armoured car from a firm that has an at-best average reputation for quality, it’s not cheap. I’ll be waiting for the AA-version, due later this year.
I’d be surprised if you see the Tamiya boxing of the Italeri Staghound in North America or Europe. Tamiya don’t sell their re-boxings of Italeri kits in markets where Italeri kits are also sold through official distributors.
It seems to me that in armour, as in aircraft, modelling, there are two types of modeller. There are those who want as much detail and accuracy at the assembly stage, and those who just want to stick the kit together, not worrying too much about oversimplifications and minor inaccuracies, and just get on with the painting and weathering. So long as this is the case, there will be room in the market for both Tamiya and Dragon. For me, though, mostly I’ll be sticking with Dragon. Nothing stopping you doing a decent paint job on a well-detailed kit.
Cheers,
Chris.
Back in the 80s, 90s and the early part of the 21st century, Testors was the distributor for Italeri and even reboxed many of their kits in their yellow box. I think MRC is now the Italeri distributor for the US.
Tamiya reboxed Italeri kits going back into the 1980s, but other than the Hummer w/M242, their Italeri reboxes were solely for Japanese distribution.
LuckyModel have the Tamiya PzIII Ausf.N listed at US$30.99 + $7.42 (air) shipping to the US, for a total of US$38.41
If the sprue pics are an accurate representation, it appears to retain all the original parts of the Ausf.L kit (including the 50mm L/60 barrel) and adds an aluminum 75mm barrel and PE screens. (And a new sprue containing a new mantlet, recuperator housing and breech parts for the 75mm)
Chris, Tamiya USA lists that kit as an upcoming release, so I think they will sell it in America. http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=8977 0