Hello, Im about to start on a Tamiya 1/35 Late-Production Tiger I, and I would like to make the vehicle as if it was in the factory. I've been looking at many references of late war german tanks coming out of their factories in the red oxide color with grey primed barrels, this is what I would like for my vehicle, but I dont know if its historical. So if any one could please help me know what it would look like historically would be greatly appreciated. Also I know all Late Tigers had zimmerit, but if I was to do the red oxide primer would the zimmerit be on the vehicle?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated, Thank You

I believe Tiger I production ended just before that directive was issued, and even then the zimmerit goes over the primer and hides it.

Tiger I production ceased in, IIRC, August 1944, prior to the order discontinuing factory application of Zimmerit on 9 September of that year, so it would likely have been applied through the end of series production. Since vehicles didn't start leaving the factory in red oxide primer until mid-September 1944, it's unlikely that there would have been a factory-new Tiger delivered in bare primer. I would think that, given the timing of the cessation of Tiger I production and the cessation of at least factory dunkelgelb basecoating (the order for factory-applied camo was issued on 19 August 1944, so some may have rolled out fully painted), that a Tiger I rolled out of the factory still in just the rotbraun primer would have been notable enough for some mention made of it.

The Tiger I was a "premium" product manufactured with high attention to quality standards, so it's highly unlikely that any left the factory in anything else than its official camouflage colour of the time. There is a photo of an early Tiger at the Henschel factory going for a test drive in what appears to be red primer:



You could depict a hypothetical late model test vehicle, however all vehicles put aside for testing were usually painted dunkelgelb.

Besides, I'm still unconvinced that any German vehicle ever left the factory in nothing but red primer.

Philipp

I thought they would leave the factory with the Panzer Yellow and leave it to the field units to apply the red brown and Olive/green with sprayers/brushes etc

Thank you ever one for your guy's comments so if I did my late Tiger before they did the zimmerit coating would it be in the red oxide primer, but would a very basic Tiger just with nothing but the bare essentials. Also would its gun be in the grey primer or the red oxide primer, as I've seen pictures with the gun matching the vehicle.

At the end of the day, it's your model to look at everyday after it's built. If you want it to be in red oxide primer with a gray barrel, then build it that way. I think it'd look cool to see a different Tiger 1. I for one really like to see people taking artistic freedom with their builds.

Thanks for all the comments, I think I'll be making my late Tiger in the red oxide primer with a grey primed gun. As I would like to betray a late production Tiger in the factory before being finished and have zimmerit or paint applied to it. It should be a eye opener in my model collection, I'll make sure once done to post some pictures in this thread. I might even make a small factory diorma for the vehicle.

Thank you