All,
Just dropped in after checking out HobbyLink Japan.
On the just Arrived Military Items page ( http://www.hlj.com/cgi-perl/hljnew.cgi?Category=Mil&Type=J ), there are four 'new' 1/35th scale armour/softskin kits announced.

Hurrah!
But...
I'm suspicious because they are -
Sd. Kfz. 234/2 Puma http://www.hlj.com/cgi-perl/hljpage.cgi?TAM32401
Mercedes Benz Truck L3000 http://www.hlj.com/cgi-perl/hljpage.cgi?TAM32402
Horch Kfz. 15 http://www.hlj.com/cgi-perl/hljpage.cgi?TAM32403
Steyr RSO/01 Full-Track Tractor http://www.hlj.com/cgi-perl/hljpage.cgi?TAM32404

Now, all of these vehicles have been released in the recent and not so recent past by another manufacturer.
Looking at the preview photos, it's not easy to pick whether these are new shots out of the old molds, improved remolds or whatever.
One thing that makes me wonder is - the box art is abreak from the Tamiya 'tradition' of painted illustration on a white background and appears to be a photo of the completed model against a coloured backdrop, indicating, to me at least, that these might not be original kits.


If they are new kits, great. If they're updates of old kits, okay. But if they're old kits repackaged, we have to ask why..?
Unless they're only releasing them for the Japanese domestic market, in which case they could have made some better choices - at least three of the kits mentioned are at least twenty years old now...
Thoughts please anyone..?

acav out

Are you sure they are pictures of completed kits? It looks to me as though the puma box (at least) is painted. There is something funny with the barrels, jerrycans, and shadows. I dunno. Maybe I am nuts.

Hello acav..the items you mentioned are Italeri items.they are released and distributed in in Japan by Tamiya (this is what I have been told by a knowledgeable member of this site). It looks as though Tamiya might have added new figures and accessories to the kits. They couldn't get away with putting the Italeri figures in the kits. I was also told these are not for distribution in America.They might be cool to have though... I bet they retooled the Italeri molds. If you want these we have some site members who might be willing to procure them as they live in Japan and the far east...gotta ask nice though! Jeff

hi

these things are just old italeri stuff !!

i think this is a big disappointement !! i just wondered, are these the same price like the original italeri kits ??

They do look awfully close to the old Italeri kits. Do you think they improved the parts to that they fit better?

Well guys as said before Tamiya is the Japan importer for Italeri, but did you you know Tamiya also imports Amtech!!!! these are still Japan only kits and can be bought from HLJ, but the nice things are the "bonus" items included in the kits! so if yuo can get ahold of them they worth your money I got a Tamiya rebox of the Amtech Ta 183 and got their 1/48th ketterand in the kit plus decals for another aircraft from another Tamiya Kit!!! the Horch has figures in it that you'll never get from italeri along with some other extras!!! i have to say email me if yould to see a better price than HLJ!!! the local shops charge less than retail, and i, for one, follow DSB rule of helping other modelers. here's my addy [email protected] drop a line and i'll see what they are going for in the shops in town. I can also get a lower postage rate than most as per my job!!! stug

Thanks for the info guys. I figured they were re-shots for the domestic market. Looking at the photos, some of the detail doesn't look any better than the original kits - clunky windscreen wipers and frame details etc. I guess they might have replaced the vinyl tyres on the Horch, at least it looks that way from the picture. Looks like they've got a common accessory sprue in with them as well - oil drums and jerry cans etc.
I guess if anyone really wants them, they can order them off www.hlj.com...

I'm not really a panzer type of bloke, I just wish the Big T'd bring out a decent Centurion....

The Steyr appears to ahve indy links.