Introduction

Ford 917 T platform with Field Kitchen "Wehrmacht" is a new 1/87 model from Herpa. It is item 746373. Herpa currently catalogues 21 Fords and 112 models in their series Military Vehicles.

Wehrmacht Fords

In 1926 Ford Motor Co. tapped into the German market by organizing Ford Motor Company AG. From 1939-42 over 25,000 of the 3-ton V-8 Ford 917 and 987 models were built.

The Model

Herpa's Ford V8 G 917 T is almost fully assembled. A small sprue of optional parts is included. It is the basic model for Herpa's Ford 917 Maultier so much of this review will echo that one.

Molding is to a high quality. While almost every Herpa vehicle I've reviewed is interlocking snap-together, this model is assembled with glue. It appears that the cab is molded with a separate hood; I did not stick a blade into it to check.

The chassis is universal and can accept either the axles and wheels of a truck, or the running gear of a Maultier.

Much of the surface detail is molded on (like the shovel) although the headlamps are separately applied.

Detail

Good detail is tooled into the model. No wood grain is molded into the cargo bed and yet crisp structural brackets and bolt heads are.

A very basic cab interior is provided - a steering wheel. Wipers are molded onto the windshield. If the cab is indeed glued to the frame, removing it to put a driver in side will be troublesome.

The wheels have good hub and tread detail. Herpa uses a hybrid rubber-plastic for the tires.

That optional part sprue holds the left and right loading gauge poles, side mirrors, and those flat plates protruding below the mirrors on the cab. Herpa molded mounting holes and dimples on the cab but none in the bumper for the gauge poles.

I looked at dozens of WWII images of German Fords. It was a mixed bag as to whether mirrors and gauge poles were present.

A Hf.13 field kitchen (Grosse Feldkuche H) is mounted in the bed. This "Gulaschkanone" ("goulash cannon") had a 200-litre vat for stew and a 90-litre vat for coffee. It featured an oven for cooking potatoes and sausage, etc. Presumably there was a flat surface for frying atop it and Herpa set a pair of skillets on the kitchen. It should have a stove pipe but it is missing from my model.

A large ration thermos and a hogshead cask accompanies the kitchen.

Instructions and Finish

No instructions.

Herpa molds the model in color and adds paint where necessary.

Herpa does not use decals. No vehicle number plates are simulated. If one wants a particular food truck, it should be no problem to paint it to taste and add decals.

Conclusion

Herpa's Ford 917 T Platform with Field Kitchen is a good looking model of an interesting Wehrmacht vehicle. Detail is good. Paint and markings are sharp. It should be no problem to repaint it and add decals.

Modelers tend to be clever so the lack of instructions for the four optional parts shouldn't slow one down.

One eighty-seventh and braille scaler Wehrmacht modelers should be enthusiastic about
this Ford 3-ton. Recommended.

Please remember to mention to vendors and retailers that you saw this model here - on Armorama.
______
Source

Kfz. der Wehrmacht.de. Ford G 987 T (four-cylinder), G 087 TG (four-cylinder wood-gas) & Ford V8 G 917 T (G 917 T St IIIa), V8 G 997 T ( G 997 T St IIIb). [Web.] n.d.