The Type 183 Iltis was a utility car (a “jeep”) developed by Volkswagen for the West German Bundeswehr, produced from 1978-1988 as a replacement for the earlier Type 181 (produced from 1968), which was essentially a 2-wheel drive WW2-era kubelwagen made with 1960s VW parts. (The 181 was itself a replacement for the DKW Munga 4x4.) The Iltis reflected the new technologies absorbed by VW as they bought out other companies to recreate the Auto Union of companies that led to the famous Audi four-rings badge. As such, the Iltis was a 4-wheel drive machine based on the Munga platform with front-mounted engine, Audi-inspired 4x4 drive train that led to the famous Quattro, and used seats from the VW Passat. Most Iltis were simple four-seat vehicles but there were a few specialised variants - the box art shows some that are planned for future releases.
When I saw that Ace Models announced an Iltis in 1:35 scale I knew I needed to get one! Mine came from Hannants (a large UK model supplier) courtesy of my bank account. When I got it I was surprised by the rather small box in these days of ginormous boxes for tiny kits. Inside was a plastic bag containing six green sprues with 229 parts as well as a smaller zip-lock bag with a further clear sprue of six parts, five vinyl tyres, two PE frets, and two decal sheets - this will not be a quick build. Moulding is good and flash-free, but bear in mind this is a short-run kit according to the box text, which usually means soft (copper or aluminium) tooling good for only a few thousand kits so they may sell out fast. There are a number of PE details so this is no simple kit, but the PE looks to be copper rather than brass so is a tad soft and bendy. The tyres look adequate, but are disappointing nonetheless because the soft material can react with plastic and may well split over time, they have good tread but lack any sidewall markings and could do with resin replacements. One nice point though is the instructions call for priming the plastic rims before adding the vinyl tyres - no doubt to protect against unwanted reactions! (Kudos to Ace...)
There is a complete engine and a very full engine bay, so choices need to be made about how to display it - hood open or closed. (I may just leave the hood loose for occasional showing off...) The chassis comes with all the drivetrain components and looks great, even though the frame is a single piece without any C-channel detailing due to moulding restrictions. As the body mounts onto it at a late stage, you could build it disassembled in a workshop overhaul diorama! Over all the level of detail in this kit is astounding, and will lend itself to any level of dismantling without the need to scratch-build interior components.
One thing to note - the "glass" is moulded into the windscreen frame and the canvas sides, so careful masking is a must. But the "canvas" effect looks quite good...
This is an in-box review - it will be built up as part of the "Give me some LUV-in" campaign!