Schwimmwagen Type 166 Amphibious Vehicle - 1:56 scale (28mm) Wargame Plastic Kit

Schwimmwagen Type 166

Amphibious 4WD Car

The VW Schwimmwagen Type 166 (Swimming Car) was used extensively by German ground forces during WW2. It was one of the most numerous mass-produced amphibious four-wheel drive off-roaders in history.

The Volkswagen Schwimmwagen was a mix of the VW Type 86 four-wheel drive model with elements of the VW Type 87 command-car. This used the air-cooled “flat-four” boxer and a manual transmission with four speeds. It had two transfer cases and a 4WD capability on the first and reverse gears. The initial prototype was called the Type 128. The 128 was quickly put into production despite showing some flaws that became obvious in operational theaters of war like the eastern front; less than a hundred cars were produced. When all the flaws were removed, and a new reinforced hull introduced the new Type 166 was born. The Type 166 proved far more reliable and was also simplified for mass production.

The first of these vehicles equipped SS units on the eastern front and they proved valuable in marshy grounds like in the Pripet, many served also in Wehrmacht units in North Africa and Tunisia, Sicilia, and Europe. They were seen, like the Kübelwagen, in nearly all theaters of war. It was light and reliable and served for scouting, transport, dispatching, command cars, and regular officer cars on the frontline. They were unarmed but proved versatile, sturdy and reliable. Soldiers sometimes nicknamed them “the Frosche” (“frog”).

From 1941 to 1944, 15,584 Type 166 Schwimmwagen cars were produced. The Schwimmwagen remains the most heavily produced amphibious car in history. Its VW mechanical basis made it popular after the war and 166 survived to this day in museums and private collections, often in running condition.

Product Highlights:

• Detailed interior
• Foldable windshield
• Rear propeller in stowed or in-use position
• Optional side-mounted MG-34 or MG-42
• Driver included
• Number of Parts: 50 pieces / 1 sprue
• Plastic kit requiring assembly and painting
• Decals included
• Glue and paints not included

About Rubicon Plastic Kits: Rubicon's military models and figures are a firm favourite with modellers and wargamers alike thanks to their highly detailed appearance and easy assembly. The kits are also popular thanks to their versatile build options that ensure you can construct your model to a specification of your choosing, thus, creating a varied and unique scene. Whether you're modelling a wartime diorama or playing a WWII wargame, Rubicon has kits covering everything war-themed, including tanks, tracked vehicles, transport vehicles, utility vehicles, staff cars and un-tracked transport vehicles as well as crew, ground troops/soldiers, command figures, diorama upgrade kits and barricades. And all of this is available to model not only the Allied forces, but the Russian, Italian and German military too!