June 05, 2025

Preview: 1/35th scale German 3t Targo Truck, 3.6-36 Late Production from MiniArt.

We come to the end of the line(?) of MiniArt's Opel Blitz 3t trucks in 35th scale. The late production Blitz in art, features & some interesting CADs in our preview...

Preview: 1/35th scale German 3t Targo Truck, 3.6-36 Late Production from MiniArt.

German 3t Targo Truck, 3.6-36 Late Production
From MiniArt
1/35th scale
Kit No #35459
Five marking choices are included in the box.
The Subject: Opel Blitz 3.6-36s
From 1939, the Blitz 3.6 three-tonne version was used in large numbers by the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) throughout World War II. Variants included an elongated version and the four-wheel-drive Blitz A. To cope with the bad road conditions and the rasputitsa mud seasons on the Eastern Front, a half-tracked Maultier ("mule") Sd.Kfz. 3 version was built using tracks and suspension based on the British Universal Carrier. Among others, these were used as service vehicles for the Messerschmitt Me 323 military transport aircraft.

The trucks in this preview are all choices in the markings in this kit... She looks sweet, doesn't she? 
The Opel Blitz 3-ton truck was manufactured in three distinct versions. The first two models were produced concurrently from May 1936 until early 1941. The initial variant featured wheel arches, rendering it unsuitable for cargo transportation, whereas the second version had the cargo bay elevated above the rear wheels, making it suitable for both troop and cargo transport. In early 1941, a revised model was introduced, incorporating high side rails to enhance its functionality. Subsequently, in late 1942, several cost-saving measures were implemented, including the removal of the rear mudguards, the Opel logo from the bonnet, and the cab searchlight.

The late production Blitz:
From August 1944 until the end of the war, only Opel Blitz trucks featuring the standardised wooden cab (Einheits-Fahrerhaus) were produced. This model represented the final version utilised by the German Wehrmacht.

Another version in the markings of this kit: A captured truck in US Army hands; notice the large white Allied stars and the "US" on the front radiator grill...
The light basic model was manufactured as the Blitz 2.5 in Rüsselsheim until 1942 and again from 1946, equipped with the 55 hp (41 kW) Opel Super 6 engine. On 6 August 1944, the Opelwerk Brandenburg was devastated by an RAF air raid. Until the end of the war, about 2,500 Blitz 3.6 trucks were built by order of Minister of Armaments Albert Speer at the Mannheim plant of the rival Daimler-Benz company, while production of its own Mercedes-Benz L3000 model had to be discontinued.

Looking a little bogged down with life, this Blitz is another version in this kit. (nice panzerfaust!)
In the last production model of 1944, several changes were made. Among these are the introduction of the Nachtmarschgerät, smaller headlights, the omitted brand sign on the radiator grille, a new driver’s cab made of mixed materials with a more bulged roof, omitted mudguards on the rear wheels, and simple steps for entering the driver’s cab.
After the war, the facilities in Brandenburg were completely dismantled at the behest of the Soviet Military Administration, while Daimler-Benz in Mannheim resumed building the Blitz 3.6 under the designation L 701 until 1949. The last 467 medium trucks were again assembled by Opel in Rüsselsheim until production finally discontinued in 1954 without a successor. 

The Kit: CADs...
We have some nice CADs of this kit providing some details of the makeup of the model. A walk around of the whole

Top on or off? your choice here and MiniArt nicely give us three options on the tray.
If you choose to show the truck without a trapaulin, you have two options: with the wooden sides and with the ribs that support the trap left in place.
You can see that MiniArt has replaced the earlier style cabin with the latter, more bulged style of the final production type we talked about in the introduction.
A smart option of the canvas at the rear, with an opened or closed rear tray option with the canvas. nice!
Decals, parts and profile are yet to come...

This kit from MiniArt will soon be available. Until then, keep an eye on MiniArt's website or just look in here for more info on MiniArt’s new stuff.