September 10, 2025

Preview: MiniArt adds a crew with their 35th scale Sd.Kfz. 234/4 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen kit.

MiniArt adds a crew to their 35th scale Sd.Kfz. 234/4 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen to better "populate" your diorama. Colours, sprue layouts, crew & profiles in our preview...

Preview: MiniArt adds a crew with their 35th scale Sd.Kfz. 234/4 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen kit.

Sd.Kfz. 234/4 w/CREW Schwerer Panzerspähwagen 7.5 cm.
From MiniArt
1/35th scale
Kit No# 53014
Full interior included.
Four marking choices are included.
A crew of five is included in this set.
The Subject: The Sd.Kfz. 234/4 "Puma" Schwerer Panzerspähwagen 
The s.Pz.Sp.Wg. (7.5 cm) Sd.Kfz.234/4 (full name: Schwerer Panzerspähwagen 7.5 cm Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234/4 Panzerabwehrkanonenwagen) was a relatively improvised variant on the Sd.Kfz.234 chassis. An eight-wheeled armoured car with a 7.5 PaK – Panzerabwehrkanone or anti-tank gun. Schwerer Panzerspähwagen is German for 'heavy armoured scout car'. 
These Sd.Kfz.234 special purpose vehicles came in four variants:
- 234/1 – 2 cm Autocannon
- 234/2 – 5 cm gun and 1 MG42 nicknamed Puma
- 234/3 – 7.5 cm gun
- 234/4 – 7.5 PaK (Panzerabwehrkanone or Anti-Tank Gun).

This 7.5cm gun version was created in late 1944 to partially prevent guns like the PaK 40s from falling behind during the constant retreat of the Germans on all fronts. By removing the superstructure of the Sd.Kfz.234 and installing a PaK 40 mount with a small cut in the bottom half of the shield, the gun could roll into position, take shots, and drive at full speed in reverse.

A Schwerer Panzerspähwagen 7.5 cm Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234/4 Panzerabwehrkanonenwagen captured by Russian soldiers
The 234/4, 7.5cm PaK was characterised by a high standard of construction quality that offered mobility (the 234 could reach a maximum speed of 85 km/h on the road), limited protection, and offensive capability in the hard-hitting 7.5cm gun. 
The powerful 75 mm gun KwK 40 was capable of penetrating much of the armour of opposing enemy vehicles. It was installed in a fixed position in the centre of the “open air” combat chamber. The protection of the crew was afforded by a shield, like that of the Pak 40 used by the infantry. 

Sd.Kfz. 234/4 Pakwagen, Munster Panzermuseum, Germany
However, with the weight of this gun, the 234 chassis was stretched to its limits. This variant was manufactured from the end of 1944 right until the end of hostilities in 1945.

Sd.Kfz. 234/4 surrendered to the U.S. at the IV Panzer Corps in Czechoslovakia. Now the U.S. Army Armour & Cavalry.

The kit:
This is a highly detailed model kit of the Sd.Kfz. 234/4 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen with a 7.5 cm gun mounted on its chassis. The kit includes a full interior, with all of the detailed parts you will need to recreate the insides of this kit. There are photo-etched parts also, but these are to represent the thinner and harder to mould, or easier to break, fine parts of the kit. There will be four decal options to customise your model.

Kit Options:
- The PaK 40 comes with three different muzzles and a canvas-covered version for a vehicle in transit or storage.
- The full engine as supplied in kits in this series has the 14,825 cc (905 in³) Tatra 103 V12 diesel with 157 kW (211 hp) – it is a big engine, and with a lot of ignition and wiring harnesses, you can see that MiniArt has supplied all of this inside the box.
- As with any recon and light fighting vehicle, the radio and RT gear are all included. Photo-etch covers the extra fuel tanks to provide scale thickness to these straps.
- The eight independent suspension wheels all turn in that oddly non-uniform manner...
There is a small sheet of etch included for the thinner parts of the kit.
Transparent parts included for vision ports and lights.
- There are five accompanying figures included in this kit.

Decals & Markings:
There is one sheet of decals provided for the kit and its four marking choices. The interior dials and controls and the stencils around the vehicle.
The four marking choices of this kit are all from the late war, 1945 period.

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