TMN: Preview: AK Interactive's Ralleye Trabi & Citroën HY Public service van in 35th scale

AK Interactive's Ralleye Trabant 601 S & Citroën HY public service van in 35th scale are already on presale. We look at the CADs, decals & original vehicles in our preview...

Preview: AK Interactive's Ralleye Trabi & Citroën HY Public service van in 35th scale

TRABI 601 S Rallye

From AK Interactive

SKU: AK35034

1/35th scale

Price: 34.95€

Product Link on the AK Interactive Website

The Subject: The TRABI 601 S Rally

The Trabant, often referred to simply as the Trabi, is a series of small passenger cars manufactured in the former East Germany and shortly after the unification. The model 601 was produced without major changes for over 25 years. With over 2.8M units built, it became the most popular vehicle in East Germany and, eventually, one of the symbols of the Eastern Bloc’s collapse after footage of thousands of East Germans crossing the border in their Trabants after the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 was broadcast all over the world.

The Trabant 601 S Rally is a masterclass in making the most of very little. At first glance, a car made of Duroplast—a composite of recycled cotton and phenol resin—seems an unlikely candidate for the brutal world of stage rallying. However, its featherweight construction and independent suspension turned it into a surprisingly nimble giant-killer. In the hands of factory drivers, the tiny two-stroke engine was tuned to a screaming high pitch, allowing the "Trabi" to dance over rough terrain where heavier, more powerful cars struggled with their own bulk. It wasn't about top speed; it was about maintaining momentum and exploiting a power-to-weight ratio that caught many competitors off guard.

A Trabant 601 captured here during the Saxony rally racing 2005 in Zwickau, Germany.

In competition, the 601 S became a symbol of grit and engineering defiance behind the Iron Curtain. Watching a rally-spec Trabant today is a sensory experience unlike any other: the air is filled with a thick cloud of blue two-stroke smoke and a frantic, chainsaw-like exhaust note that signals its approach long before it appears. Because it lacked a traditional fuel pump—relying instead on gravity-fed fuel—and used a rotary-valve engine, it required a unique driving style that kept the revs high and the brakes to a minimum. It remains a cult favourite not just for its quirkiness but because it proved that racing success is often found in simplicity, durability, and a driver's willingness to keep the throttle pinned.

Trabant 601 RS 800 – 771 cc, 65 hp, 700 kg. East Germany’s answer to a rally car, still going strong today.

The kit: The reference AK35032 represents the most common limousine variant as built in the second half of the 1980s and features some optional elements fitted to the 601 S version, such as the fog and reverse lights. Two types of emergency lights attached to the roof are also included. The decal sheet contains markings for six different vehicles, including the one featured in the popular German comedy movie from 1991.

CADs showing the kit all together

The main features of the kit:

– Over 80 plastic parts.

– Photo-etched fret included

– Detailed interior and chassis.

-3D printed wheels & head restraints included

– Decals for 4 painting/marking options printed by Cartograf

TYPE HY COMMERCIAL PUBLIC SERVICE VAN

From AK Interactive

SKU: AK35035

1/35th scale

Price: 38.95€

Product Link on the AK Interactive Website

The Subject: The Citroën HY Public service van

After the end of World War II, the French brand Citroen developed a series of simple, affordable panel vans and light trucks initially known as the Type H. Their distinctive design features an extended ‘nose’, rear-hinged ‘suicide’ cab doors, a low flat floor and extensive use of corrugated metal body panels.

Only subject to fairly minor changes throughout the 34 years of production, they have become iconic due to the popularity of these vehicles, of which over 473,000 units were manufactured.

The kit:

The reference AK35036 represents the panel van from the Type HY series as manufactured from early 1964 to late 1969, with a single windscreen, short chevrons on the radiator grille, a vertical handle on the sliding door, and a square rear window. The decal sheet includes markings for four colourful vehicles used by private companies from France and the Netherlands.

The main features of the kit:

– Nearly 120 plastic parts.