Tamiya New Kit - Schwimmwagen 1/35

Tamiya Schwimmwagen Type 166 (wide wheel version) – an updated classic

The new release of the Tamiya Schwimmwagen Type 166 revisits a familiar subject with a few meaningful refinements. This version features wider wheels, along with a more detailed and accurate representation of the tire tread.

The tires are designed as multi-part assemblies built from segments applied around the circumference. This approach preserves the full depth and continuity of the tread pattern, avoiding the simplifications typical of one-piece parts. It is a small detail, but one that makes a visible difference in the finished model.

The kit also includes a figure sprue, making it easier to place the vehicle within a defined scene. The Schwimmwagen works naturally as part of a diorama – alongside other German equipment, in reconnaissance settings, or as a visual counterpoint to heavier vehicles. It also pairs well with a damaged or abandoned Allied tank, where its compact size helps establish scale.

A companion subject: the classic Willys Jeep

Alongside the Schwimmwagen, we have also introduced the classic Tamiya Willys MB Jeep. This is an older kit, originally released around thirty years ago, but one that has retained its quality and remains fully relevant.

The Jeep is one of those vehicles that can be placed almost anywhere – across the Western Front, Eastern Front and the Pacific – without feeling out of place.

The model allows several configurations typical of the 1944–45 period:

• a standard utility vehicle,
• a version configured to tow a light gun,
• or a late-war variant equipped with a pedestal-mounted machine gun.

The kit also includes a driver figure in a relaxed, natural pose, which complements the model and helps integrate it into a scene.

Small models, clear context

Both kits share a similar quality – they are compact, but they carry context. Whether used as the main subject or as part of a larger composition, they tend to define the scene rather than simply fill it.

Sometimes that is exactly what a diorama needs.