Tamiya German Steyr Kommandeurwagen

About the German Steyr Type 1500A Kommandeurwagen

In the early half of World War II, the mechanized units of the German army recorded many victories by employing the "Blitzkrieg" strategy. These triumphs can be attributed to both the fighting units on the front lines and the clever strategies and know-how of the commanders. To move these high ranking commanders from place to place, various vehicles were necessary. One of those vehicles was the Kommandeurwagen, produced by the Austrian firm, Steyr. Its development was based on the military transport vehicle, Steyr 1500A/01, produced in accordance with the vehicle standardization "Schell Programme" of 1940. Developed using the chassis of a 1500A truck, the 1500A/01 housed an eight cylinder, eighty-five horse power gasoline engine, a four forward/one reverse gear transmission, a front wheel torsion bar, and a leaf spring rear suspension. The Wehrmacht, impressed with the maximum speed of 100km/h on paved roads and excellent running performance, ordered the Steyr firm to produce a modified version for command use. In contrast to the eight passenger capacity of the 1500A/01, the Steyr Kommandeurwagen, which was designed for comfort, had a capacity of only five passengers. All of the seats were leather and the fight front seat could be reclined and used as a bed. The Kommandeurwagen's role as the wheels for the "elite" of the German army stretched from Russia to North Africa.