Sdkfz 7 (late)

My 'star of the show' at the War and Peace show at Beltring in 2009, a late model Sdkfz7 artillery tractor, and on this occasion with an equally fine 88mm gun hitched up behind it.

Part of the Bruce Compton collection, this new restoration/re-build was finished in the work shops just 2 weeks before the show. I understand that the chassis/running gear, engine, bulkhead and engine covers were what it started with, found in France where it had been used for years in a quarry. On the stand they had a very complete album that recorded the state of the original parts and how they have gone through the restoration process to get to this immaculate vehicle that looks like it just came off the production line (which it sort of has, but then again it hasn't if you see what I mean...).

Of course it has also come on show just as Dragon have released an equally fine a 1/35 kit of this particular variant and Trumpeter have done one as well. The seating arrangements in the load bed differ between the two, but that is a relatively minor point in using this as a great reference if you are building the model.