Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely steel wind up metal toy from the WWII period, which looks to be some variety of a 6-rad (6-wheel) Schwerer Panzerspähwagen Heavy Armored Recon vehicle. There were several versions of these, and this looks to be a Sd.Kfz. 231, of which there were numerous versions. Period pictures show a very wide variety of configurations, armor levels, and turret configurations used.

The model toy has a spring could originally be wound up with the correct key inserted into the rear left of the vehicle near the wheels, however the key is unfortunately missing. It also looks to have a battery compartment in the bottom for the headlights, however we do not know what type of battery it would take. Levers behind the front wheels would control the battery and release the spring in the back. There is even a spring loaded "cannon" in the turret, which probably originally had some type of projectile it could fire. It is in very good condition, and we were not able to locate any type of maker or other markings on it. It measures just over 10 inches in length.

Comes more than ready for further research and display.

The Schwerer Panzerspähwagen (heavy armored reconnaissance vehicle), is a series of six- and eight-wheeled armored cars that were used by Germany during the Second World War. In the German Army, armored cars were intended for the traditional cavalry missions of reconnaissance and screening. They scouted ahead and to the flank of advancing mechanized units to assess enemy location, strength and intention. Their primary role was reconnaissance, but they would engage similar or light units and at times attempt to capture enemy patrols.
History

The heavy Panzerspähwagen was a large but fast addition to the German Army. The original 6-Rad (six wheel) versions were based on a 6x4 truck with an armored body, but by 1937 they were being replaced by 8-Rad versions. During the replacement phase, the Sd.Kfz. (Sonderkraftfahrzeug, 'special vehicle') numbers were carried directly over; differentiation was made by the inclusion of 6-Rad or 8-Rad in the vehicle's name.

These vehicles were used throughout the war in various guises and first saw combat in the campaign against Poland and in the Battle of France. Later, they saw use in both the USSR and North Africa campaigns. Extreme climatic conditions in both these areas proved too severe for the vehicle. In the USSR, adverse ground conditions immobilized 150 Sd.Kfz 232s during the first wet season of the campaign.[citation needed] The speed of the eight-wheeled cars made them the best scouting vehicles that Rommel had for long-range reconnaissance across the wide desert territory.