Arguably the most famous tank of World War II, Germany's Tiger I tank has been one of the most popular subjects of modellers for many years. Developed as a breakthrough weapon, combining thick armour and a lethal 88mm gun, the Tiger I became a feared adversary for the Allies who faced it in North Africa, Italy and on both the Eastern and Western fronts. The Tiger's production run went from July 1942 to August 1944, with 1,354 vehicles completed. Many improvements and modifications took place over that two-year period, including upgrades to the engine, turret and running gear. Stages of the Tiger's development have been categorized as 'initial', 'early', 'mid', 'late' and 'final', but there were numerous overlaps in factory-produced features that make some vehicles difficult to label. Modelling the Tiger I came into vogue in the early 1970s when Tamiya produced a kit in their new line of 1/35-scale military miniatures, following soon after with a 1/25-scale version with an interior. In the early 1990s Tamiya produced a retooled 1/35-scale kit of a late-production Tiger I that was a quantum leap ahead of the previous offerings with regard to accuracy and detail. Earlier versions of the vehicle were also released after this, and a flood of aftermarket products followed allowing modellers to create very detailed versions of the tank.
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