MiniArt 1/35 British Staff Car with crew

American Bantam pioneered the design for the first jeep, called the BRC (Bantam Reconnaissance Car) 40, and built 1,500 of these after discontinuing the manufacture of passenger vehicles. Some of the motors and chasses were imported from the UK Austin; the bodies were made at the American Austin factories in Detroit, Michigan and Butler, Pennsylvania. However, because the company did not have the production capacity to produce the vehicle on the scale needed by the United States Department of War, the contract was to be determined by a test trial. Eventually the U.S. Army chose a design by Willys-Overland and awarded orders to Willys and Ford, while Bantam went on to produce jeep trailers (T-3).

This is MiniArt's third boxing of this kit. The first two were US and Russian, both with figures. Like those kits, no mention of this being a Bantam is made to get away from licensing fees.

The kit is very nicely molded in grey plastic and does have a small amount of flash around some of the parts. I was quite impressed to see that the kit has been engineered so that there are no mold release pin marks visible when the kit is complete. This is especially true of the leaf springs, a part on model vehicles that often suffers from these marks.

The kit is not a curbside, having a nicely detailed engine and suspension. There is detail enough to please all  with most of the small parts, like hand holds, mirrors and lights, being separate pieces. The wheels have separate backing pieces that will help to make tire painting a bit easier. Clear inserts are provided for the windscreen and it can be moved down on the hood should one desire. There is even a hood prop to go on the inside of the hood. Included in the kit is a set of figures. Of the three, one is a driver, one is an officer and he is talking to a third figure in the back seat. As these guys are all in shorts I have to assume this is Desert stuff.

Instructions are in full color on one side of the sheet and provide very nicely illustrated construction steps on the other. Color information is provided for a number of paint companies so you can be sure to find what you need. The color markings and painting guide also gives you the assembly of the figures. A small, but useful decal sheet by Begemot is included. The two painting options are an overall desert tan Bantam with the RAAF in Libya during 1941 and the very nice box art vehicle with the 1st AD HQ unit in 1942. I have to repeat my complaint that there is no color info provided during the build itself so we have to guess on some of the colors.

Probably not the first vehicle that comes to mind when one hears of 'Jeep', but the granddaddy of them all and most welcome in a kit. I'm sure that this one will sell quite well as it is very detailed and offers a crew as well, something one does not always find with vehicle kits.

April 2010 

Thanks to www.dragonmodelsusa.com for the preview kit. Get yours today at your local shop or on-line retailer.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and fairly quickly, please contact the editor or see other details in the Note to Contributors.

Back to the Main Page

Back to the Previews Index Page